Pareto Law Limited

Pareto Law Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Kim Bleasdale, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: 49 Church Street Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 1AX Monitoring visit: Pareto Law Limited, 24–25 March 2021

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Context and focus of visit

From October 2018, Ofsted undertook to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of apprenticeship training provision which began to be funded from April 2017 or after by ESFA and/or the apprenticeship levy. This monitoring visit was undertaken as part of those arrangements and as outlined in the Further education and skills inspection handbook, especially the sections entitled ‘Monitoring visits’ and ‘Monitoring visits to providers that are newly directly publicly funded’. The focus of these visits is on the themes set out below.

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Context and focus of visit

Pareto Law Limited began to deliver apprenticeships in January 2018. Currently, 510 apprentices are studying standards-based programmes in level 2 customer service practitioner, level 3 digital marketer, level 3 team leader/supervisor, level 3 IT technical salesperson, level 4 sales executive and level 5 operations/departmental manager. The large majority of apprentices study level 3 IT technical salesperson and level 4 sales executive standards. All apprentices are over 19 years of age.

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Context and focus of visit

During the periods of COVID-19 (coronavirus) restrictions, directors, leaders and staff provided remote learning for all apprentices who were furloughed. They supported 83 apprentices to complete their apprenticeships. Leaders enrolled a number of apprentices to level 3 IT technical salesperson and level 4 sales executive apprenticeships to meet a small minority of employers’ expanding business needs.

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Context and focus of visit

The impact of COVID-19 has been taken into account in the findings and progress judgements below.

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Reasonable progress

Before the national period of COVID-19 restrictions, directors appointed a new senior leadership team. Since then, leaders have taken appropriate steps to strengthen the identified areas for improvement. Leaders ensure the curriculum fully meets the principles and requirements of an apprenticeship, such as ensuring apprentices receive enough high-quality off-the-job training.

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Reasonable progress

Directors and senior leaders have a clear strategy for the curriculum they offer. They ensure that it meets apprentices’ and employers’ needs, as well as local and regional priorities. Senior leaders ensure that skills coaches effectively coordinate on- and off- the-job training with employers. As a result, most apprentices develop substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours which they use in the workplace. Monitoring visit: Pareto Law Limited, 24–25 March 2021 Directors, leaders and managers know the strengths and weaknesses of their provision. Directors receive information relating to apprentices’ progress and the quality of education from senior leaders and hold them to account. They set clear and measurable targets for senior leaders to achieve, such as strengthening quality assurance of the curriculum.

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Reasonable progress

During the national period of COVID-19 restrictions, leaders continued to assure the quality of education. They carried out face-to-face and virtual learning walks, spoke to apprentices and employers and evaluated apprentices’ written work. Leaders worked closely with end-point assessment organisations to ensure that apprentices were able to take their final assessments at the end of their programmes.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders, trainers and skills coaches adapted the curriculum to reflect changes due to COVID-19 within the sales sector. Trainers and skills coaches no longer teach ‘cold calling’ to apprentices studying level 3 IT technical sales. They teach apprentices techniques to apply in social calling and how to engage a potential customer using a video call. As a result, apprentices swiftly and successfully apply these new skills while working from home.

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Reasonable progress

A few apprentices have fallen behind in their learning. Leaders have appropriate plans in place to ensure that all apprentices swiftly catch up and complete their apprenticeships.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices routinely develop and apply substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours as part of their training and job roles. Level 3 IT technical salesperson apprentices confidently deliver sales presentations. Level 4 sales executive apprentices deepen their understanding of the psychology of negotiation and apply this at work. As a result, they skilfully manage customer conversations to achieve successful sales outcomes.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders, trainers and skills coaches plan the curriculum so that apprentices can logically build their knowledge, skills and behaviours over time. They use their significant industry expertise skilfully to ensure that apprentices embed key concepts in their long-term memory. For example, apprentices learn about basic statistics and measures first. Then they learn about data analysis and the application of statistical methods, which they use later when analysing statistical process control.

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Reasonable progress

Skills coaches effectively use assessments at the start of the programme to plan an individualised curriculum for apprentices. They use ‘skills scans’ to collect accurate information about what apprentices already know and can do. Skills coaches use this information to plan an individualised curriculum for apprentices. Trainers and skills Monitoring visit: Pareto Law Limited, 24–25 March 2021 coaches ensure that apprentices are sufficiently prepared for their end-point assessments, including setting targets to achieve high grades.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers and skills coaches provide effective support to most apprentices to develop their verbal communication skills. As a result, apprentices skilfully organise and implement focused sales discussions.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices value the support they receive from skills coaches. Trainers and skills coaches provide useful feedback that highlights to apprentices what they have done well and what they need to do to improve. They help apprentices who have fallen behind to catch up by providing extra coaching sessions on the areas in which they need support.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices know how important their studies are to their career progression. They aspire to progress to higher-level apprenticeships. Apprentices have clear ambitions to achieve promotion, and most have discussed their career plans with their manager and skill coaches.

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Reasonable progress

Senior leaders implement appropriate procedures to comply with safeguarding legislation. They complete a range of suitable checks when appointing new staff to make sure they are suitable to work with apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

Staff, including the designated safeguarding lead and deputies, receive appropriate training on safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty. The safeguarding team includes a board Director. The members of the team are suitably qualified.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders provide apprentices with information during their induction about safeguarding, online safety and the dangers of radicalisation and extremism.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices enjoy their learning. They know how to keep themselves safe, including when they are working online. Apprentices know how to report any concerns they may have about themselves or others.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices are not clear about specific threats from radicalisation and extremism, either in their place of work or the area in which they live. Leaders are right to recognise that they need to strengthen their knowledge of the local risks posed to apprentices. Monitoring visit: Pareto Law Limited, 24–25 March 2021 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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