Tes Institute

Name of lead inspector: Jonny Wright, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider Address: Building 3 St Pauls Place Norfolk St Sheffield S1 2JE Monitoring visit: Tes Institute, 2 and 3 February 2023

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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

Tes Institute began to deliver apprenticeships in 2021. At the time of the monitoring visit, 28 apprentices were on level 3 teaching assistant standards-based programmes. Tes Institute works with schools and apprentices across England.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers draw on their extensive knowledge and experience in the school sector to provide apprenticeships for teaching assistants. Leaders responded to requests from school leaders to provide teaching assistant apprenticeships due to many existing staff progressing into teaching roles and leaving gaps for teaching assistants as a result.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers ensure that their programmes meet the requirements for an apprenticeship. All apprentices and their employers sign apprenticeship agreements that include comprehensive plans detailing off-the-job training. Apprentices receive their entitlement to off-the-job training and develop the new knowledge, skills and behaviours that they need to become successful teaching assistants.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers employ highly experienced and well-qualified pathway tutors who have been employed as heads of departments and as headteachers in schools. Pathway tutors use their experience well when working with employers and apprentices to provide training that is relevant to each school setting.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have put in place effective processes to assure the quality of the apprenticeships that they provide. They conduct frequent checks throughout the apprentices’ programmes, including audits and observations of practice. They collect feedback from apprentices and employers and hold frequent reviews with pathway tutors. They provide helpful training to pathway tutors and have adjusted the Monitoring visit: Tes Institute, 2 and 3 February 2023 curriculum to include child development and mental health awareness units to prepare apprentices for the changing role of teaching assistants. Leaders and managers rightly recognise that they need to improve further the way that they prepare apprentices for end-point assessment and the support that workplace mentors provide for apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

Managers have a clear overview of the progress that apprentices make. Pathway tutors carry out frequent reviews with apprentices and their workplace mentors and provide managers with a comprehensive overview for each apprentice. Managers use the reviews to identify any apprentices who are falling behind. They ensure that pathway tutors put in place effective actions to help apprentices to catch up, such as liaising directly with employers and providing extra support.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders plan, sequence and evaluate the curriculum effectively to enable apprentices to develop incrementally the knowledge, skills and behaviours that they need at work. The first module introduces apprentices to the fundamental safeguarding knowledge they will need to prepare them to work in schools and keep children safe. Subsequent modules cover knowledge of teaching assistant roles and responsibilities, phonics, fundamental British values and special educational needs. The curriculum prepares apprentices well for their roles in providing practical support to children in class.

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Reasonable progress

Staff accurately identify apprentices’ prior experiences, knowledge and qualifications at the start of the programme. They use the information that they collect to plan individualised programmes so that apprentices can develop the substantial new knowledge and skills that they need to work as teaching assistants in schools.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices receive helpful on- and off-the-job training that supports them to develop new and relevant knowledge, skills and behaviours. They use the provider’s online learning platform and access the on-the-job training provided in the schools in which they work. Where apprentices work in very small schools, they benefit from visits to larger schools to broaden their experience.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices who need to develop their knowledge in mathematics find that this supports their own development for their job roles. For example, they can use what they learn to support Year 6 primary pupils with their mathematics skills development.

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Reasonable progress

Pathway tutors use assessments and reviews well to check apprentices’ understanding and to inform teaching. Workplace mentors and apprentices are fully involved in reviews. However, while workplace mentors make use of observations to Monitoring visit: Tes Institute, 2 and 3 February 2023 develop apprentices’ practice, the feedback that they provide to apprentices tends to be too brief and descriptive rather than developmental.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices and their workplace mentors know about the requirement for end-point assessment, but they have limited understanding of what it involves.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have implemented effective policies and procedures to keep apprentices and the children with whom they work safe.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers ensure that staff are suitable to work with apprentices. They conduct appropriate background checks, including reasons for gaps in employment and staff’s online presence. Staff complete appropriate training in safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty.

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Reasonable progress

The designated safeguarding lead and deputies are appropriately trained and experienced. They keep their knowledge up to date through frequent updates from schools, in-house safeguarding experts and local authorities. Although they do not currently receive updates on the local risks, they plan to do this as a priority.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices feel safe and have a suitable understanding of the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism. They complete a safeguarding module at the start of their programme to prepare them for working in schools, which covers the ‘Prevent’ duty and the safeguarding responsibilities associated with their roles. Monitoring visit: Tes Institute, 2 and 3 February 2023 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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