First Avenue Training Limited

First Avenue Training Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Glenise Burrell, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

The RaisE Business Centre Tom Pudding Way Goole East Yorkshire DN14 6BS Monitoring visit: First Avenue Training Limited, 19 and 20 July 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

First Avenue Training Limited has been providing training for 20 years and offering apprenticeship training since 2020 for the early years education sector. It operates from one main site in Goole. At the time of the monitoring visit, 109 apprentices were enrolled on a level 3 early years educator programme, 14 were on a level 5 early years lead practitioner, 10 were working towards a level 3 teaching assistant programme, and fewer than five were enrolled on a level 2 early years practitioner programme. The provider does not work with any subcontractors.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have in place a well-sequenced curriculum which supports employers’ needs well and is responsive to a gap in a sector where employers are struggling to recruit. Early years educator apprentices begin their programme covering topics such as health and well-being, then progress to studying childhood illnesses, and then move onto more challenging topics which include legislation and policy, to help stretch them further. The work that apprentices produce improves over time and is at the required standard.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers employ experienced and qualified tutors from the early years education sector. They then support tutors to upskill their pedagogy and assessment knowledge. The provider has a low staff attrition rate, and staff feel well supported and enjoy working for the organisation.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have in place a group of governors with relevant experience. Governors ensure that leaders meet the requirements of effective apprenticeship provision. However, the governance arrangements have only recently been introduced and, therefore, their impact is yet to be measured. Monitoring visit: First Avenue Training Limited, 19 and 20 July 2022 Leaders and managers have relevant quality assurance practices in place to monitor the provision. They carry out a range of relevant activities to evaluate the quality of training that apprentices receive. These include supervision visits, peer-on-peer observations and standardisation meetings. These activities result in improvements in training. However, leaders have not identified accurately the overall strengths and weaknesses of the provision, which means that they do not focus sufficiently on identifying and tackling areas for improvement.

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Reasonable progress

Until recently, leaders had been slow to update staff on changes in the apprenticeship programmes. Staff did not become familiar quickly enough with the change from frameworks to standards to enable them to make effective amendments to the curriculum. Staff have now taken action to remedy this, and have made appropriate amendments to the curriculum. As a result, most apprentices are now progressing well towards their end-point assessment

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Reasonable progress

Tutors have a wide range of relevant experience, and they use their knowledge and expertise well to plan a curriculum that ensures apprentices develop relevant new knowledge, skills and behaviours. Apprentices benefit from on- and off-the-job training specific to their job roles.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices develop new knowledge and skills which they apply in the workplace. For example, apprentices on the level 3 early years educator programme are aware of how attachment theory affects the behaviour of young children, and they develop their skills and confidence in planning learning activities. Apprentices become more confident when working with young children, and employers are keen to offer them employment at the end of their apprenticeship.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors use questioning well to check apprentices’ understanding and to clarify misconceptions. For example, by completing health and safety assignments, apprentices become more confident in completing activities such as carrying out risk assessments in the workplace.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors provide clear and helpful feedback that leads to apprentices improving assignments when they are resubmitted. However, tutors do not routinely identify errors on apprentices’ written work and, as a result, apprentices often continue to make the same mistakes.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors communicate frequently and effectively with employers. They adapt apprentices’ training programmes to meet employers’ needs. For example, they teach relevant theories before apprentices undertake observations or learning about Monitoring visit: First Avenue Training Limited, 19 and 20 July 2022 inclusion, ready for activities planned for the Chinese New Year to link with workplace priorities.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors provide apprentices with progression and career information at the start of their apprenticeship and share their experiences of working in the sector. This raises apprentices’ awareness of the career opportunities available.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers do not have in place effective processes to ensure that apprentices pass their mathematics examinations, and too many apprentices do not achieve this qualification when they take their examination late in their programme. As a result, successful completion of their end-point assessment for apprentices who need this qualification is delayed.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have in place effective policies and procedures for safeguarding, including in relation to the ‘Prevent’ duty. The designated safeguarding lead has completed appropriate safeguarding training to be effective in the role and is supported by a safeguarding deputy.

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Reasonable progress

Managers have effective processes in place to track and monitor safeguarding concerns. They are aware of issues that apprentices have in their personal lives or in the workplace, which enables them to provide effective support.

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Reasonable progress

Managers have suitable safer recruitment processes to ensure that staff are appropriate to work with apprentices. Staff complete effective safeguarding training on topics including the ‘Prevent’ duty, how to stay safe online, sexual abuse and modern slavery.

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Reasonable progress

Although apprentices receive training on the risks of radicalisation and extremism, online safety and safeguarding, they cannot explain confidently the local risks that they might encounter. Monitoring visit: First Avenue Training Limited, 19 and 20 July 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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