National Training & Skills Ltd

National Training and Skills Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Sue Hasty, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

205–207 Crown House North Circular Road London NW10 7PN Monitoring visit: National Training and Skills Limited, 16–17 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

National Training and Skills Limited is an independent learning provider based in north-west London. It has held a contract to deliver apprenticeships since May 2018.

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Context and focus of visit

At the time of the monitoring visit, 32 apprentices aged over 19 were studying standards-based apprenticeships in adult care. The majority of apprentices study the level 3 lead adult care worker qualification, and the level 5 leader in adult care.

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Context and focus of visit

At the outbreak of the pandemic, all learning moved online.

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Context and focus of visit

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

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Insufficient progress

Leaders do not ensure that the apprenticeship programmes meet the principles and requirements of apprenticeships. For example, for many apprentices, leaders do not plan the off-the-job training well enough with employers to ensure that apprentices know when they will complete their studies. They do not adequately link apprentices’ training to what they learn in the jobs.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have recently introduced a new agreement that says explicitly how much time apprentices receive for their training. They now require employers to sign the agreement. However, this only applies to newer apprentices, and as a result, the majority of apprentices do their coursework and other study related to their apprenticeship in their own time.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders do not have sufficient oversight of the quality of learning apprentices receive. The management information available to leaders is inaccurate and Monitoring visit: National Training and Skills Limited, 16–17 March 2021 fragmented. This prevents leaders having a precise overview of apprentices’ progress through the qualification. Leaders and managers have taken steps to implement a new electronic portfolio system that helps with tracking apprentices’ progress and monitoring off-the-job training activities. This is in its initial stages and currently leaders do not know how many apprentices are behind with their studies.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders do not have staff with specialist skills to ensure that apprentices receive high-quality training throughout their programme. For example, tutors of adult care apprenticeships do not feel confident enough to teach English and mathematics effectively. This means that apprentices’ mathematical skills remain undeveloped from when they started the apprenticeship.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders correctly identify the need to make rapid improvements to the quality of training apprentices receive. Tutors and managers new to the organisation work well together as a team to plan the key actions they need to take.

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Insufficient progress

Most employers appreciate the training apprentices receive, including the one-to-one support from assessors, which helps apprentices catch up. Employers recognise that apprentices on level 5 programmes become better at report-writing and grow in confidence in their roles.

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Insufficient progress

Managers and tutors do not make effective use of the information they have about apprentices’ starting points. Tutors do not have a clear overview of the knowledge and skills apprentices have at the start of the programme. Consequently, tutors’ plans for the development of individual apprentices’ skills and knowledge throughout the programme lack sufficient detail. For example, on level 3 adult care qualifications, apprentices do not know how or when they will learn English and mathematics. They are not aware of what they need to do for their final assessments.

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Insufficient progress

Tutors do not consistently provide high-quality feedback so that apprentices know what they need to do to improve. In many cases, apprentices on level 5 leader in adult care programmes do not receive feedback on the work they submit. Tutors on these programmes do not correct apprentices’ spelling and punctuation mistakes. Because of this, the standard of work at level 5 is too low. Apprentices on level 3 programmes understand that they need to write in full sentences rather than in bullet points.

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Insufficient progress

Tutors have appropriate qualifications and experience to teach adult care qualifications. Leaders do not have adequate plans in place for tutors to develop their teaching skills for online learning. They do not communicate the standards expected for the quality of online teaching, and they do not routinely check the quality of teaching and learning. Monitoring visit: National Training and Skills Limited, 16–17 March 2021 Apprentices on level 5 programmes gain new skills and knowledge in their job roles. They feel more confident to lead team meetings and delegate tasks to their team members.

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Reasonable progress

The safeguarding officer is appropriately qualified, with relevant vocational experience in leading safeguarding and health and safety in care settings. They have suitable contacts in place with outside agencies for safeguarding referrals. They receive up-to-date information from the local safeguarding partnership. The safeguarding officer informs colleagues of current local issues at team meetings.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors help apprentices to understand how to keep themselves safe when working online. Apprentices know that they should blur their backgrounds, dress respectfully and take care to make sure children are not present when learning content is sensitive.

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Reasonable progress

Safeguarding policies are well publicised in the information apprentices receive at the start of their programme. Apprentices know about the behaviours associated with extremism and radicalisation and how to report hate crimes. They know whom to contact if they have a safeguarding concern. Apprentices feel safe in their work and in their studies. Monitoring visit: National Training and Skills Limited, 16–17 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

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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

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