Northcoders Teched Limited

Northcoders Teched Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Suzanne Horner, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 May 2022 Type of provider: Independent learning provider Address: Manchester Technology Centre 103 Oxford Road Manchester M1 7ED Monitoring visit: Northcoders Teched Limited, 25 and 26 May 2022

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Context and focus of visit

From October 2018, Ofsted undertook to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of apprenticeship training provision which began to be funded from April 2017 or after by the Education and Skills Funding Agency and/or the apprenticeship levy. This monitoring visit was undertaken as part of those arrangements and as outlined in the ‘Further education and skills inspection handbook’, especially the sections entitled ‘Monitoring visits’ and ‘Monitoring visits to providers that are newly directly publicly funded’. The focus of these visits is on the themes set out below.

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Context and focus of visit

Northcoders Teched Limited is an independent learning provider based in Manchester. At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 78 apprentices studying the level 4 software developer standard. The provider does not subcontract any of its provision.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have a clearly defined rationale for providing the level 4 software developer apprenticeship. They aim to train apprentices to become skilled software developers, to meet the national skills shortage in the software development sector. They have nurtured effective partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders, such as local councils and specialist skills advisory boards. This ensures that the most up-to-date developments in the sector are implemented into the curriculum.

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Insufficient progress

Skills coaches do not set sufficiently challenging targets for apprentices to develop substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours. Too many targets are cursory and do not detail what apprentices are doing well and where they need to improve. This means that apprentices make slow progress, and a few do not complete their apprenticeship on time.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders do not ensure that apprentices’ on- and off-the-job training is coordinated effectively. Apprentices complete a 13-week skills workshop at the beginning of the apprenticeship, but do not have the opportunity to practise and master these skills in the workplace. Leaders have recently made improvements to the sequencing of the curriculum to ensure that apprentices get the opportunity to practise and hone their skills in the workplace more regularly. However, this is not yet having a positive impact on current apprentices. Monitoring visit: Northcoders Teched Limited, 25 and 26 May 2022 Leaders do not understand their organisation’s strengths and weaknesses. They have not put in place sufficient arrangements to improve the quality of education that apprentices receive, such as the development of skills coaches’ teaching skills.

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Insufficient progress

Skills coaches ensure they prepare apprentices for their final assessments. Apprentices know the requirements and know what they need to do to achieve high grades. Most apprentices are yet to take their final assessments.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders recruit technical trainers with the knowledge and expertise of the software development sector. They remain up to date by completing regular industry placements. However, leaders do not ensure that technical trainers are supported effectively to develop their teaching skills so that they continually improve the quality of training for apprentices.

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Insufficient progress

Governing board members do not receive sufficient information from leaders on the strengths and weaknesses of the provision. Too often, board members place a disproportionate priority on commercial and financial aspects of the business. They do not challenge leaders sufficiently to improve the quality of training that apprentices receive.

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Insufficient progress

The curriculum is planned to develop apprentices’ knowledge, skills and behaviours progressively throughout the apprenticeship. Apprentices have the opportunity to complete additional qualifications alongside their core learning, in specialisms such as language track and cloud practitioner. Apprentices become valued members of their teams and make a positive contribution at work.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers do not ensure that technical trainers use assessments that apprentices complete at the start of the apprenticeship to plan learning effectively. All apprentices complete the same learning irrespective of what they already knew or could do prior to starting the apprenticeship. Consequently, a few apprentices do not learn substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours.

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Insufficient progress

Staff do not consistently use assessment to check that apprentices’ knowledge is remembered, understood and transferred into practice effectively. During the 13- week boot camp at the start of the apprenticeship, training staff use seminars and paired work to check apprentices’ learning. However, this is not reinforced when the boot camp is complete. As a result, staff do not identify gaps in learning, develop key areas for improvement or build on the current strengths of apprentices in the latter stages of the apprenticeship, when apprentices are in the workplace. Monitoring visit: Northcoders Teched Limited, 25 and 26 May 2022 Skills coaches do not have the technical knowledge to fully support apprentices. This often delays the support apprentices need to make progress in their studies. Too often, apprentices do not receive the information they need to learn. Leaders have recently recruited a new, experienced, technical skills coach to improve the support

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Insufficient progress

apprentices receive. However, it is too soon to see the full impact of this.

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Insufficient progress

Skills coaches do not review apprentices’ progress effectively. Reviews are focused on the completion of tasks and portfolios for final assessments. Staff do not routinely focus on gaps in apprentices’ knowledge to ensure apprentices can master the skills and knowledge learned in the workplace.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders place a high priority on keeping apprentices safe. They ensure that all members of the safeguarding team are suitably qualified. Leaders use links to external agencies to help apprentices access additional support, for example in relation to finance, housing and anxiety. Leaders have implemented processes to record and monitor safeguarding incidents; these processes are not yet tested.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders complete a range of appropriate checks when appointing new staff to make sure they are suitable to work with apprentices. Leaders ensure they follow, and are compliant with, their own robust policy for safer recruitment.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices feel safe. They are aware of how and to whom they should report concerns. Apprentices complete appropriate training at induction on safeguarding, online safety and the dangers of radicalisation and extremism. Monitoring visit: Northcoders Teched Limited, 25 and 26 May 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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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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

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