The Square Metre Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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Information about this provider

The Square Metre Limited is a private training provider based in Redditch. They gained a contract to deliver apprenticeships in 2018. Prior to this, it mainly operated as a subcontractor. At the time of this inspection, exactly 18 apprentices were in learning. All apprentices were enrolled on the level 5 operations/departmental manager standard at level 5. All apprentices are aged 19 and above. All apprentices work within the outdoor events and security sectors and are based around the country. The Square Metre Limited does not work with any subcontractors. 12 to 14 April 2022

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

Apprentices rightly value the expertise and experience of their tutors, and how tutors use real-life examples in their teaching.

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

Apprentices do not know what they need to improve their work, as the feedback they receive does not guide them sufficiently. Apprentices are not supported well enough to improve the standard of their written English.

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

Apprentices’ employers are not sufficiently well involved in the apprenticeship. Too often employers are not present at reviews. Employers do not know what apprentices have learned and what they will be learning, in order that employers can support apprentices to apply new learning in the workplace.

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

Leaders do not clearly establish what apprentices already know and can do before they start their apprenticeship, which inhibits their ability to make rapid progress from the start of the apprenticeship.

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

Apprentices do not receive sufficiently comprehensive careers advice and guidance, to ensure that they understand the full range of options available to them in the sector.

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

Apprentices feel safe and cared for. Tutors support apprentices to develop a good understanding of the risks associated with radicalisation. Apprentices understand what this means within their wider lives, and how it applies to their place of work.

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better?

Senior leaders have a clear focus for the curriculum they provide. They offer management training to support those in the security and outdoor events sectors. Senior leaders have a clear drive to support in professionalising the sectors and providing management training for those in senior positions.

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better?

Senior leaders have selected an ambitious curriculum. Apprentices benefit from working towards additional qualifications as part of the apprenticeship, including the level 4 diploma in crowd safety management and the level 5 award in crowd safety management. However, senior leaders do not make sure that apprentices receive high-quality teaching and training.

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better?

Leaders and tutors do not identify what apprentices already know and can do when they start their programme. Almost all apprentices have been working within the security sector before starting their apprenticeship. In many cases, they already hold management level positions. Leaders and teachers do not identify how they can challenge apprentices, so that they can make rapid progress in the development of new knowledge, skills and behaviours. 12 to 14 April 2022

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Senior leaders and tutors do not ensure that employers are sufficiently well involved in the apprenticeship. In too many cases, employers are not involved in apprentices’ reviews. Employers do not know what apprentices are learning in their off-the-job time. As a result, on- and off-the-job training are not well planned. Apprentices are not supported well enough in the workplace to apply new learning into practice. As a result, apprentices are not developing significant new knowledge, skills and behaviours in line with their potential.

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Tutors do not use assessment well enough to check that learning is taking place. Apprentices complete assignments and develop a portfolio of work as they move through their apprenticeship. However, tutors do not use assessment to check that apprentices remember new learning long-term. Apprentices do not get sufficient opportunities to revisit and recall new knowledge, skills and behaviours they have learned so that they develop fluency in these over time.

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Tutors do not provide precise and developmental feedback to apprentices on their work. Where tutors do provide feedback, this is typically recorded on video. However, too frequently, apprentices are unable to recall the feedback they receive, and what they need to do to improve the quality of their work. In a few cases, where apprentices’ work does not meet the required standard, the feedback tutors provide to apprentices is overly positive. As a result, apprentices are not supported to produce high-quality work.

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Leaders recognise that they do not place sufficient emphasis on the development of apprentices’ English and mathematics skills. Tutors have not supported apprentices to develop these skills early enough in their programme. Where apprentices already have the required English and mathematics qualifications for their apprenticeship, leaders and tutors do not take the steps required to identify any skills gaps. As a result, apprentices do not improve their English and mathematics as quickly as they should.

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Apprentices are developing some useful new knowledge, skills and behaviours. For example, apprentices develop their understanding to review tragic events that have taken place, such as at Hillsborough and the Manchester arena bombing. Apprentices understand what this means for current practice to ensure the safety of the public at major events. For example, apprentices show a clear understanding of ‘Martyn’s law’ and how this applies to crowd safety measures. However, apprentices do not develop significant new knowledge, skills and behaviours in all areas of the curriculum.

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Apprentices have reacted with great resolve in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The security and outdoor events sectors were heavily impacted by the pandemic. Apprentices continue to show positive attitudes towards their learning. They are ambitious and motivated to achieve. The vast majority of apprentices are aware of the grades they can achieve at their final assessments and are ambitious to achieve as well as they can.

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Leaders and tutors do not ensure that apprentices receive sufficient careers advice and guidance. Although apprentices do improve their understanding of the range of 12 to 14 April 2022

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job roles within the security sector, apprentices are not supported sufficiently well to understand the range of options available to them, to undertake higher level management training.

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Quality improvement processes focus too narrowly on reviewing the final portfolio evidence apprentices submit to ensure that the work is in line with awarding body requirements. Leaders do not focus quality improvement on the quality of teaching apprentices receive, and as a result, leaders have not identified the full range of actions needed to improve tutors’ craft of teaching.

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Leaders set out the actions they want to take to improve the quality of education apprentices receive, but these actions do not have clear dates for completion. As a result, too many actions are yet to be fully addressed.

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Leaders ensure that tutors benefit from continuous training in relation to the security sector in which they work. Tutors have high levels of expertise in this sector. However, leaders do not provide enough training to support tutors to develop their craft of teaching. This includes when teaching takes place online.

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Governors provide significant challenge to senior leaders and have a more accurate view of the quality of teaching within the provider than senior leaders do. During the pandemic, governors did not meet as routinely to review the quality of education that apprentices receive and so have only recently started to provide the level of challenge that they used to. Although governors have identified some key actions for improvement, the actions leaders are taking in response are recent and the impact of these actions cannot yet be seen.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Senior leaders have in place a robust safeguarding policy and procedure. This sets out a clear process for the reporting of any safeguarding concerns. Senior leaders have a well-trained and qualified safeguarding team. Those responsible for safeguarding receive regular updates and training. Senior leaders have developed highly effective relationships with external stakeholders. This supports senior leaders to have a detailed understanding of local and regional risks in relation to things such as the ‘Prevent’ duty. Senior leaders and tutors use this information well to develop apprentices’ understanding of such safeguarding risks. Apprentices have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. Apprentices understand clearly work- related risks, such as the wide range of risks associated with festivals, and the steps they can take within their job role to reduce these risks. Senior leaders have in place

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Safeguarding

a highly effective safer recruitment process. Newly recruited staff are subject to a diligent ‘vetting check’ process. This ensures that senior leaders employ only staff who are safe to work with apprentices. 12 to 14 April 2022

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Leaders must identify apprentices’ starting points and review the order in which they teach the content of the apprenticeship so that apprentices build the necessary knowledge, skills and behaviours in a logical way.  Leaders need to prioritise the development of apprentices’ English and mathematical skills in order that apprentices start to develop these skills from the beginning of their programme. Apprentices must be supported to continue to develop their English and mathematics skills, even when they have the required qualifications in these areas when they start their apprenticeship.  Leaders should improve the monitoring of the quality of teaching apprentices receive so that they can better identify training that will support tutors to improve the craft of teaching, including online teaching.  Leaders must ensure that tutors use assessment more effectively to check what apprentices now know and can do. Leaders and tutors need to provide apprentices

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

with more routine and frequent feedback so that apprentices know how to improve the quality of their work.  Senior leaders must ensure that employers are sufficiently well involved in the ap- prenticeship so that employers can support apprentices to apply new learning in the workplace.  Leaders should improve the information apprentices receive in relation to careers so that apprentices are aware of the full range of options available to them for their next steps. 12 to 14 April 2022

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Provider details

Address The Former County Court 13 Church Road Redditch B97 4AB

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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 12 to 14 April 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the head of governance, 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

Ian Higgins, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Jenny Murphy Ofsted Inspector Stuart Collett Her Majesty’s Inspector Susan Gay Ofsted Inspector 12 to 14 April 2022

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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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