AS Training (International) Limited

AS Training (International) Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Andrea Shepherd, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Suite 17, Innovation House 26 Longfield Road South Church Enterprise Park Bishop Auckland DL14 6XB Monitoring visit: AS Training (international) Limited, 26 and 27 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

AS Training (International) Limited began the delivery of apprenticeships relating to the travel industry in 2021. At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 37 apprentices on seven different standards. Around half of the apprentices study the level 3 junior content producer standard or the level 3 travel consultant standard. Other apprentices study the level 3 customer service specialist standard, level 4 sales executive standard or standards in business administration and management at levels 3, 4 and 5. Apprentices and their employers are based in many different areas of the country. Just over a third of apprentices are aged between 16 and 18 years.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have not taken enough action to resolve several major weaknesses in the quality of education that apprentices receive. Leaders identify accurately the strengths and some of the weaknesses of the apprenticeship programmes that they offer. However, the actions that they take to rectify weaknesses do not result in enough improvements for apprentices. For example, leaders have not improved their use of the information they have about apprentices to plan a curriculum that meets apprentices’ individual needs.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have not planned well enough for the teaching of functional skills English and mathematics for apprentices who need to achieve these qualifications. Although they have recently employed a functional skills tutor, it is too soon to see the impact on apprentices. Too many apprentices have made little or no progress towards the achievement of their functional skills qualifications, despite some reaching the planned end date for their apprenticeship.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders seek the advice of appropriately skilled external experts. They make good use of this guidance to meet contractual requirements and to ensure that employers Monitoring visit: AS Training (international) Limited, 26 and 27 May 2022 know what their role is in the apprenticeship. However, leaders do not take adequate steps to make sure they meet all their statutory duties in relation to safeguarding.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders register apprentices with appropriate awarding organisations for their final assessment. Leaders and assessors are knowledgeable about the requirements of the assessments and share useful practice papers with apprentices. However, leaders do not have enough oversight of the extent to which apprentices develop new knowledge, skills and behaviours. Consequently, they cannot be sure that individual apprentices will be ready to complete their assessment in a timely way.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have a clear strategy for the delivery of apprenticeships in the travel industry. They offer a range of standards that meet the changing needs of the industry, which is still recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, leaders offer standards in customer service, sales and content production to meet the growing need for in-house specialists in independent travel agencies.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and assessors do not make good enough use of the information that they have about what apprentices already know and can do at the start of the programme. They do not plan a curriculum that is suitably ambitious for individual apprentices or that is adequately tailored to meet apprentices’ individual learning needs. While apprentices develop relevant new knowledge, skills and behaviours that they need to work in the travel industry, assessors do not know that apprentices are achieving as well as they could.

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Insufficient progress

Apprentices do not receive helpful enough feedback on the progress that they make towards the completion of their programme. Assessors provide feedback on written work that is often too generic and, in reviews, they do not cover all aspects of the curriculum. As a result, apprentices are not sufficiently aware of what they need to do to address gaps in their learning.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and assessors work well with employers to deliver a subject-based curriculum that is relevant to individual workplaces. Travel consultant apprentices research and become familiar with travel destinations that are linked to the specialisms of their employers. However, staff do not provide suitable support for apprentices to develop their English and mathematical skills which inhibits apprentices’ progress. For example, apprentices do not receive guidance on how to improve their analytical skills and, too often, apprentices’ written work does not improve over time.

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Insufficient progress

Assessors sequence the core subject curriculum well. They cover foundation concepts at the start of the programme before moving on to more technical Monitoring visit: AS Training (international) Limited, 26 and 27 May 2022 language and content. For example, junior content producer apprentices start by learning about brand identity and recognition before moving on to the development of technical production skills. Consequently, apprentices become fluent in their use of relevant terminology and develop well their understanding of customers’ needs.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders recruit assessors with significant industry experience. Assessors put their expertise to good use and share highly relevant practical tips and examples. Travel consultant apprentices become confident in applying complex travel regulations and junior content producer apprentices can competently edit video sequences.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders do not identify well enough the safeguarding risks that apprentices could face. Leaders and assessors consider some risks that are applicable to workers in the travel industry, such as money laundering. However, they do not provide apprentices with enough information on how to keep themselves safe from risks, such as sexual abuse and harassment. Leaders do not ensure that safeguarding policies reflect adequately the updates to statutory guidance.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders provide apprentices with basic training on a range of safeguarding-related topics. Apprentices complete online training in radicalisation and extremism, and online safety. However, too many apprentices do not understand how this training might apply to them.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders do not carry out appropriate checks on the staff who they employ, which means that they are not assured that staff are suitable to work with young apprentices. For example, leaders do not do enough to verify the employment records of new staff. Monitoring visit: AS Training (international) Limited, 26 and 27 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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Insufficient progress

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Insufficient progress

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Insufficient progress

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Insufficient progress

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

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