RM Training (UK) Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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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 Not previously inspected

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Information about this provider

RM Training (UK) Limited (RMT) was established in 2008. RMT secured direct funding to provide apprenticeships in 2017. The company provides standards-based apprenticeships in business administration, customer service, retail, recruitment, youth work, team leading and management. At the time of the inspection, 71 apprentices were on programme. Five apprentices were enrolled on the level 5 operations management apprenticeship. 34 apprentices were enrolled on level 3 apprenticeships with half of these on the level 3 business administration apprenticeship. 32 apprentices were enrolled on level 2 apprenticeships, most of which were on the level 2 recruitment resource and customer service practitioner apprenticeships. RMT does not work with any subcontractors. No apprentices are in receipt of high-needs funding.

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Information about this provider

Apprentices work for a broad range of employers in a variety of roles. Apprentices’ job roles include customer service and management roles in duty-free shops in airports, recruitment roles in recruitment agencies and youth support worker roles for a youth charity. 2–4 March 2022

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

Apprentices enjoy their learning and are highly motivated. They feel valued and well looked after. They benefit from effectively planned and taught individual teaching sessions with their skills coaches. Apprentices quickly develop knowledge, skills and behaviours which enable them to carry out their job roles more effectively. For example, recruitment apprentices lacked the skills needed to make telephone calls to clients when starting their apprenticeships. Through the support of their skills coaches, line managers and workplace mentors, they learn to confidently enjoy obtaining all the information needed from clients.

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

Apprentices are ambitious and have clear plans for their next steps. Those who complete their apprenticeship move to permanent and sometimes promoted roles. A very high proportion achieve distinctions in their qualification. Apprentices value the opportunity to progress to higher levels of apprenticeship.

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

Apprentices are very effectively supported by their line managers and workplace mentors. They grow in confidence and resilience as they undertake challenging activities in their workplaces. This develops their knowledge and skills beyond the level required to successfully achieve their apprenticeship.

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

Apprentices feel safe and have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. Apprentices know who to contact if they have any concerns, and their skills coaches check frequently with them about their safety and well-being.

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better?

Leaders have a clear intent to provide education and training in areas where their staff have high levels of relevant experience and expertise to ensure that training is of a high quality. The apprenticeships they offer met skills shortages so that apprentices secure permanent employment.

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better?

Leaders have chosen apprenticeships which offer good progression pathways through the apprenticeship levels. For example, one pathway is the level 2 customer practitioner apprenticeship, the level 3 customer service specialist, the level 3 team leader supervisor apprenticeship leading to the level 5 operations manager apprenticeship. Apprentices are currently working through this pathway and enthusiastically discussed their ambitions to achieve the level 5 apprenticeship with inspectors.

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better?

Leaders are ambitious for their apprentices. They set an expectation that all apprentices will achieve a distinction in their apprenticeship, and the vast majority do. Leaders expect skills coaches to challenge apprentices to develop their knowledge, skills and behaviours beyond those required to achieve a distinction. For example, apprentices study units at a higher level than the apprenticeship they are enrolled on. Apprentices take on challenging workplace projects, such as evaluating the IT systems used by the organisation, identifying strengths and weaknesses and 2–4 March 2022 making recommendations about what could be improved. However, skills coaches often do not encourage apprentices to further develop their talents and interests outside of the workplace, and to improve their well-being through healthy eating and physical exercise.

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better?

Since the previous monitoring visit, leaders have successfully developed a more- flexible curriculum which builds on the prior knowledge, skills and behaviours of each apprentice and meets the requirements of the employer and job role. Consequently, apprentices learn in a logical sequence which takes account of each apprentice’s start point and the knowledge and skills which are needed as a priority in their roles.

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better?

Skills coaches have high levels of relevant experience and qualifications in their specialist area and they hold teaching qualifications. The skills coaches plan and teach interesting and challenging sessions on a one-to-one basis with apprentices. While skills coaches provide frequent feedback to apprentices, it does not consistently detail what apprentices could do to improve their work further.

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better?

Apprentices make good progress in their studies and gain sustained employment. All apprentices who have completed their studies in the last three years have progressed to permanent employment. Skills coaches liaise frequently with apprentices’ line managers to ensure that apprentices are given opportunities in the workplace to develop and embed their new learning. They involve apprentices’ line managers in the regular reviews of apprentices’ progress and provide line managers with access to their apprentices’ e-portfolios.

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better?

Apprentices quickly develop the professional standards and behaviours expected of them. They adopt professional language and their attendance at teaching sessions and to the workplace is high. Through their apprenticeship training, they develop good communication skills and speak confidently with clients and colleagues. Apprentices develop a sound understanding of British values and of the importance of respecting diversity. Consequently, they deal with a diverse range of colleagues and clients confidently and appropriately. However, skills coaches do not encourage apprentices to become active citizens when discussing British values with them.

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better?

Leaders have not ensured that apprentices receive ongoing impartial careers information, advice and guidance to enable them to identify how they could progress their careers outside of their current organisation. However, most apprentices have a career plan which their apprenticeship is supporting, are in permanent employment and can progress their career plans with their current employer.

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better?

Leaders understand the strengths and most weaknesses of the provision accurately. They have not identified all of the areas for improvement which emerged during the inspection, such as the need to ensure that feedback to apprentices detailed what they need to improve. Leaders have effectively actioned all the areas for improvement identified at the previous monitoring visit. For example, assessments of the prior learning of apprentices are now used effectively to plan individualised 2–4 March 2022 learning programmes and resources for each apprentice. Independent governance arrangements have been put in place and are effective.

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better?

Governors have a good understanding of the quality of the provision. They have frequent contact with leaders and access apprentices’ e-portfolios and other documentation. Through these routes, they can monitor the progress of apprentices effectively. They challenge leaders, for example, when leaders discuss introducing new apprenticeships. Governors challenge such proposals to ensure that any resourcing issues are resolved before new programmes are introduced. Governors monitor compliance with safeguarding, health and safety, the ‘Prevent’ duty and equality and diversity requirements effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Apprentices know how to stay safe in their workplaces and personal lives, including when using social media. They understand the issues relating to radicalisation and extremism in their workplaces. Those working at airports understand why they cannot use personal phones at work. Skills coaches refresh the understanding of apprentices on these topics at each progress review.

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Safeguarding

Leaders place a high priority on ensuring the health and safety of apprentices and staff. All staff are well trained. They benefit from frequent updates on safeguarding and issues relating to radicalisation and extremism.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Leaders need to ensure that the feedback that apprentices receive on their work clearly identifies how their work could be improved as well as its strengths.  Leaders need to provide ongoing, impartial careers advice and guidance to apprentices. They need to help apprentices to identify the transferable skills and knowledge which they can apply beyond the organisations they currently work for and the opportunities to do so.  Leaders need to ensure that active citizenship and the benefits of healthy eating, physical exercise and broadening talents and interests are more effectively promoted with apprentices. 2–4 March 2022

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Provider details

Address 7, Weston Chambers Weston Road Southend-On-Sea SS1 1AT

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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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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the Sales & Operations Manager, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous monitoring visit 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

Christine Leeding, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Georgina Ager Ofsted Inspector 2–4 March 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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