Develop Training Limited

Develop Training Limited Progress monitoring report

p.1

Name of lead inspector: Saul Pope, Her Majesty’s Inspector

p.1

Type of provider: Independent learning provider

p.1

Address:

Derby Training Centre Ascot Drive Derby DE24 8GW Monitoring visit: Develop Training Limited, 3–4 March 2021

p.1

Context and focus of visit

Develop Training Limited received a new provider monitoring visit in August 2018. At that time, inspectors made progress judgements under three themes.

p.2

Context and focus of visit

This monitoring visit focused on the extent to which leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action to provide education and training in the current circumstances. It was undertaken as outlined in the operational note on visits carried out from January 2021 and with reference to the further education and skills handbook.

p.2

Context and focus of visit

These visits are to help learners, parents, employers and government understand how providers are meeting the needs of learners in this period, including those with high needs and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

p.2

Context and focus of visit

Following changes to government guidance and the imposition of COVID-19 (coronavirus) lockdown restrictions, inspectors carried out this monitoring activity remotely. As a result, the range of evidence available to inspectors was narrower than would be the case during an on-site inspection. Therefore, this report provides a more limited level of assurance.

p.2

Context and focus of visit

The impact of COVID-19 has been taken into account in the findings and progress judgement below. Inspectors did not evaluate leaders’ response to COVID-19 during the spring and summer of 2020, when the provider was not open to all learners and there were no national expectations regarding remote education.

p.2

Insufficient progress

In 2019, Develop Training Limited (Develop) became part of the JTL Group (JTL), a large provider of apprenticeships. Leaders have since decided to discontinue apprenticeship provision at Develop, and to transfer apprentices that remain on programme in July 2021 to JTL.

p.2

Insufficient progress

Since the last monitoring visit, leaders have not quickly enough identified weaknesses in the planning and implementation of level 3 apprenticeships. Until Monitoring visit: Develop Training Limited, 3–4 March 2021 relatively recently, they did not have sufficient oversight of the slow progress that apprentices made on water process technician and maintenance and operations engineering technician apprenticeships.

p.2

Insufficient progress

Many level 3 apprentices have approached their end date unclear how to complete their course. Water process technician apprentices are having to make changes to work that previous trainer-assessors had said was complete. Maintenance and operations engineering technician apprentices made little progress during the first two years of their studies. They are overwhelmed by the amount of work they still need to complete in the final year.

p.3

Insufficient progress

Managers recognise these weaknesses and have recently taken sensible steps to resolve the issues. For example, new trainer-assessors are better able to support apprentices to catch up. Managers direct trainer-assessors to complete overdue reviews and verify overdue work. They have also made changes to the cumbersome multiple systems that trainer-assessors use to track apprentices’ progress. It is too early to judge whether these actions will have the desired positive impact.

p.3

Insufficient progress

The large majority of level 3 supervisor apprentices complete their programmes well after their original planned end date. Their course has been disjointed. It is more than two years since they completed a considerable amount of theory-based training, which links to their current end-point assessment preparation. Currently, they receive good-quality support which is helping them to catch up. They now produce theory work of a reasonable standard.

p.3

Insufficient progress

Too many apprentices’ line managers are not involved in reviews, although this has been stipulated in apprentices’ commitment statements. On a minority of apprenticeships, reviews do not take place frequently enough. For example, water process technician apprentices have not had any reviews since fully returning to work in September 2020.

p.3

Insufficient progress

A considerable minority of apprentices do not benefit from sufficient oversight of their on-the-job training. They have only recently understood what this entails fully. As a result, they have lost opportunities to learn from this important part of their apprenticeship.

p.3

Insufficient progress

The quality of teaching and assessment is too variable. On the level 5 departmental manager apprenticeship, trainer-assessors use online classes to effectively link theoretical tasks to apprentices’ current working environments. These apprentices produce good-quality written work. They make expected progress towards their end- point assessments. However, water process technician apprentices’ lessons can be monotonous, which has led to a decrease in their levels of motivation. Until very recently, written feedback to these apprentices has been of minimal use to help them improve their work.

p.3

Insufficient progress

Too many apprentices have not completed planned training on the provider’s ‘core values’, such as on British values and e-safety. They do not have a thorough understanding of, for example, expectations for conduct and safety during online Monitoring visit: Develop Training Limited, 3–4 March 2021 lessons. However, apprentices rightly identify that trainer-assessors are supportive, including when they face challenges in their personal lives or with their mental health. Where there are safeguarding concerns about apprentices, staff respond proactively.

p.3

Insufficient progress

Apprentices can recognise some positive differences that training has made to them at work. For example, business management apprentices have improved how they manage challenging conversations. Maintenance and operations engineering technician apprentices can identify faults in small appliances. Apprentices develop their English and mathematics skills through their programmes. Maintenance and operations engineering technician apprentices can solve equations linked to inspection and testing activities. Water process technician apprentices use the correct punctuation on emails as a result of their learning.

p.4

Insufficient progress

Leaders and those responsible for governance should:

p.4

Insufficient progress

 ensure that recent work to improve apprenticeship programmes becomes fully effective and enables all apprentices to successfully complete their learning  work with employers to fully implement all aspects of the apprenticeship commitment statement  ensure that all apprentices complete planned learning on e-safety and British values. Monitoring visit: Develop Training Limited, 3–4 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

p.4

Insufficient progress

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.5

Insufficient progress

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.5

Insufficient progress

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.5

Insufficient progress

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

p.5