London North Eastern Railway Limited

London North Eastern Railway Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Ken Merry, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Address:

The Academy York Station York YO24 1AB Monitoring visit: London North Eastern Railway, 20–21 April 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

London North Eastern Railway (LNER) became a registered apprenticeship training provider in April 2020 and recruited its first apprentices in August 2020. At the time of this visit, there were 44 apprentices on the train driver standard at level 3 and nine apprentices on the passenger transport onboard and station manager standard at level 2.

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Context and focus of visit

LNER have continued to operate their services throughout the national COVID-19 restrictions but saw a significant decline in passenger numbers. As a result, the opportunities for apprentices to fulfil their roles and make progress towards their apprenticeship has been limited.

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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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Reasonable progress

Leaders at LNER have a very clear rationale for the recruitment and development of apprentices as part of their workforce. They identify many benefits to their operations, such as succession planning for an aging workforce. Leaders have carefully selected two rail industry specific standard-based apprenticeships that very closely meet their needs.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders across LNER recognised that some of their previous efforts did not create an environment that enabled apprentices to receive a learning experience that was of high enough quality. They appointed a head of learning experience who accurately identified several aspects of the provision that needed to improve. Leaders have responded by taking effective action to rectify the identified weaknesses and improve the learning experience for apprentices. Monitoring visit: London North Eastern Railway, 20–21 April 2021 Through careful planning, leaders ensure that the programmes that they provide are compliant with the apprenticeship requirements. This includes providing ample opportunities for apprentices to receive their off-the-job training entitlement.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices receive advice and guidance that ensures that they are fully aware of future employment opportunities within the rail industry. They have useful development plans that support their career ambitions.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders are held to account by the Department for Transport for the performance and quality of their apprenticeship training. They provide frequent information to the department as required. However, they recognise that they need to improve their governance arrangements, particularly to provide oversight of the quality of provision. They are in the early stages of creating a local governance board and plan to introduce this soon.

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Reasonable progress

In too many instances, line managers of apprentice train drivers focus predominantly on the occupational element of the training rather than the wider aspects of the apprenticeship. This means that they do not have enough involvement in the planning of their apprentice’s overall development.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders’ careful recruitment ensures that apprentices take on roles in which they have no previous experience. Throughout the programmes, trainers ensure that apprentices have ample opportunities to develop their knowledge, skills, and behaviours in a range of complex and demanding situations before they undertake formal assessments. For example, apprentice train drivers have no prior experience of driving trains and learn how to fulfil their new role through a well-planned series of activities, including the use of driving simulators and supervised driving.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers use assessment well to check apprentices’ understanding. Apprentices enjoy taking part in interactive quizzes that identify gaps in their understanding. Trainers use this information to help plan future learning. For example, when several apprentices did not fully understand level crossings, the trainer planned a recap session to consolidate their learning.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers have the appropriate occupational experience that they need to teach train drivers and train managers. They use their experience well to support apprentices to develop substantial new knowledge, skills, and behaviours that are relevant to their job roles. For example, train manager apprentices learn how to manage an onboard catering team and how to deal with emergencies.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers do not routinely identify, in taught sessions, where apprentices can develop their English and mathematics skills. For example, train manager apprentices need to Monitoring visit: London North Eastern Railway, 20–21 April 2021 learn how long it would take a train to travel a mile at various speeds, but the trainer does not explain to apprentices how to calculate this.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers collect information about apprentices’ prior experiences, knowledge, and qualifications at the start of their programme. However, they do not make good enough use this information to focus apprentices’ training on the aspects of their job that they are least familiar with.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers take seriously their responsibility to safeguard apprentices, recognising that they are operating in a high-risk environment. For example, the first thing that apprentices learn on their programmes is personal track safety.

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Reasonable progress

A range of support services are available to apprentices, such as employee assistance programmes. In the event of witnessing a fatality while at work, apprentices have access to the ‘chain of care’ programme. They receive counselling and occupational therapy support to ensure that the emotional strain that this would cause is well managed.

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Reasonable progress

Staff involved in apprenticeship delivery and the apprentices themselves are aware of how to identify suspicious activity in a train station environment and on board trains. Leaders maintain a ‘Prevent’ duty action plan and risk assessment that meets the statutory duties. However, it does not reflect the localised risks of radicalisation and extremism across the geographical areas in which LNER operates. Monitoring visit: London North Eastern Railway, 20–21 April 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

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Reasonable progress

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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Reasonable progress

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

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