SCL Education & Training Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of SCL Education & Training Limited

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Inspection dates: 29 March to 1 April 2022

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Education programmes for young people Good Adult learning programmes Outstanding Apprenticeships Good Provision for learners with high needs Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this provider

SCL Education and Training limited (SCL) is a nationwide independent training provider with a direct Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) contract. Operating in over 70 sports and fitness venues across England, SCL delivers a range of qualifications that allow young people to develop the knowledge and technical skills they need to work in the sport and physical activity sector. SCL provides career pathways for young people from the age of 16 in sports performance, education in sport, and business in sport.

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Information about this provider

SCL currently has 3,292 study programme learners following programmes at levels 2 and 3, and 326 learners following adult learning programmes. There are 472 learners following traineeships and 364 apprentices studying apprenticeships from level 3 to level 6. SCL supports 45 learners with an education, health and care (EHC) plan. SCL works with seven subcontractors. 29 March to 1 April 2022

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

Learners and apprentices thrive and flourish as a result of the exceptional support they receive from staff, who know them very well. Staff at all levels are highly committed to supporting learners and apprentices to become independent and resilient. Highly effective pastoral support helps learners and apprentices to overcome personal and social problems they have and to stay on track with their learning. As a result, most learners and apprentices successfully complete their training and move on to further learning, an apprenticeship or employment.

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

Learners benefit from an inclusive and industrious learning environment. Staff act as role models, engage positively with learners and apprentices, and have expectations of what they can achieve. Learners know why British values are important and develop an increased awareness of different cultures and mutual respect and tolerance. Learners better understand and become more tolerant by looking at examples of discrimination in sport. Apprentices use their learning to inform workplace practice. For example, apprentices working in buying and merchandising understand the impact of human trafficking. They use their knowledge to select suppliers carefully.

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

Apprentices are enthusiastic and swiftly develop the skills and behaviours expected by their employers. They aspire to succeed in their apprenticeship, attain a distinction grade in their final assessment and make progress in their careers. Apprentices work diligently and complete their assignments and personal learning prior to online training sessions.

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

Learners benefit from carefully planned and useful work-experience placements aligned with their career aspirations. They learn about the breadth of sport- and non-sport-related careers. They understand the range of career opportunities available and how they can apply the transferrable skills they have learned.

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

Learners on traineeships benefit from a well-planned curriculum designed to support them to build their interpersonal skills and confidence through sport. They undertake suitable placements with employers, where they learn about careers aligned to the construction sector, such as plumbing. Adult learners on employability programmes have decorated a local community centre and gained qualifications in decorating and health and safety, and move into employment.

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

Learners with high needs benefit from highly individualised programmes that help them to become more confident and to develop the skills they need for independence. For example, tutors adjusted the timetable for a learner so that the learner could receive the support they needed in the morning when their concentration levels were at their best.

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

As a result of the skills they develop, the majority of these learners move on to their chosen next steps in paid employment, an apprenticeship or further education. 29 March to 1 April 2022

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better?

Leaders and managers collaborate effectively with employers and sports clubs across the sports, fitness and health sector. Together, they plan and teach a well-considered and relevant curriculum that meets workforce training needs as well as those of the wider sports and fitness sector. Employers are rightly impressed with how well their apprentices develop their written and spoken communication skills and how adaptable they are when, for example, working with suppliers from different cultures.

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better?

Leaders work closely with employers to plan learning that supports their staff to develop the knowledge and skills required to enable their business to be successful and meet customers’ expectations. Learners working for a large national employer are developing the management skills they require to progress to an apprenticeship in business management. Learners very quickly can identify the new knowledge they have gained and how this is benefiting them in their work roles. For example, they now know how to use a ‘strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats’ (SWOT) analysis to understand the changing expectations of internal and external customers.

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better?

Tutors have high expectations of what their learners can achieve. Almost all tutors plan lessons carefully and logically so that learners develop the key knowledge and skills they need to understand their subjects well before moving on to more complex work. They carefully review and summarise prior learning, which enables learners to link new knowledge, facts and concepts. For example, learners used their knowledge to evaluate different fitness-testing models. Adult learners use the coaching techniques they have learned to support team members in planning their progression steps within the organisation.

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better?

Leaders and managers have developed employability courses for adult learners that enable them to improve their future employment prospects. They work closely with local organisations, such as Jobcentre Plus and the Department for Work and Pensions, to structure short, five-day programmes that enable most learners to progress to self-employment, employment or further education.

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better?

Tutors carefully plan topics that enable learners to link the development of their English and mathematics with the skills they need to be successful on their programmes and in their careers. For example, they consider the tax and insurance requirements of a self-employed coach, and learn how to create a balance sheet. At the start of their course, learners compare how sports professionals train, and their attitudes and skills development. They use evaluative language to compare the information and conclude their findings.

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better?

Tutors have high expectations for learners’ behaviour. They work with learners in a competitive and highly professional way. Almost all learners behave well during sessions. They demonstrate high levels of respect and tolerance in classroom discussions and during sporting activities. 29 March to 1 April 2022 Governors, leaders and managers prioritise the well-being of all of their staff. Leaders have effectively used an evidence-based analysis of staff utilisation to inform the structure of staffing. Leaders have focused on ensuring that the organisation has the right staff in place to deliver education and training that meet the needs of all learners and apprentices.

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better?

Leaders rightly prioritise high-quality teaching. They employ highly skilled and knowledgeable tutors, who plan and teach learning that enables learners to apply theory to practice. Managers support tutors well to develop their teaching and learning skills and knowledge through the ‘Licence-2’ programme, which enables staff to become better teachers and to progress in their careers. Tutors improve their questioning and coaching techniques and are better able to help learners evaluate and make progress in their learning.

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better?

Learners benefit from a recently strengthened careers information, advice and guidance programme that gives them clear, impartial and useful information about their next steps. Learners are supported to access information about the options open to them and how to complete their UCAS applications. A small minority of learners at subcontractors do not yet benefit from the same quality of careers information, advice and guidance as their peers.

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better?

Leaders acknowledge that they need to improve further their capture and analysis of learners’ destinations to understand the impact of their careers advice and guidance more effectively. They have developed ways of finding this information, but it is currently too early to see the impact of these actions.

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better?

Leaders subcontracting strategy sensibly focuses on working with partners who either deliver niche provision beyond the current expertise of SCL’s staff, or who have a strong and successful brand and track record that are recognised in the sports and fitness sector. Leaders recognise that quality assurance of all aspects of subcontracted provision is not yet sufficient in one centre. They have taken swift actions to improve the quality of learning for the small minority of learners attending the centre. These learners do not yet make expected progress in their learning or develop the skills required to move on to further learning, an apprenticeship or employment.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff responsible for overseeing safeguarding are appropriately qualified. The recently appointed designated safeguarding lead (DSL) has extensive experience of working with the multi-agency Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU). They have swiftly worked with leaders to carefully apply the CPSU standards for safeguarding and protecting young people in sport through collaborative inter- agency working to SCL’s robust safeguarding procedures. 29 March to 1 April 2022 Leaders ensure that all staff complete mandatory safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ duty training. In addition, staff complete training in a wide range of additional and well- being topics, such as mental health, suicide prevention, child sexual exploitation, domestic abuse and online safety.

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Safeguarding

The DSL and safeguarding team are highly responsive to meeting the needs of all learners and apprentices. They are tenacious in their support for their learners and apprentices, forging effective partnerships with key charities and referral agencies across the country. Learners and apprentices struggling with homelessness, addictions and abuse receive highly effective support that enables them to continue with their studies.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Leaders must ensure that learners whose learning is delivered by subcontractors benefit from high-quality teaching and learning that meet their individual needs.  Leaders must assess the impact of embedded careers information, advice and guidance for all learners, through robust capture and analysis of destination and progression data. 29 March to 1 April 2022

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Provider details

Address 7 Swan Lane Lakeside Business Park Sandhurst GU47 9DN

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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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Main subcontractors

DIP Group Blackpool Football Club Pavillion Training Services Workpays Manchester United Foundation Knights EYC Global 29 March to 1 April 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the group director of quality and curriculum, 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

Carolyn Brownsea, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Andy Fitt Her Majesty’s Inspector Martin Hughes Ofsted Inspector Dr Agathine-Louise Ofsted Inspector Colin Smith Ofsted Inspector Beth Selwood Ofsted Inspector Susan Gay Ofsted Inspector 29 March to 1 April 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

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