Education and Learning Academy Limited

The Equestrian Learning Academy Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Mike Finn, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection date(s): 9 and 10 August 2022

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Suite 104 1 Meadlake Place Thorpe Lea Road Egham, Surrey TW20 8HE Monitoring visit: The Equestrian Learning Academy Limited, 9 and 10 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

The Equestrian Learning Academy Limited is a national independent learning provider that delivers apprenticeship programmes to 703 apprentices across England. Apprenticeship standards are offered in three industry areas from levels 2 to 5. These areas include adult care, early years, and management, including project management.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have a clear rationale for the apprenticeship programme. They meet regional needs in early years, adult care and management. Leaders have set up training in geographical areas where there is an increased need.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders make sure that the apprentices they recruit are suitable for the apprenticeship that they study. Leaders also ensure that apprentices have an appropriate job role that matches the standard. As a result, apprentices learn new knowledge, skills and behaviours in order to improve their competence at work.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and tutors work well with employers to develop an effective curriculum for apprentices. For example, tutors in adult care include a topic about learning disabilities, as employers request this. This helps apprentices to develop the knowledge they need in their specific job role.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that their programmes meet the requirements of apprenticeships, including apprentices’ full entitlement to training away from the job. Employers ensure apprentices take this time by adding it to work rotas. Monitoring visit: The Equestrian Learning Academy Limited, 9 and 10 August 2022 Leaders have put in place effective quality assurance to identify areas of tutors’ teaching and assessment practice that require further development. However, leaders do not use this information effectively enough to train tutors to improve their teaching skills and practice.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders provide tutors with useful opportunities for vocational training in the industry area they teach. For example, leaders place early years tutors on nursery placements so they can learn about the new early years and foundation stage curriculum. As a result, tutors keep their vocational knowledge up to date, which helps them in their teaching.

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Reasonable progress

Governors have a comprehensive understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision. They provide effective challenge that supports directors to make steady improvements to the quality of provision.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors assess effectively what apprentices know and can do at the start of their apprenticeship. Tutors use this information well to plan a curriculum that meets apprentices’ individual needs.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors teach curriculums with appropriate content so that apprentices develop the knowledge and skills that help them in their work. For example, in early years, apprentices understand how to create enabling environments to facilitate children’s development. Their knowledge of behavioural theorists such as Bowlby and Maslow helps them to improve their understanding of children’s neurodevelopment. Apprentices are able to use this knowledge in their work with children in early years settings.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors use their expertise well to teach apprentices how to be more effective in their roles. For example, in project management, tutors help apprentices to consider the benefits of alternative approaches to managing their projects. This develops apprentices’ decision-making and evaluation skills.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors do not consistently provide helpful enough feedback to apprentices on their assignments, or during progress reviews. They do not always give sufficient guidance to apprentices on how they improve their knowledge, skills or behaviours further.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors prepare apprentices well for assessments at the end of the apprenticeship. They do this through regular professional discussions with tutors from the start of the programme and holding mock assessments towards the end. Most apprentices Monitoring visit: The Equestrian Learning Academy Limited, 9 and 10 August 2022 understand what they need to do to gain a high grade. The majority of apprentices who make it to their end-point assessment pass their qualification, with over two thirds gaining a distinction grade.

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Reasonable progress

Too many apprentices leave the programme before they get to their assessments. This has worsened due to the impact of COVID-19 in the care industry. Leaders have put in place more robust methods to track apprentices who fall behind with their studies, and they now take timely action to support them sooner.

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Reasonable progress

Most apprentices who finish the programme remain in employment. However, leaders do not collect sufficient information about the destination of apprentices who leave the programme.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have established a safe and supportive environment in which apprentices learn. Designated safeguarding leads (DSLs) and tutors receive effective training about safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty. This helps staff to identify apprentices who need help. Staff take appropriate action to help apprentices who need it, including referring apprentices to external support. Leaders carry out effective recruitment checks on staff to confirm their suitability to work with apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

Governors understand their duty to keep apprentices safe. They have been able to identify with leaders the areas that need strengthening. This has led to improvements, for example in the way governors have an oversight of the measures DSLs put in place to reduce risks to apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors provide apprentices with suitable safeguarding information at the start of their programme. This includes training about online safety. However, tutors do not repeat this teaching sufficiently. Consequently, apprentices do not remember securely enough what they have been taught about these topics. Monitoring visit: The Equestrian Learning Academy Limited, 9 and 10 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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