Wiser Academy Ltd

Further education and skills inspection report

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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Information about this provider

Wiser Academy Ltd is an independent learning provider which specialises in insurance training. It offers insurance-based apprenticeship standards at levels 3, 4 and 6 nationally. At the time of the inspection, there were 97 apprentices in learning. Nearly two-thirds of apprentices study level 3 insurance practitioner qualifications. 1–8 February 2022

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

Apprentices quickly learn, understand, and can readily use the language used in the insurance sector. Apprentices become experts at identifying and stopping money laundering activities. They also have excellent knowledge of the role of relevant regulatory bodies in stopping money laundering. This allows the apprentices to work independently early in their careers.

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

Apprentices demonstrate highly professional behaviours and attitudes and are proud to represent the insurance sector. Apprentices are enthusiastic to attend sessions. They are very keen to learn from their trainers and workplace mentors. This learning allows them to quickly become valuable team members at work.

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

Apprentices work and learn in a mutually respectful environment. They are very aware of what would constitute unacceptable behaviour in their academic setting and at work. This helps them to demonstrate exemplary behaviour and lead by example in their personal and professional lives.

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

Apprentices are very conscious of their own welfare and well-being. They receive excellent training on how to maintain a healthy work-life balance despite the demands of the insurance industry. Apprentices are trained mental health first aiders. This helps apprentices to understand stress triggers and how to cope with them.

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

Apprentices feel safe and are safe. Trainers and employers discuss and reinforce topics with apprentices about how to keep themselves safe. Apprentices value the training. It helps them to confidently identify warning signs and take appropriate actions.

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better?

Leaders plan and provide high-quality, highly personalised training. Leaders have made it their mission to train the apprentices so that they are the highest qualified insurance specialists. Apprentices in the insurance sector value and benefit from the training, with employers reaping the rewards too. Leaders provide additional subjects and qualifications where relevant to meet business needs. This allows employers to recruit and retain well-qualified professionals in the sector.

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better?

Leaders use highly effective strategies to recruit apprentices. They carefully assess the starting points of the apprentices and the needs of the businesses through detailed discussions. This allows trainers and managers to devise a training plan that is bespoke to each apprentice and the organisations they work in.

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better?

Leaders recruit trainers who have significant and current experience of the insurance industry. Leaders ensure that trainers maintain up-to-date subject knowledge. They continuously encourage trainers to learn and share teaching best practices. As a 1–8 February 2022 result, apprentices benefit from highly effective teaching sessions relevant to the insurance sector and their roles.

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better?

Leaders frequently identify and effectively monitor and act upon any improvements required to the quality of learning. They use the feedback from apprentices, employers and trainers well. This enables leaders to have excellent oversight of the quality of training. It allows them to intervene swiftly where necessary. For example, leaders identified that line managers were not fully aware of all the requirements of the end-of-course exams and have designed training for the line managers to support apprentices in their exam preparation.

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better?

Apprentices benefit from the highly specialist sector and curriculum knowledge of the trainers. Trainers skilfully teach apprentices about the skills and attitudes needed for the sector. Then they move on to more complex and specialist insurance products. This helps apprentices to become extremely knowledgeable industry specialists and invaluable to their organisations.

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better?

Trainers liaise with line managers and apprentices very effectively to help design the training programme. For example, trainers expertly link the research apprentices carry out on the impact of external factors to insurance models. This allows apprentices to practise frequently in their workplace the knowledge they gain in their theory lessons.

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better?

Apprentices become experts in their work because of the high-quality training and education they receive. Trainers use a wide range of teaching practices to help apprentices learn. They use a number of effective strategies such as polls, quizzes, case studies and targeted questioning. These help apprentices stay motivated and remember better.

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better?

Trainers give highly effective and thorough feedback on course work that is personalised to the needs of the learner. The feedback ensures the development of professional communication as well as technical knowledge. This allows trainers to check on learning. It enables apprentices to know what they have done well and what they need to further improve based on their learning styles and needs.

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better?

Specialist trainers support apprentices who have additional learning needs to make rapid progress. Trainers and employers work together and include the use of assistive technology for apprentices who need it. This helps apprentices with additional learning needs to perform as well as, or better than, their peers.

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better?

Apprentices receive very accurate reviews of their progress on the course. These are both reflective and forward looking, with many ambitious targets set in collaboration with their employers. These targets are aligned to the knowledge, skills and behaviours that apprentices learn and provide the opportunity to develop these in a meaningful way.

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better?

Apprentices benefit from highly relevant sector-based careers advice and guidance from their trainers. However, they would further benefit from more structured and 1–8 February 2022 broader careers education. This would allow apprentices to recognise the transferable skills and knowledge they can use in their future careers.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff create a supportive culture and are always willing to listen and help apprentices as per their needs. This ensures that apprentices are comfortable to discuss any issues. They have confidence that they will be fully supported by specialist staff.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that staff have excellent links with local safeguarding partners across the country. This helps them to keep up-to-date knowledge of local safeguarding issues and risks associated with radicalisation and extremism. This helps staff and trainers to inform and educate apprentices of the risks that are local to where they work and live.

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Safeguarding

Trainers expertly link topics on safeguarding to the sector that apprentices work in. They discuss topics including how to address unacceptable behaviour such as inappropriate workplace banter. This helps apprentices to report such incidents and improve professional standards within the sector. 1–8 February 2022

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Provider details

Address Barrett House Savoy Close Andover Hampshire SP10 2HZ

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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 1–8 February 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the head of apprenticeships, 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

Sambit Sen, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Ginny Bradwell Ofsted Inspector Darren James Ofsted Inspector 1–8 February 2022 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

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

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