Vogal Group Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Apprenticeships Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this provider

Vogal Group Limited (Vogal) is a mechanical engineering company based in Peterborough. It has provided training in engineering at a specialist training centre for 24 years. Leaders gained a contract to provide apprenticeships in 2017. Vogal also continues to provide a range of commercial training in engineering. At the time of the inspection, 35 apprentices were in learning. Of these, 30 were on the level 3 engineering framework, two were on the engineering operative standard at level 2, and three apprentices were on the level 3 metal fabricator standard. New apprentices are now on standards-based apprenticeships. There were no apprentices with high needs. Leaders do not work with any subcontractors. 10 to 12 August 2021

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices enjoy their training. They work with teachers in a positive learning environment, characterised by respect for staff and for each other. They feel confident to ask questions, experiment and make mistakes.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices value the range of mechanical, engineering and electrical skills they gain related to their individual work roles. They recognise how their new skills and knowledge help them in their workplaces.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices understand and demonstrate their responsibility for health and safety. They use this knowledge to keep themselves and others safe in the high-risk environments in which they work. They wear the appropriate personal protective equipment at all times. They ensure that their practical tasks are completed in line with safe working practices.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Leaders do not give apprentices the opportunity or training to extend their skills and knowledge beyond the requirements of the technical and vocational aspects of the apprenticeship.

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better?

Leaders and teachers plan and design learning programmes effectively to ensure that apprentices gain the vocational skills and expertise they require to become competent technicians. Employers provide appropriate activities to complement apprentices’ studies, such as simple welding tasks to practise on at work. Apprentices practise fabrication skills through metal-bending, and complete competency phase tests in the workplace.

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better?

Staff do not ensure that apprentices make rapid progress in their learning. Staff do not communicate with each other effectively on the progress that apprentices make. As a result, when formally reviewing progress with apprentices, assessors do not have the information they need to ensure that these meetings are useful. Staff do not make clear to apprentices what their individual strengths or areas for development are.

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better?

Most apprentices gain good practical skills and knowledge. Teachers ensure that apprentices gain secure foundation skills before moving on to more complex tasks and techniques. These include hand-fitting, welding, milling, turning and traditional computerised numerical control skills early within the programmes.

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better?

Teachers and assessors do not help apprentices gain or extend their skills beyond the vocational and technical aspects of their learning programme. As a result, apprentices do not develop their strength of character further or learn how to understand and manage better their own mental or physical health and well-being. 10 to 12 August 2021 Teachers do not use effective assessment practices on the standards-based apprenticeships. They do not provide useful ongoing assessment of apprentices’ new knowledge and skills. Apprentices have few opportunities for their theoretical knowledge to be assessed. Apprentices on frameworks are assessed frequently and usefully, both in and out of the workplace.

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better?

Teachers skilfully check apprentices’ understanding during training, and quickly challenge apprentices’ misunderstandings. Teachers use frequent questioning to check and deepen apprentices’ knowledge during practical lessons. Apprentices can analyse and explain faults in cooling systems, including the impact of a failure in the system. They understand the damage to associated equipment and the environmental impact of chemical spillages.

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better?

Leaders and managers have not ensured that staff are trained and confident to identify apprentices with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Teachers and assessors are not able to identify and support effectively those apprentices who do not self-declare their needs. This prevents these apprentices from making good progress in their training.

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better?

Staff ensure that apprentices have high regard for their learning and for their training environments. Apprentices follow the high expectations set for them by teachers with regard to their conduct. They work in a professional, mature, clean and safe way. Most apprentices are punctual and committed to their learning and work. Attendance at training by apprentices is high.

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better?

Apprentices gain good mathematical and English skills throughout their apprenticeship. Functional skills teachers coach apprentices effectively, using online materials and one-to-one support. Most apprentices who require functional skills qualifications as part of their apprenticeship achieve them.

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better?

Staff do not provide impartial careers advice and guidance. Staff provide limited advice about progression to further qualifications. Apprentices are not well informed about the breadth of careers available to them.

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better?

Leaders do not act quickly enough to improve the quality of training. They identify accurately strengths and areas for development. However, too many actions identified by leaders are yet to be implemented.

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better?

Those responsible for governance have insufficient oversight and understanding of the quality of teaching and assessment. They do not hold managers to account to ensure improvements. They do use their extensive knowledge and experience of engineering and manufacturing appropriately to ensure that the curriculum content is appropriate.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 10 to 12 August 2021 Apprentices know whom to contact if they have any concerns. They feel that any disclosure would be dealt with effectively. Staff responsible for safeguarding use their links with external agencies appropriately to support and monitor apprentices where concerns are identified.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have made generic safeguarding, the ‘Prevent’ duty and online safety training a requirement for all apprentices. However, leaders do not monitor the impact of this training or tailor the content to the engineering and manufacturing sectors in which the apprentices work.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Leaders must ensure that teachers and assessors use effective assessment practices on the standards-based apprenticeships. Teachers and assessors need to ensure that apprentices make rapid progress in their learning.  Leaders and managers must ensure that staff are trained and confident to identify apprentices with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and provide the appropriate help to enable apprentices to make good progress.  Leaders need to ensure that the content of the apprenticeship curriculum develops apprentices’ skills and understanding of their personal development and well-being, together with their vocational training.  Leaders must ensure that staff discuss apprentices’ ongoing career plans with them, so that apprentices understand the breadth of options available to them once they have completed their studies.  Governors must ensure that leaders and staff are held to account for improving

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

the quality of training. Governors need to ensure that leaders take prompt actions to remedy any areas for improvement. 10 to 12 August 2021

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Provider details

Address Helpston Road Ailsworth Peterborough PE5 7AE

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Provider details

Main subcontractors None 10 to 12 August 2021

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the apprenticeship training manager, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous inspection report. The inspection was carried out using the further education and skills inspection handbook and took into account all relevant provision at the provider. Inspectors collected a wide range of evidence to inform judgements, including visiting learning sessions, scrutinising learners’ work, seeking the views of learners, staff and other stakeholders, and examining the provider’s documentation and records.

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Inspection team

Rebecca Perry, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Chris Bealey Ofsted Inspector 10 to 12 August 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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