Risual Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

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

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Information about this provider

Risual Education is an independent learning provider division of Risual Limited, a managed services and information and communications technology (ICT) consultancy business based in Staffordshire. At the time of inspection there were 65 apprentices studying one of 11 ICT-related standards. Some 39 apprentices were studying level 3 information communications technician, six were studying level 4 software developer, five were studying level 4 data analyst, and three were studying level 4 cyber security technologist. The remaining 12 apprentices were studying standards in a few other ICT-related subjects at levels 3 and 4. The provider does not work with any subcontractors. 26 to 28 July 2022

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

Most apprentices enjoy their learning. Their apprenticeships include industry- recognised vendor-specific certifications that help them to develop skills which they can quickly put into practice in the workplace. However, the curriculum that all apprentices follow relies too heavily on these certifications, and consequently has not been designed to help them to develop all the knowledge, skills, and behaviours that they need to be successful in their apprenticeship.

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

Apprentices are enthusiastic and motivated to learn. They become more confident in their newly developed skills and demonstrate these well in the workplace. However, the absence of a coherently planned curriculum has resulted in apprentices not being supported to develop fully the range of behaviours they need to be successful – both in their apprenticeship and in their future careers.

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

Most apprentices value the skills and experiences of their trainers, and teaching sessions are respectful and inclusive. However, attendance in some classes is low – particularly on level 3 programmes – and leaders have not taken steps to identify or rectify this.

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

In too many instances, apprentices do not have a clear understanding of the career opportunities available to them beyond their current employer. Leaders and managers have not taken sufficient steps to ensure that all apprentices receive detailed advice about their next steps. Where careers advice is offered, this is on an ad-hoc basis to individuals during reviews.

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

Apprentices report feeling safe and most know where to go if they feel they need help. However, too few apprentices were able to recall the safeguarding support available to them from the provider and identified their employer as their first point of contact for support.

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better?

Leaders and governors are clear that their intent for the curriculum is to provide apprentices with the technical skills they need to be successful in a rapidly evolving industry. Leaders draw on extensive knowledge from other parts of their organisation to design a curriculum which supports apprentices to gain industry- recognised certifications alongside their apprenticeship. They believe the vendor certifications that they provide give the apprenticeship credibility, and support apprentices to have both an immediate and long-term impact in the workplace. Leaders have developed a curriculum which focuses on the development of both industry and locally relevant ICT skills for apprentices.

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better?

The curriculum that most apprentices follow is designed and delivered in a logical way to ensure that apprentices develop new knowledge, skills and behaviours throughout their apprenticeship. However, leaders’ over-reliance on the delivery of vendor certifications as a vehicle for teaching the apprenticeship has resulted in a 26 to 28 July 2022

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curriculum which does not ensure that apprentices have the opportunity to develop all the required knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to be successful.

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Leaders and managers have developed a curriculum which places significant emphasis on the development of apprentices’ knowledge, skills and behaviours in the workplace. However, they do not work closely enough with employers to ensure that apprentices receive these learning opportunities in the workplace. As a result, apprentices do not always develop these skills, which impedes their progress.

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Leaders’ quality assurance processes do not effectively identify areas for improvement within the curriculum. In most cases, leaders do not focus on the most important features that will ensure swift and sustained improvements. Where they do identify a development need, leaders do not ensure they measure the impact of their actions well enough to assure themselves that they have been effective. For example, leaders use lesson observations as the primary method of assuring themselves that apprentices receive high-quality teaching. However, the recording of these observations is too descriptive and does not evaluate or focus on key areas of improvement. As a result, leaders have not ensured that teachers are aware of – or have been supported to rectify – the improvements needed. Consequently, leaders cannot be assured that apprentices receive high-quality teaching.

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Leaders ensure that trainers maintain their professional development and currency in their technical knowledge relating to vendor-specific certifications. They meet monthly with mentors to share best practice in teaching strategies. For example, they have recently looked at effective and less effective teaching methods, such as using break-out rooms in online sessions for group work. However, not all trainers have teaching qualifications, and in a few cases trainers are not sufficiently skilled in the craft of teaching. As a result, too few apprentices make the progress of which they are capable.

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Leaders do not effectively monitor the progress of apprentices who are at risk of falling behind or require additional support. Leaders meet with managers weekly to review progress, and where concerns are identified actions are put in place. However, leaders are not fully informed of all apprentices who may need support. For example, apprentices studying the level 4 cyber security technologist standard have not received any formal teaching in over 12 months and have relied on the internet to research the skills and knowledge they feel they need. These apprentices have not been identified to leaders as a risk, and consequently no additional support has been put in place. As a result, leaders cannot ensure that all apprentices are receiving the support they need.

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Governance arrangements for apprenticeships are provided by senior members of the organisation’s wider board of directors. All governors are experienced and have long-standing careers in the technology industry. They meet with leaders monthly to review the performance of the provision. However, the reports they receive are not sufficiently detailed to enable them to have a clear overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum, or the progress of apprentices. For example, reports do not have a sufficient focus on the quality of teaching and learning or provide 26 to 28 July 2022

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updates on any plans that are in place to improve the quality of the curriculum. As a result, governors are not clear on the strengths and weaknesses of the provision and consequently cannot effectively hold leaders to account for issues which they do not know about.

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Most trainers are well-qualified experts in the areas they teach. They undertake regular vendor-specific professional development to keep their technical skills up to date. However, in a minority of cases – such as in the level 4 cyber security technologist apprenticeship – leaders have not acted quickly enough to recruit appropriately experienced trainers when staff have left. Consequently, apprentices following this standard have been poorly supported throughout their apprenticeship and have not received the teaching they need to be successful.

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Most apprentices, particularly those following the level 3 information communications technician standard, develop new skills which they can apply quickly in the workplace, allowing them to make a positive contribution at work. For example, apprentices on the level 3 information communication technician programme confidently diagnose technical issues with internet connectivity, quickly identifying the root cause of the problem. This is valued by employers and has resulted in a few apprentices being given additional responsibility in the workplace. However, it is not always clear how this new knowledge contributes towards apprentices developing the knowledge and skills in their intended curriculum.

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Trainers do not use the starting points of apprentices to plan their learning. The large majority of apprentices complete a vocational assessment of their knowledge and experiences at enrolment. However, tutors do not use this information to plan apprentices’ individual learning or take this into account when teaching. As a result, all apprentices follow the same curriculum, regardless of their existing knowledge or experience.

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Trainers do not use assessment well enough to measure the progress of apprentices or inform their teaching. While some assessment of progress does take place within certified units, results are isolated to the content of those units and do not extend to the wider knowledge, skills and behaviours that apprentices need to be successful in their apprenticeship standard. As a result, the progress that apprentices are making towards their curricular goals cannot be effectively measured, or actions put in place to offer support to apprentices who require it.

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Trainers do not ensure that reviews of learning focus well enough on measuring and targeting apprentices’ development of the knowledge, skills, and behaviours. Trainers focus too heavily on setting targets based on the generation of evidence to satisfy apprentices’ portfolio requirements and as a result neither they nor apprentices are clear on how well learners are developing the new skills they need.

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Trainers do not place sufficient emphasis on developing apprentices’ English and mathematics skills. While all apprentices enter the programme with the required exemptions, trainers do not use the results of initial assessments to offer any English 26 to 28 July 2022

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or mathematics support to help address the gaps in apprentices’ knowledge, or to develop their English and mathematics further.

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In learning sessions, most trainers encourage apprentices to use new technical language, and they explain the concepts these relate to clearly. They are clear on the subject matter that apprentices need to understand to be successful in their certifications and teach this effectively. However, in a few online classes, apprentices’ cameras were turned off and knowledge checking was done using the chat facility, hampering the trainers’ ability to ensure that all apprentices had understood the content they were teaching.

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The large majority of apprentices are aware of end-point assessment from early in their programmes. However, too few apprentices are aware of the grades that are available, or what needs to be done to achieve them. Consequently, apprentices are not given the opportunities to prepare well enough to achieve the grades of which they are capable, and while most apprentices achieve – particularly at level 3 – the provider has seen a decline in the number of apprentices achieving high grades.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have appointed an appropriately qualified designated safeguarding lead, who oversees safeguarding and has developed a suite of robust processes and procedures – including safer recruitment, the reporting of safeguarding concerns, and staff training – to ensure that apprentices can access the support they need.

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Safeguarding

All staff and apprentices undergo training in the ‘Prevent’ duty and safeguarding at the start of the apprenticeship or their employment. Leaders have created a calendar which identifies significant religious events and national holidays along with key aspects of the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism, staying safe online, and life in modern Britain. Leaders use this calendar to generate a monthly newsletter for apprentices, which links to current topics. However, the newsletter is not discussed or promoted effectively enough and as a result too few apprentices could identify having read or developed an understanding of its content.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is carefully designed to ensure that all apprentices have the opportunity to develop all the knowledge, skills, and behaviours identified in the apprenticeship standard.  Leaders should develop robust processes to enable them to monitor the quality of education apprentices receive, and the progress all apprentices are making.  Leaders should ensure that there are appropriate staffing arrangements in place to ensure that all apprentices receive the teaching they need to be successful.  Leaders should ensure that the information that governors receive on the performance of apprenticeships is sufficiently robust to allow those responsible for 26 to 28 July 2022

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governance to hold leaders effectively to account for the quality of education they provide.  Leaders should ensure that trainers use the vocational starting points of apprentices to plan their learning effectively to enable apprentices to make the progress of which they are capable.  Leaders should ensure that all apprentices are supported to develop their English and mathematics skills throughout their apprenticeship.  Leaders should ensure that all apprentices know and understand the arrangements for end-point assessment, including how to achieve high grades.  Leaders should ensure that all trainers receive the support and development they need to offer high-quality teaching to all apprentices.  Leaders should ensure that all apprentices receive impartial careers advice on their next steps.  Leaders should ensure that all apprentices develop a broad understanding of life in modern Britain, and the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism.

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Provider details

Address Staffordshire Technology Park Stafford ST18 0WP

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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 26 to 28 July 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the quality manager, 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

Stuart Collett, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Bev Ramsell Her Majesty’s Inspector Rachel Clark Her Majesty’s Inspector Helen Morgan Her Majesty’s Inspector Roland White Her Majesty’s Inspector Karen Tucker Ofsted Inspector 26 to 28 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 trainer 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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