Lancashire Football Association Limited

Lancashire Football Association Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Steve Ingle, Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 February 2023

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

County Ground Thurston Road Leyland PR25 2LF Monitoring visit: Lancashire Football Association 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

Lancashire Football Association is the governing body for football across Lancashire and parts of Greater Manchester and south Cumbria. The not-for-profit organisation began providing apprenticeships under its own funding contract in November 2021. At the time of the visit, there were nine apprentices in learning following standards- based apprenticeships between levels 2 and 4. Five apprentices were studying the level 2 community activator coach, three were studying the level 4 sports coach, and one apprentice was studying the level 3 business administrator apprenticeship.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders offer apprenticeships which are aligned well with their strategic mission to support the development of the football workforce in the North West.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have not developed and implemented a suitably ambitious and effective curriculum that builds on apprentices’ existing knowledge and skills. Mentors on the level 2 community activator coach place a disproportionate focus on apprentices producing evidence to accredit their existing competencies. As a result, not all apprentices develop substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours from their starting points.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders do not accurately understand the strengths and weaknesses of their apprenticeship provision. Leaders rightly recognise that they have not yet established effective quality assurance arrangements to accurately monitor the progress that apprentices make throughout their apprenticeship. Consequently, leaders have not taken the action necessary to bring about improvements to the quality of education.

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Insufficient progress

The board of directors do not receive sufficient information to accurately evaluate how well apprentices are progressing over time. As a result, they do not hold leaders and managers to account to make swift improvements to the quality of provision. Monitoring visit: Lancashire Football Association Limited, 15 and 16 February 2023 Leaders have recruited mentors who are suitably experienced, qualified and skilled in their vocational areas. Mentors have a secure understanding of the end-point assessment arrangements for the apprenticeships that they teach. They ensure that apprentices know how they will be assessed at the end of their apprenticeship.

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Insufficient progress

Where apprentices need to develop their applied English and mathematics skills, leaders have not ensured that sufficient resources and expertise are in place to support apprentices to learn. As a result, apprentices make slow progress in achieving their apprenticeship.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers have not put in place robust arrangements to accurately identify apprentices’ existing skills, knowledge and experience at the start of their apprenticeship. Consequently, mentors do not plan or sequence training that builds on apprentices’ starting points to meet their individual learning needs.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers do not ensure that apprentices receive high-quality on-and off-the-job training that is effectively planned and coordinated with their employers. As a result, most apprentices do not develop substantial and significant new knowledge, skills and behaviours throughout their apprenticeship. Too many leave their apprenticeship early.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers do not ensure that apprentices’ progress is sufficiently monitored over time. Regular progress reviews are scheduled but are not always completed. Mentors focus on monitoring apprentices' completion of assessment evidence rather than on how well they are developing the new knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to progress in their roles. Mentors do not routinely set apprentices challenging targets or provide clear and specific feedback to help apprentices understand how to improve further. As a result, too many apprentices make slow progress.

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Insufficient progress

Apprentices on the business administration apprenticeship benefit from regular training sessions that help them to develop their applied workplace skills. For example, apprentices develop their confidence and interpersonal skills to communicate professionally with different stakeholders at football clubs. They develop their independent planning and organisation skills to help clubs set up new teams and tournaments and to check compliance with the league’s policies and procedures.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers have recently introduced additional vocational qualifications that a few apprentices complete as part of their apprenticeship. Training helps Monitoring visit: Lancashire Football Association Limited, 15 and 16 February 2023 apprentices to develop their skills in planning and delivery of sports specific coaching sessions.

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Reasonable progress

Safeguarding is a high priority at the provider. Designated staff at different levels in the organisation are suitably trained in safeguarding to ensure they understand their specific roles and responsibilities. Leaders ensure that all staff complete ongoing safeguarding training throughout the year to develop their understanding of a range of different safeguarding topics. This helps to ensure that safeguarding remains a priority. Apprentices feel safe.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers ensure that there are suitable processes in place to ensure the safe recruitment of staff. Leaders and managers have implemented effective systems to record and monitor safeguarding concerns, with appropriate oversight from directors to ensure that any issues would be dealt with promptly.

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Reasonable progress

Most apprentices demonstrate a basic awareness of the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism. Staff have completed recent training on the ‘Prevent’ duty. Leaders have recently implemented an action plan to further mitigate the risks associated with radicalisation and extreme ideologies. Monitoring visit: Lancashire Football Association 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 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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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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