The Training Place Of Excellence Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of The Training Place Of Excellence Limited

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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Information about this provider

The Training Place of Excellence Limited (TTP) is a training provider based in South London. TTP provides apprenticeships and traineeships in accountancy and finance. At the time of the inspection, there were 42 apprentices on the level 2 accounts and finance assistant standard, 15 apprentices on the level 3 assistant accountant standard and another 15 apprentices on the level 4 professional accounting or taxation technician standard. There were ten learners aged 16 to 18 on traineeships.

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Information about this provider

At the time of the inspection, the apprentices were taught online, with some support sessions and examinations taking place face to face. Traineeship learners were taught face to face at the centre. 10 to 12 May 2022

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

Learners feel that their training programmes prepare them well for employment in the accountancy and finance sector. Learners gain the confidence to move on to higher-level qualifications and apply for jobs in this sector at the end of their programme. They feel well supported and find TTP a helpful place where they learn valuable new knowledge and skills, such as bookkeeping and payroll calculations.

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

Learners are highly ambitious and motivated. They receive helpful careers advice and guidance at the outset of their programmes and understand well their possible next steps. They are clear about the university courses they can apply to and the types of work they may do, including the opportunity to become self-employed. Most learners who complete their programme progress to higher levels of study, and many aspire to gain chartered accountant status.

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

Leaders and managers do not set consistently high expectations with learners around attendance. They do not have clear strategies to improve learners' attendance across the provision. Consequently, learners' attendance is low, especially in level 2 and 3 apprenticeship programmes.

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

Learners do not have access to suitable opportunities to explore their talents and develop their knowledge and understanding of wider life issues beyond their qualifications. For example, young trainees do not have meaningful discussions on topics such as sexual harassment and exploitation. Consequently, they cannot confidently explain how to deal with inappropriate behaviour that they might meet in life or at work.

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better?

Leaders have a clear ambition to support young learners and adults to gain career opportunities in accountancy and finance. They provide suitable routes for learners to gain meaningful training experience and recognised qualifications in this sector. Young learners gain a basic knowledge of accountancy through their traineeship. A high number of learners progress from traineeships to level 2 apprenticeships.

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better?

Since their monitoring visit on March 21, leaders have faced several challenges and have struggled to maintain a high standard of education across their apprenticeship provision. While they have recognised these challenges, they have been too slow to take sufficiently effective actions to improve standards. This has resulted in too many apprentices leaving without completing their programmes.

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better?

Leaders have not put in place suitable governance arrangements. As a result, leaders do not benefit from external support or challenge to drive improvements. Leaders and managers have been too slow to implement robust quality assurance processes to ensure learners receive high-quality teaching and training across their 10 to 12 May 2022

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provision. Consequently, the quality of teaching is not consistently good across the provision.

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Leaders work effectively with employers to identify their needs and to develop programmes which meet their requirements. Leaders have planned an ambitious curriculum through which apprentices and trainees gain industry-specific skills and professional qualifications, such as the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) accredited qualification for level 4 apprentices, which are beyond the requirements of their programme. However, too many apprentices do not complete their apprenticeship, but leave their programme after achieving their accounting qualifications.

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In both traineeships and apprenticeships, leaders have put in place a well-structured curriculum, through which learners quickly develop the necessary knowledge, skills and behaviours to contribute effectively at work. For example, when teaching level 2 apprentices, tutors spend more time on complex topics such as bookkeeping transactions once apprentices have learned the basics.

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Tutors reinforce professional behaviours such as commitment and resilience through training and make frequent links between these behaviours and success in the workplace. Consequently, learners develop well the necessary professional behaviours for work. Employers recognise that learners grow in confidence and demonstrate a good work ethic. For example, they learn not to use informal language or jargon and to talk to clients professionally. They form positive relationships with clients and colleagues alike.

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Tutors have relevant experience and expertise in finance and accountancy. They use their knowledge well to ensure that their curriculum content and resources reflect changes in the sector. For example, tutors ensure that the accounting software they use is up to date with new changes in tax and national insurance thresholds when teaching learners how to calculate payroll.

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Tutors do not check learners’ knowledge and understanding sufficiently well. They miss opportunities to clarify misconceptions and misunderstandings in lessons. In online classes, most apprentices have their cameras off. Tutors ask some direct questions but struggle to engage apprentices with their learning in these lessons.

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Leaders do not routinely share sufficient information about learners’ previous experience and qualifications with tutors. Consequently, tutors are not fully aware of their learners’ starting points when they plan their curriculum. In traineeships, tutors do not use information about learners’ existing knowledge and skills effectively, and so at times set work which is too low level.

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A small number of apprentices and trainees need to gain qualifications in English and mathematics as part of their programme. Staff assess their knowledge at the start of their training and provide learners with suitable one-to-one support that helps them to prepare for their examinations. As a result, learners achieve the functional skills qualifications they need. 10 to 12 May 2022

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Staff do not provide suitable opportunities for learners to develop a detailed understanding of fundamental British values during their programme. They do not discuss this topic sufficiently during progress reviews or in training. Consequently, learners do not have a secure knowledge of how the rule of law, democracy and individual liberty might affect their work.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have put in place suitable policies and procedures to ensure the safety of their learners. For example, they carry out Disclosure and Barring Service checks and complete reference checks when recruiting new staff. They also make appropriate checks on employers to ensure workplaces are safe for young trainees and apprentices.

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Safeguarding

Leaders teach learners about safeguarding at induction. Their induction includes training on industry-specific risks such as money laundering and its potential link to terrorism. However, tutors do not routinely revisit safeguarding topics such as the dangers of radicalisation and extremism. Consequently, learners do not have a good enough understanding of these topics.

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Safeguarding

Learners feel safe because they know that staff are readily available to answer any queries they might have about their personal safety or welfare. They trust staff to provide them with the help and support they need if they are experiencing any difficulties in their lives or at work.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Leaders should quality assure the work of tutors more rigorously so that they can put in place focused training and development to help tutors to improve their teaching and assessment skills.  Leaders should develop their governance arrangements so that they gain beneficial support and challenge with their improvement plans.  Leaders should put in place clear strategies to improve apprentices’ attendance so that apprentices are able to make progress and achieve.  Leaders should ensure that learners have access to a broad curriculum which prepares them well for life in modern Britain.  Leaders should ensure that tutors have sufficient information to develop a personalised curriculum that builds on learners’ existing skills and knowledge. 10 to 12 May 2022

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Provider details

Address 12 Carlton Cottages New Cross Road London SE14 5BE

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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 N/A 10 to 12 May 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the company director, 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

Saher Nijabat, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector Jon Bowman Her Majesty's Inspector David Baber Ofsted Inspector 10 to 12 May 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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