Achieving for Children Community Interest Company

Achieving for Children Community Interest Company Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Gayle Saundry, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Achieving for Children Way2Work Twickenham Training Centre Grimwood Road Twickenham Middlesex TW1 1BY Monitoring visit: Achieving for Children Community Interest Company, 28–29 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

Achieving for Children (AfC) was awarded its own contract in 2020 to teach apprenticeships, having already operated as a subcontractor to other providers. At the time of the monitoring visit, AfC provided training to 73 apprentices. AfC offered 10 programmes between levels 2 and 5, the vast majority of which were standards apprenticeships. The apprenticeships on offer covered a range of subjects, with their largest areas being business administration, teaching assistant and leadership and management qualifications.

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Context and focus of visit

At the time of the visit, AfC was teaching all apprentices online as a result of COVID- 19 (coronavirus) restrictions. The impact of COVID-19 has been taken into account in the findings and progress judgements below.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have considered the needs of local employers, the young people with whom they work, and their own business to select an appropriate range of apprenticeship programmes. Leaders recruit apprentices to programmes which offer them the opportunity to develop substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that employers, assessors and apprentices have a good understanding of apprentices’ entitlement to off-the-job training. Most apprentices do receive their entitlement, and in the few instances where this is not the case assessors challenge employers to resolve this issue.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders use a variety of means to quality assure the work of their staff. According to a recent survey, apprentices highly rate their assessors and feel they are developing new knowledge through their apprenticeship. Employers report that they find the Monitoring visit: Achieving for Children Community Interest Company, 28–29 June 2021 apprenticeship to be well led and managed. Assessors also conduct regular check-ins with apprentices, which they use as a continuous low-level check on quality.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors use their knowledge of apprentices to provide them with tailored advice and guidance for their future careers. Prospective apprentices, especially those in care or those with special educational needs, benefit from expert support when making applications. Once recruited, specialist staff support these apprentices for six months to ensure that they have every opportunity to succeed.

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Reasonable progress

Governors have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the provider, which they use well to support and challenge leaders to improve.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have begun to observe their assessors when teaching and supporting apprentices. To date they have not provided their staff with sufficient feedback on their work so that they know what they do well and how they can improve their practice further.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders do not have adequate oversight of apprentices’ progress in English and mathematics. As a result, they are unable to provide appropriate support and challenge to staff. At the time of the monitoring visit, the first-time pass rate of apprentices studying mathematics was low.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors teach and support apprentices effectively to gain new knowledge and skills. Assessors provide a range of learning opportunities, such as online workshops and one-to-one sessions, through which apprentices learn key knowledge and reflect upon how they have applied their knowledge at work.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices enjoy their studies and appreciate the support they receive from their assessors and employers. They recognise how their programme has helped them to improve their professional behaviours. For example, early years apprentices have gained confidence in interacting with the parents of children in their care.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors have relevant experience and qualifications in the subjects that they teach. They use their knowledge to construct logically sequenced programmes that cover the key elements of each apprenticeship.

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Reasonable progress

Most apprentices have a good understanding of how they will be assessed at the end of their programme and what they need to do to achieve high marks. Assessors have appropriate plans in place to prepare apprentices for these assessments, and in some cases have started to coach apprentices towards their final observations and professional discussions. Monitoring visit: Achieving for Children Community Interest Company, 28–29 June 2021 Most apprentices receive helpful feedback on their workplace observations and assignments. This helps them to understand what they have done well and where they need to improve their work. However, not all apprentices receive frequent enough progress reviews to consolidate their learning and ensure that they clearly understand their next steps.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders do not create clear enough links between the initial assessment of apprentices’ knowledge and skills and the individual plans put in place for their learning. While assessors do learn about their apprentices and adapt their teaching over time, apprentices’ needs and prior experiences are not considered sufficiently from the start of their apprenticeship.

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Significant progress

Leaders consider the safeguarding of apprentices to be their greatest priority. They have ensured that all staff have received appropriate training in safeguarding and in the risks of radicalisation and extremism. They have also provided assessors with specialist training, such as bereavement training in relation to COVID-19, which has enriched assessors’ understanding of topical issues. Assessors are confident in their knowledge and are effective in sharing it with their apprentices.

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Significant progress

Leaders have put in place appropriate safeguarding policies, risk assessments and processes, which include robust practices in relation to safely recruiting staff to work with apprentices.

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Significant progress

Apprentices feel safe and have a good relationship with their assessors, whom they would tell if they had any concerns. Apprentices report that at work and in their studies their experiences are free from discrimination or harassment.

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Significant progress

Leaders track any concerns that are raised relating to apprentices’ welfare or safeguarding. Where concerns are raised, staff take appropriate actions to support apprentices. Monitoring visit: Achieving for Children Community Interest Company, 28–29 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 and child protection.

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Significant progress

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Significant progress

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Significant progress

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Significant progress

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

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