Smart Gas Training and Assessment Centre Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Smart Gas Training and Assessment Centre Limited

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Information about this provider

Smart Gas Training and Assessment Centre Limited (Smart Gas) was established in 2016 and began training apprentices in March 2020. At the time of the inspection there were 75 level 3 apprentice gas engineering operatives. Apprentices attend theoretical and practical lessons for one day per week at the provider’s centre in Ashbourne. 24 to 27 October 2022

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

Apprentices enjoy their learning and are highly motivated. They are very satisfied with the quality of their tuition. They develop good relationships with tutors and often return to Smart Gas for further training or advice after they complete their apprenticeship.

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

Apprentices develop the broad range of skills that they need to become accredited gas engineers. As well as learning about general topics such as gas safety and water regulation, they study topics that are particularly relevant to their own jobs. For example, they learn about working with liquid petroleum gas (LPG) installations that are common in the local, largely rural, area.

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

Apprentices do not benefit as much as they might from the relationships that managers and tutors have with their employers. Tutors do not work well enough with employers to link classroom learning to workplace activities, and this means that a few apprentices do not have enough opportunities in the workplace to practise the things that they learn in lessons.

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

Apprentices learn about a wide range of situations that they will encounter in the workplace, and this helps them to become confident in their job roles. Tutors also provide them with opportunities to discuss contentious topics related to current affairs. This helps apprentices to gain a greater understanding of the world around them.

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

Apprentices feel safe, both at work and when in lessons. They are provided with health and safety training, wear appropriate personal protective equipment and follow workshop rules well. 24 to 27 October 2022

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better?

Leaders and managers focus exclusively on training level 3 apprentice gas engineering operatives. Gas engineering has an aging workforce, with many engineers heading towards retirement, and there is a need to attract and train new recruits to the sector. This apprenticeship contributes well to tackling the national shortage.

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better?

Tutors plan the curriculum well. They consider the best order in which to teach subjects so that apprentices progressively build their skills and understanding. Tutors also take into account the things that will quickly make apprentices useful to their employers. For example, they start with topics on health and safety and teach basic technical skills, such as how to carry out a tightness test, so that apprentices can complete basic work tasks while they build their technical expertise.

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better?

Tutors plan courses so that apprentices develop the skills and confidence to deal with a wide range of systems that they will encounter in customers’ homes. They incorporate topics that go beyond the basic requirements of the apprenticeship standard. Tutors demand high standards and help apprentices to achieve them.

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better?

Tutors provide suitable extra help for apprentices who have additional learning needs. They devote extra time to these apprentices and provide additional classes where this is helpful. As a result, all apprentices benefit fully from their training.

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better?

Tutors are suitably qualified and have good occupational experience. They use their skills and knowledge to provide clear explanations, give useful demonstrations and relate training to real work situations. Tutors plan well-structured theoretical and practical lessons that complement each other effectively. As topics become more complex, they make effective use of repetition and recapitulation to ensure that apprentices can link lesson content to themes that they have already studied.

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better?

Tutors make good use of a range of approaches to check that apprentices understand topics. These include worksheets, oral questions, mock tests and discussions with individual apprentices. Where necessary, tutors revisit topics and provide further explanations and examples. They provide good oral feedback that helps apprentices to recognise and correct misconceptions.

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better?

Tutors provide apprentices with plentiful exercises to help them master new skills. For example, when learning about common faults, tutors create a number of fault- finding exercises for apprentices to work through. If apprentices do not grasp a subject, tutors provide additional activities and individual coaching until they do. As a result, apprentices gain good practical skills.

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better?

Tutors do not work well enough with employers to ensure that apprentices have opportunities to practise in the workplace what they have studied in the classroom. In a few cases, this slows apprentices’ development and prevents them from gathering evidence for their portfolios in a timely way. 24 to 27 October 2022

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Apprentices develop the skills and knowledge that they need to become domestic gas engineers. They produce work to a good standard, develop their theoretical knowledge well and become able to put this knowledge into practice. The vast majority of apprentices achieve their qualifications and gain professional gas safety accreditation. Apprentices who need to gain functional skills qualifications do so.

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Managers and tutors have high expectations for the attendance and punctuality of apprentices and monitor both closely. Where attendance dips, managers quickly take effective action to resolve any problems. Tutors create a calm and orderly environment for apprentices. They model professional behaviour, particularly in practical workshop activities. Apprentices behave in a focused and respectful manner in lessons.

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Tutors teach frequent, well-planned ‘Thought for the Day’ tutorials that encourage apprentices to debate topics and express their personal opinions. This helps them to understand a variety of perspectives. However, this is not systematic for all apprentices.

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Managers and tutors use their strong industry links and sound, up-to-date knowledge to provide apprentices with suitable, impartial careers advice and guidance related to the gas industry. However, this advice is not yet systematic or well recorded, and a small number of apprentices are not able to recall any conversations about their next steps or possible career routes.

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Managers provide tutors with appropriate general training to help them to improve their teaching skills, their technical expertise and their knowledge of safeguarding. For example, they arrange for staff to complete teacher training qualifications and have recently organised training in air-source heat pumps for all tutors. However, because quality assurance processes focus too much on compliance with systems and procedures and not enough on improving the quality of education, they do not identify the specific aspects of tutors’ practice that can be improved. As a result, teachers do not receive targeted support that helps them become more effective.

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Managers consider the well-being of their staff carefully. They ensure that teachers have small classes and enough time to prepare lessons and mark work. They have a clear policy of not contacting staff outside of work hours, which helps them to maintain a healthy work-life balance. They know their staff well and provide support and encouragement when they encounter personal difficulties.

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Managers have made suitable arrangements for independent scrutiny of their actions. External consultants review arrangements and provide useful information about a range of themes, including the quality of education and a number of management topics. Managers take appropriate actions to tackle most of these. However, there remain a few weaknesses from the most recent report that managers have not yet resolved, such as in the coordination of on- and off-the-job training. 24 to 27 October 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Managers have developed sensible policies and procedures to help keep apprentices safe. They have appointed a designated safeguarding lead who has a good understanding of safeguarding themes, has completed appropriate training, and remains up to date through membership of local authority and Department for Education groups. Managers follow safer recruitment procedures and ensure that all staff undertake training in safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ duty. All staff take account of health and safety requirements during all activities. Apprentices receive suitable guidance on health and safety and safeguarding themes.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Managers should improve the ways in which they and their tutors work with employers so that employers have more opportunities to influence course design and are able to provide on-the-job activities that align more closely with apprentices’ classroom activities.  Managers should work with tutors to ensure that the personal development curriculum is taught systematically to all apprentices.  Managers should ensure that all apprentices receive appropriate careers information, advice and guidance.  Managers should review quality assurance processes so that they focus more on the quality of education and provide useful information that helps tutors to improve their practice. 24 to 27 October 2022

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Provider details

Address Unit 5 Runway Business Park Moor Farm Road Ashbourne DE6 1HD

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent John Grocott

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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 N/A 24 to 27 October 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the director, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous new provider 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

Russ Henry, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Steve Hunsley Ofsted Inspector Jenny Thorpe Ofsted Inspector Claudia Harrison His Majesty’s Inspector Angela Twelvetree His Majesty’s Inspector 24 to 27 October 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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