University of East Anglia

University of East Anglia Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Sambit Sen, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Higher education institution

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Address: The Registry University Plain Norwich Norfolk NR4 7TJ Monitoring visit: University of East Anglia, 8 and 9 December 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

The University of East Anglia started teaching standards-based healthcare and senior leadership apprenticeships regionally and nationally in February 2018. At the time of the inspection, there are 511 apprentices in learning. Apprenticeships offered at the university include level 3 pharmacy technician, level 5 nursing associate, level 6 registered nurse (NMC 2018) and level 7 senior leader apprenticeships. Nearly half of the apprentices are on the associate nursing or the registered nurse degree apprenticeship and a quarter are currently studying the pharmacy technician apprenticeship.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have developed an effective apprenticeship curriculum in collaboration with local and regional healthcare employers. Leaders work closely with employers in designing and adapting apprenticeship standards such as pharmacy technician, registered nurse degree (NMC 2018) and nursing associate. This helps employers to meet acute current and future workforce demands.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers recruit their apprentices with integrity. Course directors jointly interview apprentices with their employers. This ensures that the apprentices are recruited into appropriate job roles and that they have good attitudes and the professional behaviours needed to successfully complete their apprenticeship qualification.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers identify and arrange individualised additional learning support for the apprentices effectively. Apprentices value and benefit from the personalised support they receive. This helps apprentices to progress through their qualification quickly. Monitoring visit: University of East Anglia, 8 and 9 December 2021 Leaders ensure that teaching staff have the up-to-date industry knowledge and teaching expertise needed to enhance the learning experience of apprentices. Where relevant leaders and managers bring in additional industry experts to teach specialist management topics, apprentices learn and quickly develop their own industry knowledge and skills. They become valuable members of their teams.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers do not have effective oversight of the progress that all apprentices make. Managers and teachers of the senior leader apprenticeship do not regularly meet up with the apprentices to review the progress that apprentices make. As a result, lecturers do not always know what academic or pastoral help apprentices need to help them progress through their qualifications.

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Reasonable progress

Council and senate have effective governance and oversight of the quality of education and training. They engage with different stakeholders, including apprentices and employers, to have a better understanding of the quality of education and training. This helps them to support and challenge senior leaders and managers to help them further improve the quality of teaching and learning.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices learn new and significant skills, which they apply effectively in their workplace. Senior leader apprentices develop high-level skills in research, collaboration and networking. They identify ways to action their organisation’s commitment to decarbonisation by improving efficiency and identifying training to future-proof skills gaps. This helps apprentices to understand how to apply new knowledge they learn in their workplace.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices benefit from training that is well planned and taught in a logical order. Apprentices quickly develop good skills in professional practice, academic writing and research skills. Apprentices move on to developing more complex knowledge and skills. Nursing associate apprentices learn about human physiology and anatomy at the beginning of the qualification and then move on to learning how to perform venepuncture and cannulation. This helps apprentices to remember and practise their workplace skills effectively.

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Reasonable progress

The quality of apprentices’ written work is good. Apprentices demonstrate good technical knowledge and can apply it in their workplace. Level 3 pharmacy technicians can explain the legislation behind the safe disposal of medicines and consider the safeguarding implications of not carrying it out effectively. This helps apprentices to learn new knowledge and become effective and valuable team members. Monitoring visit: University of East Anglia, 8 and 9 December 2021 Lecturers do not make effective use of the information they collect about the starting points of the apprentices. Lecturers do not always consider what experience and knowledge healthcare and senior leaders have when they start their qualification. As a result, apprentices do not always benefit from a training plan that is personalised to them.

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Reasonable progress

Lecturers do not provide effective and independent careers advice and guidance to apprentices. Apprentices are aware of how the current apprenticeship will help them to carry out their job roles better. However, they are not fully aware of how the knowledge and skills they gain can further their careers beyond their current jobs.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices feel safe and are safe at the university and at their workplace. Apprentices are aware of whom to report any concerns to that they may have. This enables apprentices to be confident that their concerns would be investigated and actioned appropriately.

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Reasonable progress

Staff have good external links with other agencies locally. This allows them to refer and offer specialist support to the apprentices who need it. Apprentices have access to services such as an on-site doctor and specialist counsellors provided by the university. Apprentices benefit from such specialist support, which helps them to carry on with their qualification.

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Reasonable progress

Staff are unaware of the level or the effectiveness of the support they provide to the apprentices. They do not track and monitor referrals which are specific to apprentices. Managers have plans to introduce a management system which would allow them to track and monitor such information. However, this is not in place yet. Monitoring visit: University of East Anglia, 8 and 9 December 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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