Astara Training Limited

Astara Training Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Emma Barrett-Peel, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Unit 37 The Wincombe Centre Wincombe Business Park Shaftesbury SP7 9QJ Monitoring visit: Astara Training Limited, 17–18 June 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

Astara Training Limited (AST) is an independent learning provider based in Shaftesbury, Dorset. Astara provides apprenticeship training nationally and across a wide range of sectors. Almost all apprentices study on an apprenticeship standard. Around three quarters of the apprentices are trained by two subcontractors. Trendy Pooches, based in Merseyside, specialises in animal care and welfare and Approved Training Limited (ATL), based in Greater Manchester, trains apprentices in engineering and logistics. AST and both subcontractors provide business and administration, and education and training apprenticeships. At the time of the monitoring visit, Trendy Pooches had 21 apprentices studying level 2 animal care and welfare, 10 studying the level 4 assessor coach and three studying the level 5 operations manager. ATL had 21 apprentices studying level 3 or level 5 business and administration and five studying level 4 assessor/coach. There were seven

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Context and focus of visit

engineering apprentices and seven supply chain warehouse operative apprentices. There were two international freight forwarding specialist apprentices and one trade supplier apprentice. AST had 23 apprentices. Of those, 17 were studying a level 3 or level 5 business and administration related programme. Four apprentices were studying the level 5 leader in adult care standard. Two apprentices were studying level 2 sales and marketing.

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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 took the decision to help their subcontractors to support apprentices who were at risk of not completing their training with their previous provider. However, leaders recognise that while their intention was to help and support other Monitoring visit: Astara Training Limited, 17–18 June 2021 organisations, their own oversight and management of the subcontractors has not been sufficient or thorough enough. Leaders’ checks focus too much on compliance and do not provide them with assurance that apprentices receive high-quality training, make good progress in their learning or are on target to complete their apprenticeship.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have recently set up a governance board to help them to make sure apprentices receive high-quality training. Governors have appropriate skills and experience, but they do not currently get accurate or useful information from managers. As a result, governors and leaders are unable to identify the key strengths and weaknesses in the provision or use this information to help to make improvements to training.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders do not know whether the planning, design and teaching of the apprenticeship curriculum is effective. Leaders rely too much on subcontractors’ own processes and management of information to make sure that coaches are able to support apprentices to develop new knowledge and skills they can apply at work.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders do not plan for, organise or train staff to continue to develop their teaching or occupational skills and expect staff to complete their own training. Leaders do not know what staff need to do to improve their teaching or what good practice they may be able to share with others.

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Reasonable progress

Despite leaders’ lack of oversight, most apprentices develop significant new knowledge, skills and behaviours, which they apply well at work. For example, AST and ATL apprentices improve their confidence in managing teams, in presenting to audiences and in using information they gather to make improvements at work. Animal care and welfare apprentices build on their knowledge and skills well as a result of the well-planned training sessions provided by coaches. They apply their new learning to their job and can explain why they use a particular clipping technique when grooming different breeds of dog.

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Reasonable progress

Staff do not establish apprentices’ starting points well enough. Some coaches do not receive useful information to help them to plan training effectively . In a few cases, apprentices’ reviews explore thoroughly the progress they make and identify what they need to do to achieve merit and distinction grades in their assignment work. Employers of Trendy Pooches apprentices take part in their reviews with AST staff. They know what progress apprentices are making and how they need to apply their learning at work in the grooming salons. Monitoring visit: Astara Training Limited, 17–18 June 2021 Animal care and welfare apprentices benefit from well-planned on- and off-the-job training. This builds on their knowledge and skills and prepares them well for work as qualified dog groomers. Apprentices at AST and ATL benefit from useful workshops and coaching sessions, and most get time to study at work. However, this

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Reasonable progress

time is not always planned, and some apprentices fall behind because they do not benefit from enough time in their working day to complete their learning.

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Reasonable progress

Most teachers use assessment appropriately to check that apprentices make good progress towards their end-point assessment. They routinely question apprentices about what they understand and how this knowledge applies to their work. Teachers use assignments and other tasks, such as multiple-choice questions, well to check apprentices’ knowledge. Most teachers adapt their teaching effectively for apprentices that fall behind, so that they can catch up. Feedback from teachers is supportive but not always challenging enough to help apprentices work towards merit and distinction grades.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have ensured that appropriate safeguarding policies are in place for all staff and apprentices, but they do not implement them effectively. For example, leaders do not carry out the necessary checks to make sure they or subcontractors recruit staff safely.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have ensured that the lead member of staff for safeguarding has completed the suitable training to carry out their role. They provide training for staff, but they do not make sure they all complete it. As a result, they do not know whether staff have the sufficient knowledge and understanding required to keep apprentices safe. Although leaders do not check subcontractor staff knowledge, both companies have made sure their staff are appropriately trained.

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Insufficient progress

Apprentices feel safe and know how and to whom they would report any safeguarding concerns. Trendy Pooches apprentices have a good understanding of health and safety in the dog grooming salons. ATL apprentices use current media topics to improve their understanding of the risks they may face. Monitoring visit: Astara Training Limited, 17–18 June 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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Insufficient progress

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Insufficient progress

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Insufficient progress

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Insufficient progress

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

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