Reed Learning Limited

Reed Learning Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Rebecca Jennings, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 February 2023

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider Address: California House 120 Coombe Lane London SW20 0BA Monitoring visit: Reed Learning Limited, 15 and 16 February 2023

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Context and focus of visit

Ofsted undertakes to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of apprenticeship training provision funded 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

Reed Learning started delivering apprenticeships in December 2017. Reed Learning trains apprentices who work in human resources (HR) and learning and development roles across the country. At the time of the monitoring visit, all training for apprentices was held online.

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Context and focus of visit

At the time of this visit there were 84 apprentices working towards apprenticeship standards. 21 were studying level 3 HR support, three were studying level 3 learning and development practitioner, 37 were studying level 5 HR consultant/partner, eight were studying level 5 learning and development consultant business partner and six were studying level 7 senior people professional standards. A further 8 apprentices were on a break in learning. All apprentices were adults.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have used their expertise to offer specialist apprenticeship programmes in HR and in learning and development. They have responded to an increased demand to train and to retain HR professionals, mostly in the retail sector.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers work closely with employers to complete commitment statements. They make sure apprentices receive their entitlement to training time and suitably frequent reviews of their progress. However, managers did not work closely enough with employers of apprentices in early cohorts. Apprentices in these cohorts did not make quick enough progress and a significant proportion have not completed their apprenticeship in the expected timeframe.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have recruited highly knowledgeable staff (advisers) who teach apprentices topics based on their areas of expertise. Leaders provide staff with suitable training to improve their teaching and create opportunities for advisers to share best practice with one another. Leaders provide a wide range of useful resources to support apprentices with their studies through online platforms. Most Monitoring visit: Reed Learning Limited, 15 and 16 February 2023 apprentices benefit from studying these resources. However, a few apprentices find the online platforms difficult to use.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders are in the early stages of improving their quality assurance activities. They conduct activities which help them to improve the quality of teaching in most elements of their apprenticeships. Leaders are aware of the key strengths and weakness of the provision and conduct necessary checks on subcontracted training in English and mathematics. However, managers and those in a governance role rightly recognise the need to monitor the quality and performance across different component parts of the apprenticeship more thoroughly.

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Reasonable progress

Governors support leaders and managers to make improvements, for example to review the early stages of the programme to ensure that apprentices and employers better understand the requirements of the apprenticeship. However, they do not scrutinise information sufficiently in order to provide robust challenge to managers.

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Reasonable progress

Advisers check the individual skills and needs of apprentices when they start on their programmes. They check what apprentices already know and can do and use this information to place them on the right apprenticeship standard. Leaders and managers integrate additional qualifications from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) into most of their programmes. Apprentices value these qualifications as they help them to progress to the next stage in their careers.

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Reasonable progress

Specialist teaching staff ensure that apprentices gain new knowledge, skills and behaviours that benefit apprentices and their places of work. Advisers teach apprentices useful knowledge which they can apply at work. For example, they teach apprentices studying at level 3 how to use a STAR model to improve how their organisation conducts checks on staff, and how to use Kotter’s change theory to plan strategies to support staff through organisational change.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers ensure that advisers give apprentices helpful and informative feedback on their work towards the qualification element of their apprenticeship. They explain to learners how to improve their work, and this helps apprentices to achieve their programmes.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices highly value their training sessions. Staff use a range of effective techniques which help apprentices to gain a deeper insight in their learning topics. Apprentices prepare for sessions in advance. They then discuss and analyse their topics of learning and complete a learning reflection after sessions. These techniques help apprentices to retain the knowledge they have been taught. Tutors break down Monitoring visit: Reed Learning Limited, 15 and 16 February 2023 assignments into manageable tasks, and this helps apprentices to gain a clear understanding of what they need to do next.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers do not provide enough timely support for apprentices who need to achieve qualifications in English or mathematics. In too many instances, advisers focus too narrowly on apprentices’ progress through the CIPD qualification. They do not monitor as effectively the progress apprentices make on the other components of the apprenticeship standard.

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Reasonable progress

Staff train adult apprentices about safeguarding early in their programmes so they understand the importance of staying safe. Leaders have clear policies and reporting procedures in place should they have any concerns about apprentices, although they had not reported any safeguarding concerns at the time of the visit.

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Reasonable progress

Safeguarding leads are suitably trained. They stay up to date with changes to local risks, including as part of their ‘Prevent’ duty, and are aware of updates to their responsibilities. Leaders check staff are safe to work with their apprentices and provide suitable training for staff to keep apprentices safe. For example, they train staff to recognise key terminology associated with an involuntary celibate ideology.

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Reasonable progress

In most instances, advisers check that apprentices know how to work and interact with others safely online and are aware of the risks of radicalisation and extremism. Most learners are clear on the dangers. However, a few learners do not have an in- depth understanding of these topics. Advisers do not discuss with apprentices a wide enough range of risks that they may face in their local area or in the workplace. Monitoring visit: Reed Learning Limited, 15 and 16 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

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Reasonable progress

children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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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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