MBKB Ltd

Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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Information about this provider

MBKB Limited, based in Dudley in the West Midlands, has held a contract to offer apprenticeships since January 2016. At the time of the visit, 555 apprentices were in learning, all following standards. Of these, 201 were studying payroll administrator at level 3, 67 were studying internal audit practitioner level 4, 55 were studying payroll assistant manager at level 5, 43 were studying quality practitioner at level 4, 32 were studying operations or departmental manager at level 5. There were a further 27 studying early years educator at level 3, 16 studying early years lead practitioner at level 5, and 10 were studying early years practitioner at level 2. The remaining apprentices were studying across a range of standards, including corporate responsibility and sustainability practitioner at level, 4, business administrator at level 3, and human resource consultant at level 5 5 to 8 July 2022

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

Apprentices demonstrate extremely positive attitudes towards their learning. They appreciate the importance of their studies and how they contribute to their career prospects and future employability. For example, internal audit practitioner apprentices develop the high levels of resilience and independence needed to meet with more senior people and to deal with the challenges often experienced around the audit process.

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

Tutors are deeply ambitious for and have high expectations of their apprentices. Together with employers, tutors support apprentices well to learn behaviours that reflect the values of the businesses they work in. As a result, apprentices exhibit a respectful approach to their colleagues at work, their managers and to their customers and clients. For example, business administration apprentices use their understanding of the organisational structures of the national health service, to manage projects across diverse teams in different hospitals convincingly.

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

Apprentices enthusiastically contribute to discussions in teaching sessions and have the confidence, resilience and self-esteem to share their ideas, thoughts and experiences they have gained from their learning in their workplace. Apprentices in corporate responsibility and sustainability practitioner are challenging key stakeholders in their organisation. Apprentices have a considerable impact on their workplace, making improvements to their organisation's efforts to reduce waste, for example.

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

Apprentices demonstrate high levels of respect for their colleagues at work. Many, particularly those on business, payroll, and audit apprenticeships, are learning professional autonomy quickly and gaining promotion.

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

Tutors use contextualised examples to encourage apprentices to discuss life in modern Britain; as a result, apprentices develop a thorough understanding of these subjects and promote them positively in the workplace.

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better?

Leaders are pragmatic in their approach to working with employers, carefully identifying employers’ training needs and aligning the provision to those needs. Where they are unable to support a specific subject area, they work in partnership with other providers to ensure employers have access to the full suite of training that they need.

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better?

Leaders and tutors use employers’ feedback well when designing the curriculum. For example, leaders use a principle of ‘structured flexibility’, which supports apprentices to develop the foundation knowledge, skills and behaviours that they need to perform well in their job roles. As a result, the content of the curriculum is directly responsive to the needs of employers in the workplace. For example, level 4 5 to 8 July 2022

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corporate responsibility and sustainability apprentices learned about change management at a time when their businesses were undergoing a period of change.

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Leaders create an extremely positive and sustainable working environment, including the wider team in discussions regarding improvements, which has a highly positive impact on apprentices’ experiences. Staff feel very well supported and value the communication they have with leaders. They particularly value the opportunity to contribute to the development and improvement of the apprenticeships, for example, during ‘open review’ meetings.

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Tutors benefit from highly focused professional development. Induction is detailed and has a strong focus on further developing teaching and assessment skills, which is continued throughout their employment. Tutors have extensive up-to-date knowledge of the sectors in which they teach. For example, tutors on the level 4 internal audit practitioner standard have significant experience of working in industry and undertaking a range of auditing themselves. Tutors use this expertise very well to share new content with apprentices, using real-life examples which support apprentices to secure new learning into their long-term memory quickly.

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Leaders have in place a highly effective process to monitor the quality of provision and progress of apprentices. As a result, leaders have a strong grasp of the areas for improvement and are acting accordingly to rectify them.

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Leaders have put in place a board of governors that has a well-balanced membership, including apprenticeship experts and employers. Governors receive the information they need to provide challenge to the leadership team. As they become more established, governors are enhancing the information requirements to ensure they continue to gain an understanding of all aspects of the business. As such, they have a clear focus on the quality of education being provided.

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Leaders have developed highly relevant curricula linked to the apprenticeship standards that they offer. These provide apprentices with the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to be very well prepared for their next steps. For example, apprentices on level 3 payroll gain skills reflective of current industry practices, such as rules and regulations linked to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.

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In most cases, senior leaders have planned and sequenced the curriculum in a well- thought-through and logical manner. For example, level 5 operations manager apprentices learn self-management skills early in the programme, which enables them to consider their behaviours when managing others.

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Leaders have very high ambitions for apprentices. Tutors are encouraged to support apprentices to identify wider learning opportunities, such as guiding them to take additional specialist units from other standards to support their progression and career pathways at a later point. Consequently, apprentices gain broader skills and knowledge to extend their future potential. 5 to 8 July 2022

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Tutors support apprentices to build their knowledge and skills incrementally over time, accessing more complex content, once apprentices have the foundation knowledge they need to do so. Apprentices gain a deep understanding of the subject they are studying and can apply this in the workplace.

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In almost all cases, tutors use information on apprentices’ starting points well, to plan highly effective teaching, which supports the rapid progress apprentices make. For example, tutors use the results of initial assessment of business administration apprentices to plan learning by prioritising the choice of units and content to close gaps in learning.

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Tutors use high-quality resources to teach and revisit learning. For example, apprentices on level 3 payroll access useful resources about taxation rules and how these apply within the geographical areas where they work. Apprentices are able to access resources in a flexible way. As a result, apprentices can revisit resources, which supports them to recall their learning, allowing them to know more over time.

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In most cases, tutors link clearly on- and off-the-job training. Apprentices are supported to apply new learning in the workplace quickly and develop knowledge and fluency in their skills over time. However, in a very few cases, particularly on the level 4 quality practitioner standard, on- and off-the-job training are not linked as well as they could be. For example, when undertaking auditing to support external audits, apprentices are not focusing on this element of the apprenticeship at the same time. Where this is the case, a significant minority of apprentices do not make as rapid progress as they could.

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Apprentices receive clear and precise feedback from tutors. Apprentices talk enthusiastically about the time tutors take to talk through their feedback. Almost all apprentices know what they need to do to improve their work over time.

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Tutors support apprentices well to develop their English and mathematics skills. Apprentices who require functional skills qualifications benefit from highly effective support sessions from specialist tutors. Tutors prioritise teaching to close apprentices’ knowledge gaps quickly in the areas they most need support. Apprentices quickly improve their English and mathematics skills.

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Tutors support learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with additional learning leads to make rapid progress in their learning. Tutors are highly responsive to the support needs of learners and support is put in place quickly. For example, apprentices who are anxious about taking part in and participating in group sessions are supported to do so.

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In the vast majority of cases, tutors prepare apprentices well for their end-point assessment (EPA). For example, in level 3 payroll, apprentices benefit from early support to become familiar with the types of assessments used at EPA, such as simulated tasks. As a result, the majority of apprentices are making rapid progress towards and achieve high grades in their end-point assessment. 5 to 8 July 2022

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Careers advice and guidance are not always consistently strong for all apprentices. Progression opportunities are routinely discussed in planning for apprentices’ next steps, such as promotion in their current roles and further study. However, apprentices are less well informed about the opportunities that may exist outside of their current employment.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Designated safeguarding leads have taken a proactive approach to safeguarding referrals, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, where they have seen an increased concern being raised around mental health and depression. They adopt a ‘record and monitor’ approach for all referrals, no matter how minor.

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Safeguarding

Apprentices state they feel safe and well supported by their tutors and at work. They can clearly articulate what to do if they have concerns about themselves or others, with confidence that swift action will be taken. The regularly issued ‘Safeguarding and Prevent’ newsletter is used effectively to stimulate discussions with apprentices and consequently most have a good understanding of the processes to follow if their well-being or safety is at risk. For example, audit apprentices are alert to the risks of trafficking and ‘county lines’, and business apprentices understand what they need to do to protect their privacy when online.

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Safeguarding

Tutors convincingly support apprentices to take their learning on British values to the workplace. For example, early year educator apprentices demonstrate a clear understanding of British values. They can explain these to their colleagues at work and consider how these values apply to their role in supporting early education. 5 to 8 July 2022

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Provider details

Address Trading Office 4 Parsons Street Dudley DY1 1JJ

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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 5 to 8 July 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the Quality 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

Sharon Dowling, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector Ian Higgins Her Majesty's Inspector Gavin Murray Ofsted Inspector Angela Johnson Ofsted Inspector Ian Smith Ofsted Inspector Alison Loxton Ofsted Inspector Richard Kendrick Ofsted Inspector 5 to 8 July 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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