Mobius Partners Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Information about this provider

Mobius Partners Limited (trading as Brighter Horizons) is a training provider based in West Sussex. Brighter Horizons became an apprenticeship provider in 2020, offering training for apprentices in the childcare sector. At the time of the visit, 51 apprentices were on the level 3 standards-based early years practitioner apprenticeship, 17 were studying level 2 early years educator, three were studying level 3 team leader and one was studying level 2 business administration. Brighter Horizons focuses its curriculum on supporting apprentices working in early years settings. Apprentices work for a range of early years settings nationally.

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Information about this provider

Staff provide training primarily through live videoconferencing software. Apprentices are given time during their working day to attend their training, tutorials and progress reviews. 26 to 28 July 2022

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

Apprentices benefit from a range of useful activities to support the development of new knowledge, skills and behaviours. They enjoy attending group workshops, where they have opportunities to meet and share practice with other apprentices in different settings. As a result, they can consider how different methods and activities could be applied in their own workplace. For example, apprentices learn how other apprentices manage mealtimes in their setting and apply this learning with the children they care for. Apprentices also have regular one-to-one tutorials where trainers tailor learning to meet the needs of individuals and relate their learning to their workplace.

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

Apprentices are well supported by trainers to develop their confidence, independence and resilience through individual discussions, role play and practice professional discussions. As a result, employers notice that apprentices are more competent and independent in their roles and in communicating with the parents and carers of the children in their care.

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

Apprentices develop their knowledge of healthy eating as part of their programme. They are aware of the importance of eating well and staying physically healthy. Apprentices apply this in their workplace to ensure that children learn healthy habits. For example, apprentices take part in a ‘daily mile’ walk with the children, and other apprentices grow vegetables in their setting and pick and prepare these vegetables for the children’s lunch.

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

Apprentices gain a useful and relevant understanding of equality and diversity, which they can apply to their workplace. They recognise the impact of British values on the development of the children in their care and promote these well. For example, they value different protected characteristics. They provide activities for children to develop the same values, such as by discussing and dressing in the traditional clothing of people of different ethnic backgrounds.

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

Apprentices have a good understanding of the risks to their safety and to the children at their workplace. They feel safe at work and in learning and know to report any concerns they may have to safeguarding staff. Apprentices know well how to stay safe at work. For example, apprentices are confident in identifying risks in the workplace and use the appropriate personal protective equipment to keep themselves and the children they care for safe.

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better?

Leaders have a clear vision to provide high-quality specialist training to support the early years sector. Leaders are committed to raising aspirations, improving attainment and developing the quality of early years workers. Apprentices benefit from a clear career pathway from level 2 to level 3 and further development that leaders are planning for level 5 programmes. Leaders work well with external stakeholders, such as the local enterprise partnership, to meet local need for 26 to 28 July 2022

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qualified early years staff. They have recently begun to develop links with local authorities to encourage apprentices in areas of high deprivation to improve their career opportunities.

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Leaders are ambitious for apprentices, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff make sure that apprentices are assessed for SEND and provide appropriate support and strategies, which are regularly reviewed to ensure that these are effective. Staff ensure that apprentices have a secure understanding of how achieve high grades and revisit these throughout the programme. As a result, of the very small number of apprentices who have completed the course, most have achieved a distinction.

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Leaders and managers assess the quality of the apprenticeships effectively. They know the strengths and weaknesses and plan actions that swiftly result in improvements that have a positive impact on apprentices’ experiences. Governors provide supportive challenge and scrutiny to leaders to ensure that apprentices are put first in all actions taken and that leaders comply with statutory duties.

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Trainers are experts in the early years sector and have many years of experience of working in different types of settings. They are suitably qualified to provide high- quality training, and where this is not yet the case, leaders support them to complete training qualifications and provide useful continuing professional development. As a result, apprentices benefit from the effective training methods and up-to-date industry knowledge that they require to be successful in the workplace.

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Leaders work effectively with employers to ensure that the curriculum meets their needs. Employers attend progress reviews to discuss what apprentices have learned and plan on-the-job training. As a result, apprentices develop their knowledge, skills and behaviours further at work and make significant contributions to the workplace. For example, level 3 apprentices have learned to plan and carry out observations of children’s progress. They now do this independently and provide information to parents about how their children are doing in Nursery.

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Staff sequence the curriculum appropriately so that apprentices gain essential skills for the workplace early in their programmes. Staff then plan the programmes to build apprentices’ skills and knowledge over time. They carefully assess apprentices’ progress and provide useful feedback that apprentices use well to improve their work. As a result, apprentices take on new responsibilities in their roles. For example, apprentices take the initiative independently, such as by providing one-to- one support for children with SEND, and they take on responsibility for ‘key children’ and become ‘room leaders’.

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Trainers take naturally arising opportunities to explore learning beyond the curriculum, such as healthy relationships and careers information, advice and guidance. However, leaders do not ensure that all apprentices consistently benefit from this learning. Leaders recognise that the personal development curriculum requires further development. They have comprehensive plans in place to rapidly 26 to 28 July 2022

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develop and improve this for all apprentices. They are suitably qualified and experienced to ensure that this is of high quality and positively benefits apprentices.

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Leaders have reviewed the curriculum to ensure that all apprentices benefit from tailored support to develop their English and mathematical skills to prepare them for their end-point assessment and next stage of learning. However, it is too early to see the impact of this on apprentices’ development of these skills.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The suitably trained and experienced designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and deputy DSL have sensible policies and procedures, including a ‘Prevent’ duty risk assessment, in place to help keep apprentices safe in learning and at work. They ensure that staff are appropriately trained to identify and refer safeguarding concerns.

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Safeguarding

They keep detailed records of safeguarding concerns and monitor these closely. The DSL and deputy DSL identify, monitor and intervene when a safeguarding concern occurs to make sure that it is resolved quickly.

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Safeguarding

The DSL uses effective partnerships with external safeguarding groups to stay informed of local and regional risks. They know to whom and how to refer any concerns of safety or risks of radicalisation so that they are able to keep their apprentices safe.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Leaders must rapidly develop the personal development curriculum to ensure that all apprentices have opportunities to develop their knowledge, skills and behaviours beyond the content of the apprenticeship standard.  Leaders must quickly ensure that all apprentices benefit from an appropriate and useful careers information, advice and guidance curriculum to prepare them for their next steps.  Leaders must ensure that staff support all apprentices to develop essential literacy and numeracy skills. 26 to 28 July 2022

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Provider details

Address 3 Grooms Court Parbrook Billingshurst RH14 9EU

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Provider details

Website www.brighterhorizonstraining.co.uk

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Provider details

Provider type Independent training 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 monitoring visit 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

Emma Leavey, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Jo-Ann Henderson Her Majesty’s Inspector Richard Kirkham Her Majesty’s 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 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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