Tarmac Trading Limited

Tarmac Trading Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Saul Pope, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Address: National Skills and Safety Park Nether Langwith Mansfield NG20 9JQ Monitoring visit: Tarmac Trading Limited, 4 and 5 August 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

Tarmac Trading Limited is an apprenticeship provider based in Nether Langwith, Nottinghamshire. Apprentices are all employees of Tarmac. They work at Tarmac building and quarrying sites across the country and study at the company’s central training facility in Nether Langwith.

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Context and focus of visit

All apprentices study the mineral processing mobile and static plant operator standard at level 2. At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 55 apprentices that studied this standard. All apprentices were aged 18 or over.

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Significant progress

Leaders focus their curriculum solely on preparing new staff for mineral processing roles. They intend for apprentices to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to become high-performing team members. For example, apprentices learn how to work safely in various on-site situations, but also about why colleagues might work unsafely. Leaders also include a substantial focus on personal skills. They rightly recognise the value of these skills to develop the working culture at their sites, as well as for apprentices’ own career progression. In many cases, apprentices that successfully complete their studies quickly gain internal promotion.

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Significant progress

Leaders provide apprentices with high-quality training resources. The training park, where all apprentices study, closely replicates real-life working environments. Apprentices hone their skills on modern mobile and static plant equipment at the park before they undertake similar tasks at work.

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Significant progress

Leaders ensure that apprentices’ trainers have highly relevant skills and knowledge for their roles. Leaders provide them with appropriate additional training when they Monitoring visit: Tarmac Trading Limited, 4 and 5 August 2022 need this. Trainers have lengthy industrial experience and hold pertinent professional memberships. On the few occasions when trainers do not have the necessary knowledge, leaders hire specialists to offer bespoke training to apprentices.

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Significant progress

Leaders ensure that line managers are very involved in apprentices’ courses. Line managers prioritise apprentices’ studies over operational needs, and make valuable links between theoretical studies and real-life practice. They also ensure that apprentices gain valuable on-site experience through frequent work shadowing opportunities.

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Significant progress

Leaders, and those responsible for governance, have a thorough and accurate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the apprenticeship course. They focus closely on the quality of what they offer, and how to improve it. For example, when leaders take swift and meticulous action when they identify that trainers do not cover topics in enough depth.

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Significant progress

Leaders also manage subcontracted provision effectively. They carry out appropriate due diligence and quality assurance activities and work well with subcontractors to make improvements.

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Reasonable progress

Before apprentices start their studies, managers and trainers use comprehensive assessments to check that courses are a good match for apprentices’ needs. Managers also identify those apprentices that need additional support. As a result of this, trainers make appropriate adjustments that benefit apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers plan the topics that they teach effectively. When they teach apprentices to use wheel-loaded shovels, for example, they first focus on how to safely drive the vehicles in straight lines, before they teach apprentices complex shunts in a simulated quarry environment.

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Reasonable progress

In lessons, trainers use their subject expertise well to provide apprentices with demonstrations and examples from working environments. Trainers use revision activities to check that apprentices can recall key concepts, as well as to focus on the practical application of apprentices’ knowledge.

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Reasonable progress

Managers and trainers develop thoroughly apprentices’ English and mathematics knowledge. Workbooks contain resources to help apprentices improve their technical vocabulary, or manage the ordering and delivery of materials. As a result, apprentices gain new English and mathematical skills that link well to their job roles.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices benefit from constructive and supportive feedback on their work. Trainers use this during practical activities to help apprentices carry out challenging Monitoring visit: Tarmac Trading Limited, 4 and 5 August 2022 vehicle manoeuvres more effectively. They also provide apprentices with helpful written feedback on theory-based tasks. However, too many apprentices do not get this feedback swiftly enough.

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Reasonable progress

In the few instances, when apprentices fall behind with their studies, they receive useful support. Trainers and line managers use review activities to identify the help that apprentices need. In a few instances, though, trainers and line managers do not put this support into place swiftly enough.

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Reasonable progress

Those apprentices that are close to their final assessments are well prepared. They are keen to do well and aim for the highest grades possible. However, apprentices in the middle of their courses have only limited knowledge of how they will be assessed.

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Reasonable progress

Staff at all levels complete appropriate training to help them keep apprentices safe. There is a particularly strong culture of vigilance around health and safety. Both staff and apprentices adhere to strict safety protocols, such as wearing the correct personal protective equipment. Leaders also ensure that apprentices cover topics such as the dangers of radicalisation and extremism, and the importance of good mental health, during their courses.

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Reasonable progress

Governors understand their safeguarding responsibilities. They scrutinise policies effectively and focus on ensuring that apprentices work in an environment where they feel safe to disclose their own concerns, and challenge others’ behaviour if they feel it is unsafe.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices value the support that they get. They feel safe when they work and study, and know whom to contact with safeguarding or well-being concerns that they have. However, they have limited knowledge of some of the safeguarding topics they have studied, such as radicalisation and extremism. Monitoring visit: Tarmac Trading Limited, 4 and 5 August 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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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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