Setting

Kate Wilson Executive Director LLSE Office 47 - B940 Innovation Building Popjak Road Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 8PS

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Lead provider monitoring visit (LPMV) of LLSE

Following my visit with Sharon Dowling and Jo Evans, Her Majesty’s Inspectors, on 13 to 15 June 2022, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the LPMV findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions you have taken to date.

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Lead provider monitoring visit (LPMV) of LLSE

This inspection was the first LPMV since the start of your delivery of the national professional qualification (NPQ) programmes. It was carried out under Part 8 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006.

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Lead provider monitoring visit (LPMV) of LLSE

Having considered the evidence, I am of the opinion that, at this time:

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The lead provider should take further action to:

▪ broaden the professional experience of the board of directors to better meet the future challenges of running an expanding national training organisation ▪ strengthen the systems for working with facilitators, so that, as the provider grows in size, reflective conversations about the quality of delivery remain strong.

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The lead provider should take further action to:

I am copying this letter to the Department for Education.

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The lead provider should take further action to:

This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website. Ofsted

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The lead provider should take further action to:

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 Textphone 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.gov.uk/ofsted Yours sincerely

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Context

LLSE works with delivery partners in the South East, West Midlands and North West of England. There are six delivery partners in total. LLSE delivers all six of the current NPQ programmes. There are currently 1,336 participants.

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Report

◼ Leaders have developed an ambitious and considered curriculum which covers the whole suite of NPQ courses. These meet the government requirements expected of all NPQs and include additional elements that benefit the participants. Enhancements such as coaching and project work allow participants to explore and apply their new knowledge, helping them to make a real difference in their schools. ◼ Leaders have created a virtual learning platform that provides a single point of contact for facilitators and coaches. Participants use this to explore and engage with the learning materials and record their learning in online discussions and journals. Participants’ work is then assessed by facilitators who check that the intended curriculum has been learned. The system prevents participants from skipping any essential content and provides a useful library for participants to refer to in the future. Leaders use the

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platform to check that the curriculum is having the impact they intend. ◼ Leaders possess a strong understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the courses they design and deliver. Analysis of participants’ feedback and close, regular communication with delivery partners ensure that issues are picked up quickly and addressed. Support and training for facilitators to help them understand and deliver the content of the courses are strong. The work to provide facilitators with feedback to improve the quality of their work is at an early stage. ◼ The board of directors keeps a watchful eye on the performance of the programmes. Their close relationship with local schools and expert knowledge of the sector serve them well. Directors have given a clear steer to leaders that the strategic and moral direction of the partnership must be maintained as it grows. This instruction has been heeded and is evident in the approach

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taken by both the lead provider and its delivery partners. Directors are actively recruiting new members to bolster the size and expertise of the board to reflect the new challenges they will soon face in recruitment, financial planning and marketing. ◼ Delivery partners are carefully selected and trained to deliver the NPQ programmes. Leaders ensure that facilitators and partnership leaders understand the content of the curriculum and precisely how this must be delivered. Delivery partners use the materials well to teach key content, while providing resources that are tailored to the participants they are training. For example, one delivery partner has adapted some exemplar materials to better reflect the uniqueness of leadership in independent special schools. Delivery partners benefit from regular contact and support from the lead provider. This has helped to iron out any initial problems. ◼ The views of participants are taken seriously. Leaders collect and analyse

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participant feedback systematically. They use participants’ views to genuinely shape the future of the programme. Participants noted that the workload is appropriate and the commensurate improvement in their performance makes their leadership work more efficient and effective. ◼ Leaders have put in place safeguards to ensure any welfare or well-being concerns are picked up quickly and addressed.

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Evidence

Inspectors scrutinised documents and met with lead provider representatives. They also met with delivery partner leaders, facilitators, coaches and NPQ participants to discuss the NPQ programmes. Inspectors visited training and met with headteachers and school leaders to discuss the impact of the programmes on the participants and their schools. The lead inspector met with members of the board of directors, including the chair. Inspectors reviewed the results of the Ofsted inspection surveys completed by participants, school leaders and delivery partners.

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