Braillard Training Limited (t/a Tungsten Training Centre)

Braillard Training Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Daniel Beale, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Unit 4 Tungsten Building George Street Portslade Brighton BN41 1RA Monitoring visit: Braillard Training Limited, 20 and 21 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

Braillard Training Limited is an independent learning provider based in Brighton. It specialises in training to upskill adult learners in the electrical, plumbing and gas industries. At the time of the monitoring visit there were 61 apprentices in learning. Of these, 38 apprentices were studying the level 3 installation electrician and maintenance electrician standard, 13 apprentices were studying the level 3 plumbing and domestic heating technician standard, and 10 apprentices were studying the gas engineering operative standard. The provider works with nine employers locally. The provider does not subcontract any of its provision.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers use their industry expertise to develop successful apprenticeships in the areas that employers are looking to recruit. Leaders skilfully design their apprenticeship curriculums which helps apprentices to develop the new knowledge, skills, and behaviours they need to become confident in their chosen trades. Employers speak very positively about their strong relationship with leaders and the positive impact apprentices have on their organisations.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers ensure staff are well qualified and appropriately trained to carry out their roles effectively. Leaders provide useful development opportunities for staff that help most to improve their classroom teaching. For example, leaders support tutors to complete teaching qualifications that help them to become better trainers. Leaders hold useful standardisation meetings that help tutors to use assessment consistently and effectively. Monitoring visit: Braillard Training Limited, 20 and 21 July 2022 Leaders recruit apprentices appropriately. They use skills scans, interviews and assessment tasks to identify apprentices’ prior knowledge. Leaders and employers use this information diligently to ensure apprentices are recruited to the right programmes. Apprentices who have existing skills complete their apprenticeship more quickly.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders work very well with employers to ensure apprentices receive meaningful on- and off-the-job training. Employers clearly understand apprentices’ progress and final assessment requirements. For example, apprentices value the support from supervisors in the workplace who help them to apply their classroom learning skilfully.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers understand most of the strengths and weaknesses of their provision. They focus sensibly on improving weaknesses that have the greatest impact. For example, leaders have improved initial assessment to ensure apprentices are now on the right programme for their prior experience and current job role. While leaders and managers have systems in place to monitor the quality of education apprentices receive, these are underdeveloped and as a result leaders and managers do not monitor the quality of lessons robustly enough to identify training needs of staff.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers recognise they do not currently benefit from governance oversight to support and challenge the quality of education. While leaders have early plans in place, it is too early to see the impact of this.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers carefully plan learning to ensure it successfully meets the needs of apprentices and employers. Leaders ensure apprentices learn in a logical order so they can apply their learning swiftly to the workplace. For example, installation electrician and maintenance electrician apprentices complete units on health and safety first to achieve their industry site cards and operate safely in the workplace.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors work well with employers to identify apprentices’ starting points. In most cases they assess apprentices’ prior industry skills and knowledge successfully to plan apprentices’ learning and any additional learning support. Tutors do not use information about apprentices’ English and mathematics starting points sufficiently well. Consequently, not all apprentices make rapid progress in these subjects.

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Reasonable progress

Most tutors and employers ensure apprentices develop substantial new knowledge and skills from their training which helps them to contribute to their workplace positively. Tutors work successfully with employers to review apprentices’ progress Monitoring visit: Braillard Training Limited, 20 and 21 July 2022 and agree frequent and useful action plans which help apprentices to improve their skills. For example, plumbing apprentices develop the skills and knowledge to install cylinder tanks safely. A few tutors do not check apprentices’ understanding in lessons sufficiently well which hinders apprentices’ ability to develop their deeper level thinking skills.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders monitor apprentices’ progress carefully and ensure tutors intervene swiftly if apprentices fall behind in their work. Tutors work very well with employers to set clear actions for these apprentices and identify any support needs to bring about swift improvement. As a result, most apprentices are on track to complete on time.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors provide apprentices with clear and timely feedback in most cases which helps apprentices to improve their work. Too few apprentices are sufficiently aware of how to achieve distinction grades. As a result, not all apprentices are able to make the progress of which they are capable.

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Significant progress

Leaders and managers have created a positive safeguarding culture. The designated safeguarding lead and safeguarding team undertake comprehensive training that ensures they have the skills and experiences to carry out their roles effectively. Safeguarding staff record concerns diligently and involve external agencies when required. Leaders complete thorough risk assessments and health and safety checks on employers’ premises to ensure apprentices are safe when in the workplace.

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Significant progress

Leaders provide effective training for all staff on safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty. Consequently, tutors teach their apprentices essential safeguarding practices and revisit these themes frequently. Leaders recruit staff safely and effectively.

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Significant progress

Leaders and tutors ensure apprentices participate in helpful safeguarding training activities. Consequently, all apprentices understand safeguarding topics, including radicalisation, bullying and harassment, and online safety. Apprentices feel respected at work and are clear on how to report any safeguarding concerns. Monitoring visit: Braillard Training Limited, 20 and 21 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

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Significant progress

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Significant progress

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Significant progress

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Significant progress

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

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