Fareport Training Organisation Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Fareport Training Organisation Limited

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Apprenticeships Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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Information about this provider

Fareport Training Organisation Limited (Fareport) is an independent learning provider based in Fareham and providing apprenticeships nationally. Fareport works with two subcontractors. The first is Academy at No. 5, which offers hairdressing and barbering apprenticeships, and the second is Oxford Professional Education Group, which has a very small number of higher level apprentices and for which the contract comes to an end once the last few apprentices have completed their programmes.

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Information about this provider

Fareport offers standards-based apprenticeships across business and administration, care services, sales, marketing and procurement, and hair and beauty. At the time of the inspection, there were 449 apprentices on programmes from levels 2 to 5. There were 139 apprentices on a business and administration programme. There were 129 apprentices studying a retail apprenticeship. There were a further 49 apprentices studying one of the other sales, marketing and procurement apprenticeships. There were 96 apprentices on a care-related programme. There were 33 level 2 hair professional apprentices being trained by Academy at No. 5. There were three apprentices following the level 5 learning and skills teacher apprenticeship, which was not in scope for this visit and will be inspected separately under the initial teacher education framework. 19 to 22 October 2021

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

Apprentices develop substantial new knowledge and skills, which they apply quickly at work. Retail team leader apprentices learn how to make effective improvements to stock-control processes to reduce wastage. Management apprentices improve team performance at work as a result of their training. Care apprentices who work with victims of abuse learn about finance and budgeting to help them support vulnerable clients.

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

Apprentices develop professional behaviours, which they apply well at work. Team leader apprentices use the confidence they gain in managing staff to step up into acting store manager roles. Hairdressing apprentices quickly learn the skills they need in order to talk professionally and confidently to the clients they have in the salon.

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

Apprentices understand the importance of equality and diversity and apply these effectively to their work. For example, they learn how to make adaptations for pregnant women in retail stores. Apprentices benefit from interesting bulletins that inform them about useful topics, such as domestic abuse, Black History Month and mental health. Apprentices have useful discussions with trainers and feel confident to talk about these topics.

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

Apprentices do not benefit from impartial careers advice and do not know what they may be able to do outside their current company or sector. However, apprentices are well informed of further qualifications and opportunities with their current employer.

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better?

Leaders have created an ambitious curriculum and culture for apprentices, including those with additional learning needs. They make sure that trainers support apprentices to gain substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours that help them make good progress on their apprenticeship and become effective in their jobs.

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better?

Trainers work well with employers to make sure that they fully understand the business requirements, and they design high-quality teaching sessions to support this. They use this understanding to develop employer-specific lessons, for example on additional training in the company brand. For one very large employer, apprentices in retail outperform colleagues who have not completed an apprenticeship in gaining promotion.

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better?

Leaders benefit from a highly experienced advisory board. The board uses its skills and experience to challenge leaders to make swift and well-considered improvements for apprentices.

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better?

Leaders have made sure that subcontractors provide high-quality training to their apprentices. Apprentices taught by subcontractors develop substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours on the apprenticeship, which they apply 19 to 22 October 2021 successfully at work. Leaders thoroughly and frequently check on the quality of training that their subcontractors provide to apprentices. They ensure that they have a detailed understanding of their performance and provide them with effective and consistent support.

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better?

Leaders have made sure that they have appropriate systems in place that they use well to understand the quality of training that apprentices get. Managers use frequent observation of trainers, including staff at the subcontractors, to check on the quality of training, and provide staff with useful feedback that helps them improve their teaching. Staff benefit from effective training that makes sure they have up-to-date knowledge in the sectors they teach. For example, staff who work with a national retailer take part in their employer’s training courses. Leaders made sure that staff had received training at the start of the pandemic to help them teach effectively remotely. Teachers learned how to use ‘flipped learning’ and digital research tools effectively to make sure that apprentices could still attend good training sessions remotely.

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better?

Employers are positive about the training their staff receive. They talk about Fareport as a ‘trusted provider’. Employers can confidently describe the benefits apprentices bring to the workplace. For example, apprentices at a national retailer are well prepared for promotion and many go on to team leader or duty manager roles at the end of their apprenticeship.

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better?

Leaders make sure that most employers are well informed about apprentices’ progress, which helps them support their training. Senior managers at large employers meet frequently with staff to check on progress, and to identify and deal quickly and successfully with issues. Line managers’ representation at progress reviews is variable. Trainers inform apprentices’ line managers about progress, but their lack of input for a small number of apprentices results in them not having a good enough understanding of their apprentices’ progress.

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better?

Trainers create effective learning environments and set high expectations for apprentices. Hairdressing apprentices behave in the training salon in the same way as they do at work. They arrive to training on time, focus fully on tasks and treat clients professionally. They quickly develop the skills their employers require at work.

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better?

Trainers are well qualified, experienced and knowledgeable. They use these skills to provide high-quality teaching. Apprentices benefit from well-planned and useful group sessions. Trainers use these sessions effectively to develop apprentices’ new knowledge, which they swiftly apply in their roles at work. Apprentices understand information well and use this to build their knowledge over time. For example, team leader apprentices learn about theories of management styles and use this new knowledge to apply to their own behaviours, their colleagues at work and the wider organisation.

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better?

Trainers use assessment well through questioning, testing and evaluating the work apprentices submit to make sure that they can identify and fill any gaps in learning. Apprentices aim for merit and distinction grades in their final exam and trainers 19 to 22 October 2021 prepare them well through high-quality teaching and thorough preparation for end- point assessments. Apprentices produce work of a high standard and can explain confidently what they have learned and what they need to improve.

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better?

Apprentices feel safe and are safe. They know how and to whom they would report any concerns they have. Apprentices are confident that they can talk to trainers, who listen well, and deal with concerns quickly. Apprentices can talk knowledgeably about the risks people may face from those who hold extremist views.

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better?

Leaders have not made sure that apprentices benefit from the same high-quality teaching for functional skills. Some trainers lack the confidence to support apprentices with English and mathematics. Some apprentices make slow progress, fail exams multiple times or do not pass their exams before they get near the end of their training. Leaders have appointed new subject ‘champions’ for English and mathematics and they have provided additional training for staff. However, it is too early to see whether this will have a beneficial impact for apprentices.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have made sure that they have suitable policies and procedures in place for safeguarding, and for promoting apprentices’ understanding of radicalisation and extremism. They implement these well. Leaders have thorough systems in place to help them deal with concerns swiftly and effectively. Staff at Fareport and subcontractors are suitably trained to help keep themselves and apprentices safe. They recently benefited from training about hate groups in the local area and mental health training. Staff use this training well to teach apprentices about risks they may face and how to take care of their mental health.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Leaders and managers should ensure that apprentices who need to achieve functional skills as part of their apprenticeship benefit from well-planned, high- quality teaching to help them develop the knowledge and skills they need.  Leaders and managers should make sure that apprentices benefit from impartial careers advice that helps them make informed choices for their future careers. 19 to 22 October 2021

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Provider details

Address 28a Westfield House Lower Bath Lane Fareham Hampshire PO16 0DH

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CEO

Marinos Paphitis (Chair) Natalie Cahill (Chief Executive)

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CEO

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Main subcontractors

Academy at No. 5 Oxford Professional Group 19 to 22 October 2021

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the director of operations, 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

Emma Barrett-Peel, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Peter Cox Her Majesty’s Inspector Carolyn Brownsea Her Majesty’s Inspector Viki Faulkner Her Majesty’s Inspector Daniel Beale Her Majesty’s Inspector Jai Sharda Ofsted Inspector Allan Shaw Ofsted Inspector 19 to 22 October 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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