UK Skills Academy Limited

UK Skills Academy Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Elaine Price, Ofsted Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Riley Business Centre Preston New Road Samlesbury Preston PR5 0UP Monitoring visit: UK Skills Academy 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

UK Skills Academy Limited (UKSA) is an independent learning provider based in Preston, Lancashire. UKSA was established in June 2019 and began delivering non- levy and levy funded apprenticeships in April 2021. At the time of the monitoring visit there were 21 apprentices in learning. Thirteen apprentices were studying the level 3 digital marketer standard and eight apprentices were studying the level 3 junior content producer standard. Apprentices are employed in organisations across England. UKSA also delivers digital and cybersecurity training for other organisations. These programmes were not in scope for this monitoring visit.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have a clear vision for the organisation to specialise in providing cyber and digital training to meet the national demand for these skills. They have developed an ambitious curriculum that enables apprentices to gain additional qualifications and skills such as cybersecurity. This enhances apprentices’ knowledge and skills, which benefits their current employer and helps them become more employable within the sector.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that employers commit to the apprenticeship programme and provide apprentices with their off-the-job entitlement and support in the workplace. Leaders ensure that the requirements and principles of an apprenticeship are being met.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have appointed well-qualified and experienced skills coaches. They support staff to maintain and update their vocational knowledge and skills. For example, skills coaches complete online programmes in digital marketing. Monitoring visit: UK Skills Academy Limited, 20 and 21 July 2022 Employers value the skills and knowledge that apprentices gain as a result of their training with UKSA. Apprentices use their new knowledge and skills to help professionalise their company’s digital marketing and ensure the content is relevant to the intended audiences.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have put in place a range of quality assurance processes to check the quality of education that apprentices receive. They provide skills coaches with useful and relevant developmental feedback to bring about improvements, such as improving the quality of feedback skills coaches provide to apprentices. However, leaders have not yet put in place performance management arrangements to support the delivery of high- quality training.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have an accurate oversight of the progress that apprentices make during their apprenticeship. They put in place actions to support apprentices so they can catch up when concerns arise. However, leaders do not yet have in place effective governance arrangements to ensure that there is scrutiny and challenge to the senior leadership team on the quality of education.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices benefit from high-quality online teaching sessions that help them develop new knowledge, skills and behaviours. Frequent one-to-one sessions with apprentices enable skills coaches to check apprentices’ progress and address gaps in learning and any misconceptions they may have.

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Reasonable progress

Skills coaches ensure training is tailored to the needs and job roles of apprentices. Apprentices learn the fundamental principles of digital marketing before moving to a bespoke training plan. However, skills coaches do not work with employers closely enough to coordinate on- and off-the-job activities to ensure that apprentices continue their learning in the workplace.

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Reasonable progress

As a result of their training, apprentices develop new knowledge and skills, such as website creation, blog posts, communication and research techniques. Apprentices apply these new skills in the workplace. Skills coaches provide useful feedback that enables apprentices to aim for high grades. Apprentices act on the feedback they receive. They produce work to a high standard and include practical examples of how they relate theory to practice. For example, they use screenshots of social media campaigns to illustrate their learning for projects and marketing campaigns.

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Reasonable progress

Skills coaches identify and correct spelling, punctuation and grammar errors in apprentices’ written work to help them improve. However, skills coaches do not review apprentices’ English and mathematics workbooks with them. They do not ensure that apprentices understand key mathematical or English concepts. Monitoring visit: UK Skills Academy Limited, 20 and 21 July 2022 Skills coaches do not set apprentices specific or precise targets in their progress reviews. As a result, apprentices and employers are unclear what apprentices need to do to further improve their knowledge, skills and behaviours.

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Reasonable progress

Most apprentices make strong progress towards achieving their apprenticeship. Skills coaches make sure that apprentices are well prepared for their final assessments. Apprentices know what they need to do to achieve high grades. At the time of the monitoring visit no apprentices had taken their final assessments.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have ensured that there are safeguarding policies and procedures in place to support staff in keeping apprentices safe. Leaders carry out safer recruitment checks to ensure staff are suitable to work with apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

Designated safeguarding leads (DSLs) are appropriately trained. They diligently record and monitor all safeguarding concerns raised. However, DSLs have not yet established effective links with external agencies in all areas where apprentices live and work so they can make appropriate referrals.

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Reasonable progress

All staff are trained in safeguarding, the ‘Prevent’ duty and well-being related topics. This enables them to identify any concerns or support needs apprentices may have. Skills coaches discuss ‘hot topics’ to ensure apprentices have a good understanding of safeguarding issues. Apprentices understand fundamental British values and how they relate to the workplace, for example how rules and regulations around marketing protect the public.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices feel safe and know how to raise concerns. Monitoring visit: UK Skills Academy 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 and child protection.

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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

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