Rebus Training Ltd

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 Provision for learners with high needs Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this provider

Rebus Training Limited is an independent learning provider based in Stoke-on-Trent. It provides a range of accredited electrical-related training to employers and their workforce in and around the Midlands, including North Staffordshire and South Cheshire. In January 2019, the company was admitted to the register of apprenticeship training providers, and its first cohort of apprentices commenced training shortly thereafter. At the time of the inspection, 166 apprentices were in learning, studying on the level 3 installation electrician and maintenance electrician apprenticeship. The majority of apprentices are aged 16 to 18. 7 to 9 December 2022

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

Most apprentices develop substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours as a result of the industry specific training they receive. They value the knowledge and skills of their trainers and the ongoing support to help them develop and refine their workplace skills.

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

Apprentices are highly motivated, and most enjoy their learning. They recognise the value of achieving an industry recognised apprenticeship that is critical to the employment and career development within the electrical industry. Apprentices appreciate the professional atmosphere while attending training and the awareness of trainers in responding to their questions and concerns.

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

Apprentices benefit from high expectations of training staff and employers and are motivated to achieve. Their attendance at planned learning sessions is routinely high. Apprentices develop good vocational skills that enhance their effectiveness at work. Their work is of a high standard.

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

Apprentices have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe, particularly at work. Trainers suitably model effective health and safety practices during practical work. They continually question apprentices on their knowledge of risk management in the workplace throughout their apprenticeship. This allows trainers to check apprentices safe working practices, both at the training centre and at work.

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better?

Leaders have developed a clear rationale: to provide high-quality apprenticeships in electrical training to meet the skills needs of local employers. They have nurtured strong links with employers and understand the need of the industry and its specific challenges. Leaders’ aspirations are high, and management expectations of staff and for apprentices’ success are well defined and suitably demanding.

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better?

Leaders use their extensive experience and specialist knowledge of the electrical installation and maintenance industry to develop and sequence the curriculum so that it provides apprentices with the essential skills to competently work on a range of domestic and commercial electrical equipment. For example, based on feedback obtained from employers, leaders reordered the curriculum to include electrical- scientific principles and health and safety at the beginning of the course. This allows apprentices to acquire the essential technical knowledge and insight needed for work.

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better?

Trainers use the information gained from assessments at the beginning of the apprenticeship to plan an individualised apprenticeship. They make good use of their well-developed links with employers to ensure that job roles and responsibilities match apprentices’ needs and the requirements of the apprenticeship programme. 7 to 9 December 2022

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Trainers plan and sequence teaching well. They develop and extend apprentices’ vocational skills, resulting in them becoming much more confident, both at work and in their learning. For example, apprentices demonstrate the correct use of a variety of hand tooling when installing electrical cabling. As a result, apprentices recognise the importance of these skills. They develop these skills and use them in work to further accelerate their own learning and progress.

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Trainers use coaching and questioning techniques skilfully to probe and reinforce apprentices’ deeper understanding of vocational topics, revisiting prior learning where necessary. Apprentices reflect on allocated work tasks to develop their electrical-related problem-solving skills. As a result, apprentices quickly develop their technical skills, confidence and make a valuable contribution to their employer’s business.

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Leaders and trainers diligently monitor apprentices’ progress and intervene swiftly to help them catch up when they fall behind. Trainers complete regular assessment of apprentices’ work so that apprentices are clear on what they are doing well and what they need to do to improve.

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Trainers place a strong emphasis on extending apprentices’ understanding and use of essential mathematics. For example, trainers equip apprentices with the skills to use mathematical formulae when calculating the required cable sizing for a given electrical load. However, in a minority of cases, the development of apprentices’ skills in English is not sufficiently prioritised, and trainers’ feedback on apprentices’ written work does not identify areas for improvement. As a result, too many apprentices repeat the same grammatical and spelling mistakes over time.

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Trainers and assessors provide apprentices with detailed developmental feedback that enables them to improve their practical work and ensure it meets their employer’s exacting standards. Most employers participate fully in progress reviews and contribute to the planning of future activities to enable apprentices to achieve their apprenticeship. However, in a few instances, the recording of action plans for apprentices to complete is not sufficiently challenging. As a result, a few apprentices do not have a precise understanding of what they need to do to achieve their full potential.

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Apprentices develop good attitudes to learning and rapidly develop their knowledge, skills and behaviours, which they ably apply at work. They complete suitably challenging tasks, develop skills and relate new learning to practical situations at work. As a result, apprentices develop a precise understanding of why the quality of their work is important to their employer and their customers.

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Trainers support apprentices to develop their wider skills, developing these incrementally throughout the duration of the apprenticeship. This includes topics such as the importance of online safety, mental health awareness and the dangers associated with gang violence. However, too many younger apprentices have cursory 7 to 9 December 2022

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knowledge of matters related to healthy sexual relationships or how to keep themselves healthy through nutrition and exercise.

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Most apprentices receive good support and information for career progression from their employers and assessors. Trainers, who are industry experts, provide apprentices with appropriate careers advice relating to the transferability of their skills to allied sectors, including hydroelectricity, windfarms and self-employment. Employers provide apprentices with opportunities to benefit from additional sector- specific training. As a result, apprentices are well informed about the full range of career opportunities available to them. Most apprentices progress to sustained employment following their studies.

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Governance of the apprenticeship provision is effective. Leaders ensure that advisory board members have a sufficiently clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision. Board members scrutinise strategic and financial issues to develop appropriate plans for action. However, in a few instances, they have not challenged leaders and managers to ensure that all key actions are completed in a timely manner. As a result, the pace of improvement is slower than it could be.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have recruited and suitably trained staff to support the safeguarding and well-being of apprentices. They ensure that all staff undergo enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks and that these are recorded in sufficient detail to ensure staff’s suitability to work with younger apprentices.

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Safeguarding

Staff benefit from appropriate training and development in all aspects of safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ duty. The designated safeguarding lead ensures that there are appropriate policies and processes in place for the tracking of safeguarding and welfare and well-being concerns, and these are acted upon rapidly. Safeguarding is reported to the advisory board at each meeting, to ensure actions are closed appropriately.

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Safeguarding

Apprentices know to whom they should report any concerns about their safety. They report feeling safe and work safely both in the workplace and while at the training centre.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Leaders need to ensure that all apprentices receive an ambitious personal development curriculum that allows them to develop as individuals from the start of their apprenticeship, including extending apprentices’ skills in English and developing their understanding of healthy relationships and lifestyles. 7 to 9 December 2022

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 Trainers and liaison officers should ensure that targets set for apprentices throughout their studies are specific enough to help them understand how to achieve high grades in their final assessments.  Leaders and those responsible for governance need to ensure that areas identified for improvement are acted upon more rapidly to create positive change throughout the organisation. 7 to 9 December 2022

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Provider details

Address Unit 4 Westlake Trading Estate Canal Lane Stoke-On-Trent ST6 4PA

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Provider details

Website https://www.rebustraining.co.uk/

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Gary Jackson and Jon Grocock

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected 7 to 9 December 2022

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Information about this inspection

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

Helen Morgan, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Victor Reid His Majesty’s Inspector Joanne Keatley Ofsted Inspector Mary Osmaston Ofsted Inspector 7 to 9 December 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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