Love and Tate Limited

Love and Tate Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Saher Nijabat, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Salisbury House 161–162 London Wall London EC2M 5QQ Monitoring visit: Love and Tate Limited, 21–22 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

Love and Tate Limited, also known as Pitman Training, is an independent learning provider based in the City of London. At the time of the visit, there were nine adult apprentices on level 3 standards-based apprenticeship programmes in business administrator and team leader/supervisor. The provider’s main business is commercial training and recruitment services to various sectors, including finance. They started training apprentices in January 2020.

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Context and focus of visit

Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) related restrictions, all of Love and Tate’s apprentices work and learn remotely. Some apprentices who are new to the employer have not been to their offices since their appointment. Leaders have plans to implement a blend of face- to-face and remote teaching when the restrictions are lifted.

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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

Leaders and managers have designed an apprenticeship curriculum to meet the needs of the employer they work with in the finance sector to upskill their workforce. Leaders have developed the curriculum to include content beyond the standards, based on apprentices’ knowledge and skills gaps, such as training in using different software programmes and finance training for non-finance managers. As a result, the curriculum links well with the employer’s and apprentices’ needs.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have developed suitable processes to meet the apprenticeship programme requirements. For example, they have put in place online systems to monitor and track apprentices’ progress and record off-the-job training. However, they do not routinely check how well staff implement these systems and Monitoring visit: Love and Tate Limited, 21–22 April 2021 processes. Consequently, they do not use these processes effectively enough to monitor and improve apprentices’ performance.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers take part in various developmental activities to keep their subject knowledge and teaching practice up to date. Leaders provide helpful feedback to trainers on their work to help improve the quality of training. For example, leaders scrutinise apprentices’ work and ensure that assessors are challenging apprentices to achieve to a high standard.

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Reasonable progress

Staff communicate clearly with apprentices’ line managers about their responsibilities. They explain the requirements of off-the-job training and final assessments. They ensure that off-the-job training links to what apprentices learn at their employer. As a result, apprentices’ line managers are clear about what they need to do to support their apprentices to achieve. Apprentices receive their entitlement to off-the-job training.

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Reasonable progress

Staff are rigorous in recruiting apprentices who are well-suited to the programme. Consequently, apprentices are on programmes that enable them to learn essential knowledge and skills relevant to their job roles.

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Reasonable progress

Managers and lead trainers structure the curriculum logically to allow apprentices to build their knowledge and skills over time. For example, business administrator apprentices learn key leadership skills before moving onto more complex project management and decision-making theories. Consequently, apprentices’ learning prepares them well to complete challenging tasks at work.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers skilfully support apprentices to build confidence through regular teaching and coaching. Trainers provide encouraging feedback on apprentices’ work. However, they do not always adequately advise apprentices on how to improve the standard of their work further.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices develop substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours that benefit them in their job roles. For example, business administrator apprentices learn how to manage underperformance and use this well to seek more evidence before tackling performance issues with their team members. Apprentices gain confidence to apply for higher job roles. A few have successfully gained promotion.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices’ line managers work well with staff to identify appropriate opportunities for apprentices to reinforce their learning through suitable on-the-job training. For example, apprentices shadow experienced colleagues and attend a virtual Monitoring visit: Love and Tate Limited, 21–22 April 2021 demonstration on how to complete an expense claim. As a result, apprentices develop secure knowledge and understanding of how to carry out their jobs well.

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Reasonable progress

Staff have informal discussions with the apprentices’ line managers about apprentices’ progress and support needs. However, these discussions are not well structured and are not adequately recorded. Staff have been slow to provide effective support to apprentices who struggled at the start of their apprenticeship.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers use different types of evidence to assess apprentices’ knowledge and skills successfully. Trainers use statements and witness testimonies authenticated by apprentices’ managers to gather proof of workplace performance. Consequently, apprentices have been able to progress and demonstrate competence appropriately.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have appropriate processes in place to ensure the safety of their apprentices and staff. For example, they carry out thorough checks when recruiting staff and appropriately identify risks to apprentices, such as those associated with radicalisation and extremism. Leaders have suitable measures in place to mitigate these risks.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers, who are qualified coaches and counsellors, provide helpful advice and guidance to apprentices during their one-to-one sessions on managing anxiety. They put on effective sessions for apprentices on strategies, such as taking breaks and exercise, to manage stress when working from home.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices feel safe and know who to contact if they have any concerns. Staff share useful information on safeguarding at induction, which includes guidance on how to keep safe and contact details of external agencies, such as the anti-terrorist hotline. However, staff do not routinely check apprentices’ knowledge and understanding of safeguarding over time. Consequently, some apprentices cannot recall this information from their induction. Monitoring visit: Love and Tate Limited, 21–22 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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