Evolve Your Future Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

p.1

Inspection of Evolve Your Future Limited

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Adult learning programmes Requires improvement Apprenticeships Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

p.1

Information about this provider

Evolve Your Future Limited (EYF) is a small independent learning provider based in Raunds, Northamptonshire. It provides adult learning programmes in North Northamptonshire and level 3 youth support worker apprenticeships across the East Midlands.

p.1

Information about this provider

At the time of the inspection, there were 81 adult learners, of whom 59 were studying functional skills English, and the remainder taking mathematics, information technology, and health and safety courses. There were three youth support worker apprentices, with a further seven in the process of commencing their studies. 12 to 14 July 2022

p.1

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

The majority of learners enjoy their experiences with EYF and are satisfied with the training that they receive. They have positive attitudes to lessons. A number choose to continue studying at a higher level on completion of their courses. However, a sizeable number drop out from courses and too many learners fail to attend online lessons.

p.2

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

Trainers do not always provide enough tuition on the specific skills and knowledge that learners and apprentices need to develop most. For example, English teachers do not spend enough time on speaking practice, and apprenticeship trainers spend too much time explaining forthcoming assignment tasks rather than teaching new knowledge. As a result, learners and apprentices often only develop their skills to a rudimentary standard.

p.2

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

Adult learners benefit from the good relationships between EYF staff, employers and other stakeholders. This work has enabled EYF staff to identify appropriate courses and, in the case of employed learners, to ensure that they can attend during working hours. However, apprenticeship staff do not work well enough with employers to provide apprentices with plentiful opportunities to practise in the workplace what they learn in the classroom.

p.2

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

Apprenticeship trainers work effectively with apprentices to help them to recognise their personal strengths and to become more confident.

p.2

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

Learners feel safe at work and in lessons. Safeguarding incidents are rare and when they arise, staff deal with them effectively.

p.2

better?

Leaders, managers and trainers select appropriate qualifications for learners and apprentices but often give too little consideration to the precise content of courses. As a result, trainers do not spend enough time teaching learners and apprentices the specific skills and knowledge that they need. For example, English teachers spend too little time on pronunciation, and apprenticeship trainers spend time reviewing requirements for forthcoming assignments rather than teaching new material.

p.2

better?

Staff organise teaching on adult programmes into a coherent series of lessons that help learners to steadily improve their skills and knowledge. However, apprenticeship trainers do not plan off-the-job training well enough. Although they organise topics into a logical sequence and provide regular tuition, they do not plan well-structured individual learning activities for apprentices to complete between lessons. As a result, apprentices have to rely too heavily on their own internet research to gain an understanding of topics. 12 to 14 July 2022

p.2

3

Trainers have not given enough thought to how they will enable recently recruited apprentices, many of whom have low prior attainment in English and mathematics, to develop the knowledge and skills that they need to gain the required level 2 qualifications in these subjects.

p.3

3

Leaders and managers take appropriate steps to support learners and apprentices who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They provide staff with suitable training to ensure that they are able to help learners and apprentices with such things as dyslexia, dyscalculia and mental health difficulties. Several apprentices are care leavers and staff take care to understand any additional needs that they have and provide any extra help that they need.

p.3

3

Trainers are suitably qualified and, where required, have a good level of experience within their vocational area. For example, one apprenticeship trainer is a practising youth worker. Trainers undertake relevant training to keep their knowledge current.

p.3

3

Trainers do not use the results of assessments to inform their teaching plans. For example, in mixed-ability English classes, all learners complete the same work and teachers do not provide opportunities for the more fluent to advance more rapidly. However, trainers do make effective use of worksheets to check and consolidate learners’ writing skills and to provide helpful feedback and encouragement.

p.3

3

Apprenticeship trainers do not have high enough expectations of their apprentices. They give too much praise for mediocre work and do not give apprentices feedback that helps them to achieve more than the minimum level of proficiency required to pass. As a result, much of apprentices’ written work is of an elementary standard.

p.3

3

Too few adult learners achieve their qualifications. While the majority improve their knowledge and grow in confidence, almost a third leave their courses early.

p.3

3

Apprentices learn too slowly. Although they gain skills and knowledge, this is largely because of their own research or their experiences at work rather than the result of the training that they receive. Only around half of apprentices are successful. Those who complete their studies either remain in employment or progress to higher education.

p.3

3

Staff set high expectations for learners’ and apprentices’ behaviour. They explain their expectations during induction sessions and reinforce them in lessons. Consequently, lessons are calm and professional. Learners behave well, show respect to each other and towards staff.

p.3

3

Most learners and apprentices attend well. However, attendance at face-to-face lessons is considerably better than to online lessons. Leaders and managers do not do enough to monitor attendance and staff do not fully understand the procedures they should follow to reduce absence. As a result, actions to improve attendance are not always prompt or effective. 12 to 14 July 2022

p.3

4

Staff provide learners with an introduction to several concepts related to life in modern Britain, such as British values, and equality and diversity. Apprenticeship assessors encourage appropriate and informed debate of controversial topics that helps apprentices to develop their understanding further. However, for adult learners teaching is often superficial and does not provide them with an understanding of how these themes relate to current affairs or their personal lives.

p.4

4

Staff provide a careers advice service as part of a contract with the National Careers Service. Staff are therefore able to refer learners to this service so that they obtain guidance on their next steps. A small number of adult learners take advantage of this. Apprentices have detailed careers interviews and develop action plans to help them achieve their ambitions.

p.4

4

Managers do not do enough to review the quality of education. They rely, to a large extent, on qualification outcomes and reviews of the standard of learners’ and apprentices’ work to judge the quality of teaching. They do not systematically review the quality of course planning, the effectiveness of teaching, or the use of formative assessment. Nor do they make effective use of data to monitor the quality of courses. As a result, they do not have a clear view of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and have insufficient information to plan improvement actions or staff training.

p.4

4

There are currently no arrangements for external support and challenge, and this is likely to contribute to weaknesses in the quality of education.

p.4

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.4

Safeguarding

Managers take their safeguarding responsibilities seriously. They have developed appropriate procedures that they share with staff. Staff are alert to safeguarding concerns, record these fully and take appropriate and timely action to resolve them. The designated safeguarding lead has a good understanding of her role and keeps up to date through extensive training activities and participation in external events, such as regional ‘Prevent’ duty meetings. Managers carry out a number of activities prior to the employment of new staff, including DBS, identity and qualification checks. However, in the past, managers have not always secured employment references. 12 to 14 July 2022

p.4

What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Leaders and managers should work with trainers to identify the specific skills and knowledge that learners and apprentices need. In addition, they should specify clearly the level of performance they expect them to demonstrate. They should develop course plans accordingly.  Apprenticeship trainers should develop curriculum plans that clearly state how each topic should be taught, including through direct instruction, individual study and on-the-job practice. They should develop clear plans for how apprentices will spend individual study time and reduce considerably the amount of undirected internet research that apprentices undertake.  Leaders and managers should develop detailed plans for how new apprentices will develop the English and mathematical skills that they need to gain level 2 qualifications.  Leaders and managers should review how they monitor the quality of education, including how they make use of data to inform decision-making. They should

p.5

What does the provider need to do to improve?

develop and deploy appropriate quality assurance procedures.  Leaders and managers should consider making arrangements to secure external support and challenge that will help them to improve their systems and decision- making. 12 to 14 July 2022

p.5

Provider details

Address Unit 44, Enterprise Centre Michael Way, Warth Park, Raunds Northampton NN9 6GR

p.6

Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

p.6

Provider details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

p.6

Provider details

Main subcontractors None 12 to 14 July 2022

p.6

Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the curriculum lead, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the new provider monitoring 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.

p.7

Inspection team

Russ Henry, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Allan Shaw Ofsted Inspector Vicki Locke Her Majesty’s Inspector Angela Twelvetree Her Majesty’s Inspector 12 to 14 July 2022

p.7

8

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.

p.8

8

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.8

8

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

8

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

8

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

p.8