Bridgeway Consulting Limited

Bridgeway Consulting Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Bob Hamp, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Address:

Bridgeway House 2 Riverside Way Nottingham NG2 1DP Monitoring visit: Bridgeway Consulting Ltd, 26–27 May 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 the Education and Skills Funding Agency 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

Bridgeway Consulting Ltd registered its first cohort of apprentices in 2018. The company currently employs six apprentices. All apprentices study level 2 rail engineering operative and are over the age of 18.

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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 and managers ensure that the programme meets the full requirements of an apprenticeship and that apprentices undertake the core learning required of a rail engineering operative. Apprentices are paid significantly above the national minimum rate and are guaranteed a full-time position on completion of their studies.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers ensure that apprentices are recruited with integrity. All apprentices are aware of the working conditions and the need to work at weekends and evenings before committing to the apprenticeship. They are appointed individual mentors, who provide well-being advice and ensure that safe working practices are understood and maintained.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers are well qualified and mentors are highly experienced rail engineers. The curriculum is well structured and apprentices are clear about their programme of study. They are aware that the skills, knowledge and behaviours they develop are valued and that they are highly employable when qualified. Most apprentices aim to have a long career in the industry. Monitoring visit: Bridgeway Consulting Ltd, 26–27 May 2021 Resources available to apprentices are excellent. Apprentices develop their skills, knowledge and behaviours using the Rail Innovation Development Centre (RIDC) track facility. This provides a safe off-the-job learning environment for apprentices. They are able to swiftly join teams of experienced engineers working on Network Rail track repairs, and make positive contributions under their expert supervision.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have begun to develop a system for formally recording and monitoring apprentices’ progress, but this is not yet fully established. Apprentices have a reasonable understanding of how they will be assessed and most feel well prepared for the end-point assessment.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have an accurate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the apprenticeship programme and are aware of the need for independent oversight of the business. They are currently in the process of strengthening governance arrangements.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers use initial assessment results to plan training and build on existing vocational skills or experience. Consequently, apprentices make good progress from their starting points, as basic practical skills acquired in other trades are built upon.

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Reasonable progress

Appropriate arrangements are in place for supporting English and mathematics. The development of apprentices’ mathematical skills is particularly good. However, feedback on written work is often cursory and does not tell apprentices how they can do better.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices understand the need to gain their personal track safety card and individual working alone certificate to work on the Network Rail infrastructure. This provides the incentive to achieve these early in their studies, before moving on to more practical skills development.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers and mentors are keen to ensure that apprentices have a good understanding, through regular checks, of their knowledge, skills and behaviours both in the classroom and when working on the railway network. As a result, on- and off-the-job training is well linked and highly effective.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers plan the curriculum so that apprentices can logically build their knowledge, skills and behaviours over time. For example, trainers deliver essential health and safety topics in the context of work on railway tracks and in night-time conditions.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers use their significant subject and industry expertise well to relate theory to practice. Apprentices benefit from current examples of techniques for changing Monitoring visit: Bridgeway Consulting Ltd, 26–27 May 2021 damaged sleepers and track fault finding. They value the support and verbal feedback that trainers and mentors provide. They find discussions about their work helpful in identifying what they can do to improve.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers receive feedback on the quality of training sessions through informal observations. Leaders and managers acknowledge the need to strengthen this further and have begun to implement a more formal system. It is too soon to assess the impact of this initiative.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders are developing plans to improve careers advice and guidance. Most apprentices want to remain with the employer after their apprenticeship. All apprentices who completed the apprenticeship last year still work in the industry.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices feel, and are, safe. Leaders and managers have successfully developed a strong safeguarding culture that trainers and mentors reinforce during on- and off- the-job training. As a result, apprentices have a good understanding of how to stay safe in hazardous working environments.

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Reasonable progress

Managers have suitable safeguarding policies and procedures in place and have completed a ‘Prevent’ risk register. The designated safeguarding officer and deputy have received appropriate training and have clear procedures for dealing with safeguarding incidents. Apprentices know whom to contact if they have a concern.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices’ physical and mental well-being are checked frequently during reviews. They know they can contact an independent well-being consultancy. Topics such as British values, the ‘Prevent’ duty and county lines are discussed at reviews, but apprentices have little detailed recall. Monitoring visit: Bridgeway Consulting Ltd, 26–27 May 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

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 .

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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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