Love and Tate Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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Information about this provider

Love and Tate Limited (Love and Tate) is an independent learning provider based in the City of London. The provider’s main business is in commercial training and recruitment services. They teach standards-based programmes to apprentices currently employed within the banking and finance sector in the City of London.

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Information about this provider

At the time of the inspection, there were two apprentices studying the level 3 business administrator standard, and one apprentice on the level 3 team leader/supervisor standard. Two apprentices that started on the level 3 business administrator standard at the end of January 2020 are on a break in learning.

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Information about this provider

Teaching takes place through a combination of online webinars and face-to-face sessions.

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Information about this provider

Leaders subcontract the teaching of English and mathematics to an external organisation. 7 and 8 December 2022

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

Apprentices have experienced disruption to the frequency of online lessons and workshops, due to staffing changes. When this happens, leaders have not communicated clearly or quickly enough to apprentices when lessons will take place. Due to this disruption, apprentices are not always set their next piece of coursework on time and so receive too many assignments to complete at the same time. In a few instances, apprentices fall behind with their work. Leaders have identified this issue and have taken appropriate steps to help apprentices to catch up.

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

Apprentices benefit from the support they receive from leaders and trainers. They are confident they can contact trainers at any time if they have any questions about the course. Apprentices welcome the feedback trainers provide on their progress. They are positive about the useful resources trainers provide that help them complete their coursework.

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

Apprentices that stay on the programme gain useful insights into their behaviours at work. For example, they recognise how, because of their apprenticeship, they listen more carefully to their team members. They reflect that they support colleagues more effectively and that this has resulted in improved team performance.

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

Apprentices recruited more recently show positive attitudes to learning. They value the qualifications they can gain and are keen to progress in their careers.

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better?

Leaders and managers have worked closely with the employer to select apprenticeship programmes that meet their needs and the needs of their apprentices. Apprentices’ line managers value the skills and knowledge apprentices learn through their apprenticeship, such as how to take effective meeting minutes.

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better?

Leaders have not monitored closely enough apprentices’ progress towards achieving their learning goals. On business administration apprenticeships, a few apprentices left the programme early without completing. Of those that remained, a high proportion did not complete within planned timescales.

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better?

Managers have planned a suitable and logical curriculum for team leader and business administration apprentices. Apprentices on team leader courses learn first about their own leadership styles and behaviours. They then learn about more difficult topics, such as understanding organisational performance. On business administration courses, apprentices improve their information technology skills to a high level. They later apply these skills to work-based projects, such as redesigning their team’s digital note taking application. 7 and 8 December 2022

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Leaders do not have sufficient oversight of the English and mathematics curriculum taught by the subcontractor they have appointed. Leaders do not check the quality of teaching apprentices receive in English and mathematics. They do not discuss this with apprentices during progress reviews. Trainers do not link effectively topics taught in English and mathematics to the higher level knowledge required of their apprenticeship standards.

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Leaders recently commissioned a useful review of the quality of their apprenticeship programmes. As a result, they have started to make improvements to components of the provision. Leaders meet monthly to monitor the actions they need to take. For example, leaders have taken action to ensure that they plan progress reviews well in advance, and leaders now track apprentices’ off-the-job training more effectively through a helpful online learning platform. However, leaders have been slow to implement some of the actions identified in their improvement plan. For example, leaders have not resolved the lack of clarity in apprentices’ commitment statements regarding off-the-job training hours or the detail of what apprentices will learn as part of their training plan, including knowledge of English and mathematics.

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While apprentices receive regular reviews of their progress, line managers do not consistently attend meetings. As a result, the feedback leaders give apprentices lacks detail on how their new knowledge and skills makes a difference in their job roles. In a few instances, apprentices struggle to fit in studying with their work commitments. They make slower progress than expected.

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Apprentices benefit from teaching by trainers that have substantial knowledge of the subjects they teach. They have relevant industry experience of the businesses apprentices work in. Trainers use their expertise to teach apprentices new information, such as how to manage projects at work effectively.

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Trainers give useful and thorough feedback to apprentices on their work. They challenge apprentices to explain further how they apply the knowledge they have learned at work. Trainers helpfully correct apprentices’ spelling and punctuation errors. As a result, apprentices improve considerably the standard of their work over time.

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Leaders do not plan a curriculum that helps apprentices improve their understanding of topics, such as democracy and the rule of law. Trainers do not relate these themes to the information they teach. Apprentices cannot discuss in any detail how these topics apply at work in their industry.

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Leaders do not provide apprentices with sufficient opportunities to discuss their career goals and ambitions. Consequently, they miss out on useful advice and guidance when they apply for promotions or new jobs. 7 and 8 December 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have developed suitable safeguarding policies, which describe comprehensively their duty of care to apprentices. Leaders have appropriate procedures in place for carrying out the necessary pre-employment checks on new staff. Staff responsible for safeguarding apprentices have received relevant training to carry out their roles.

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Safeguarding

Apprentices feel safe when learning and they know to whom they would report any concerns.

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Safeguarding

Leaders do not ensure that staff and apprentices receive up-to-date information about current issues associated with the dangers of extremism and radicalisation. Consequently, apprentices struggle to describe how these issues relate to their work in the banking sector.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Leaders should ensure that apprentices’ managers attend progress review meetings, so that they can support apprentices to stay on track and remain on the apprenticeship. They should monitor apprentices’ progress towards achieving their learning goals more closely.  Leaders should ensure they have oversight of the quality of teaching and assessment in English and mathematics provided by the subcontractor.  Leaders should plan a curriculum that includes teaching British values and ‘Prevent’ duty topics, so that apprentices know how these relate to their work and their lives.  Leaders should support apprentices with appropriate careers advice and guidance, so that they are aware of the wide range of career opportunities available to them. 7 and 8 December 2022

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Provider details

Address Salisbury House, London Wall London EC2M 5QQ

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Maggie Love

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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 Skills Mastery 7 and 8 December 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the training manager, 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

Sue Hasty, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector Kanwaljit Dhillon Ofsted Inspector Pamela Wallace Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 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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