London School of Education and Management Limited

London School of Education and Management Ltd Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Philida Schellekens, Ofsted Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

4th floor Crown House 421 North Circular Road Park Royal London NW10 7PN London School of Education and Management, 16–17 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

London School of Education and Management Ltd provides apprenticeship training mainly in the healthcare sector. The company recruited its first apprentices in March 2021. At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 115 apprentices across nine apprenticeship standards: level 3 lead adult care (19), level 3 recruitment consultant (5), level 3 business administrator, level 3 digital marketer, level 3 team leader or supervisor, level 4 associate project manager (11), level 4 business analyst (20), level 5 healthcare assistant practitioner (19), and level 5 leader in adult care (33). The provider had fewer than five apprentices enrolled on three of the level 3 programmes. London School of Education and Management, 16–17 August 2022

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Insufficient progress

There is demand for the apprenticeships offered, as employers’ interest and the number of enrolments show. However, leaders have not made sufficient progress in establishing several aspects of the provision. This has had a negative impact on the quality of training and apprentices not developing essential knowledge and skills in a timely manner. Leaders have not carried out sufficient checks to ensure that apprentices are in jobs that enable them to learn and practise new skills at work. In many cases the support from apprentices’ line managers is weak. Apprentices lack on-the-job training and support from a suitably qualified and experienced professional. This includes examples where apprentices’ line managers are on the same apprenticeship as the apprentices themselves. Leaders have appointed tutors/assessors who mostly have appropriate industry experience. However, many have significant gaps in delivering appropriate training

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Insufficient progress

and planning learning. This includes the ability to take into account apprentices’ development needs, knowledge and skills as well as their job requirements. The quality assurance of assessors’ work is poor. Managers do not identify areas for improvement, such as the need to mark assignments appropriately and to give apprentices feedback on the quality of their work. Strategies to monitor and improve the quality of training sessions are poor. Observers describe rather than evaluate the quality of training. Observation reports on training sessions do not set out what the tutor did well and how they can improve. There is no follow up to check that tutors have made progress in the quality of their teaching. The recording of evidence of teaching, learning and assessment activity and in particular safeguarding is weak. Leaders have not been able to provide inspectors with sufficient evidence for all aspects of the provision.

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Insufficient progress

London School of Education and Management, 16–17 August 2022

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Insufficient progress

Staff provide apprentices with appropriate information about apprenticeships at the point of recruitment. Assessors carry out suitable assessment of apprentices’ prior experience and qualifications. However, they do not use this information sufficiently well to plan learning and set targets which match apprenticeships’ prior knowledge, skills and achievements. The monitoring and tracking of apprentices’ achievement is ineffective. Staff focus on unit completion rather than the assessment of apprentices’ progress. Feedback on learning and advice on how to improve are lacking. Progress reviews do not take place regularly enough. Most apprentices are behind with their work. A substantial number of apprentices do not receive their full entitlement to off-the- job training. Leaders and tutors do not structure the delivery of the apprenticeship standards effectively. Nor do tutors check apprentices’ knowledge and understanding

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Insufficient progress

consistently enough. For example, in a level 4 business analyst session, the teacher introduced a substantial amount of new content on business analysis without appropriate checks on learning. A number of apprentices are not able to take an active part in training sessions. Their employers do not allow them to ask or answer questions, as this would disturb other activity at work. This also affects the tutor’s ability to check on learning and assess progress. Staff do not assess apprentices’ competence in the workplace effectively. Observation records provide insufficient evidence of the development of work-based skills. Leaders and staff recognise that this is an area of improvement. Apprentices’ attendance and punctuality are poor. Leaders have appointed specialist English and mathematics tutors who ensure that apprentices have good support with the preparation for their functional skills examinations. Tutors check learning well, and most apprentices make good progress

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Insufficient progress

in lessons. London School of Education and Management, 16–17 August 2022

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have appointed an appropriately qualified designated safeguarding lead and assistant lead. Staff receive safeguarding training. Apprentices report that they feel safe. The induction programme covers aspects such as safeguarding, online safety and British values. However, apprentices’ recall of these aspects is weak. They lack information on who to contact in case of a safeguarding issue. The safeguarding policy is inappropriate. The document was written for a different organisation and lacks reference to the contexts in which apprentices study and work. The names and details of officers to contact in case of concern are incorrect. The responsibilities of the safeguarding lead are incorrectly described. The document refers to legislation which is no longer in use. The safeguarding incident form provides incorrect guidance on what information should be collected and by whom. It is not clear who the report should be sent to.

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Insufficient progress

Managers carry out health and safety checks of employers’ premises. However, the quality of the information collected is poor. For example, managers incorrectly record aspects as ‘not applicable’, such as the maintenance of work equipment and electrical systems. London School of Education and Management, 16–17 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 and child protection.

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Insufficient progress

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Insufficient progress

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Insufficient progress

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Insufficient progress

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

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