Royal Holloway University of London

Royal Holloway University of London Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Jo-Ann Henderson, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Higher education institution

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Address:

Egham Hill Egham Surrey TW20 0EX Monitoring visit: Royal Holloway University of London, 22 and 23 March 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

Royal Holloway University of London is a higher education institute that provides one apprenticeship, the level 7 integrated degree apprenticeship in MSc Clinical Associate Psychologist (Children and Young People). Apprentices work predominantly as clinical associate psychologists within NHS Trusts in the London area. At the time of the monitoring visit, 17 apprentices were in learning. All apprentices were over 19 years of age. There were no apprentices in receipt of high needs funding.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have developed effective partnerships with sector representatives at both management and clinical level to understand and meet the local clinical associate psychologist workforce needs in London. Leaders and managers adapt to the curriculum to employers’ changing needs successfully. For example, leaders have planned to increase the number of places for apprentices to accommodate the acute shortage of staff in this area.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers ensure employers are fully involved in the curriculum design, content and assessment. As a result, apprentices develop new knowledge, skills and behaviours and use these in the workplace well.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have designed an effective curriculum that helps apprentices develop their literacy, numeracy and digital skills. Staff support apprentices to develop their use of technical vocabulary, share well-planned presentations and use mathematical concepts to inform their research projects.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that staff are experts in their field, with appropriate qualifications and extensive industry-relevant experience. New staff complete a robust three-year probationary period where they are supported to develop their knowledge and their Monitoring visit: Royal Holloway University of London, 22 and 23 March 2023 teaching practice. Consequently, staff use these skills well, and apprentices benefit from high-quality training.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers assess the quality of the provision successfully. They know the strengths and weaknesses of the training and have taken appropriate actions, which has already had a positive impact on apprentices’ experience. For example, leaders have changed the entry date so that apprentices can build their knowledge before embarking on clinical placements.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders use an effective quality assurance structure with rigorous scrutiny and challenge to ensure that they improve and develop the provision to benefit apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers do not ensure that apprentices benefit from useful careers advice and guidance. As a result, apprentices are not always clear about their career options and opportunities to progress with further studies or in the workplace.

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Reasonable progress

Staff use robust initial assessment of apprentices’ prior learning to develop suitable training plans and to inform teaching appropriately. As a result, apprentices learn new knowledge, skills and behaviours and make reasonable progress.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders identify apprentices with support needs swiftly so that support is in place at an early stage. For example, staff provide apprentices with dyslexia with assistive technology to help in the workplace and with assignments. Consequently, they achieve as well as their peers.

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Reasonable progress

Personal tutors meet with employers and apprentices frequently to plan learning to meet their respective needs. Staff ensure that most employers understand apprentices’ learning and progress well. Staff work closely with most employers to carefully plan suitable workplace opportunities for apprentices to consolidate their learning. For example, they plan for an apprentice to move to a new team with more complex cases to further develop practitioner skills.

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Reasonable progress

Well-qualified lecturers use their current clinical experience so that sessions are relevant to the workplace and to existing practices. As a result, apprentices learn procedures that are relevant and improve their clinical skills. For example, apprentices complete psychological assessments and interventions with their client base confidently.

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Reasonable progress

Lecturers develop well-planned lessons and use effective activities, such as experiential learning, to enable learners to embed knowledge into long-term Monitoring visit: Royal Holloway University of London, 22 and 23 March 2023 memory. Apprentices use this learning to apply their knowledge and skills in the workplace fluently and consequently become valued members of the team.

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Reasonable progress

Lecturers ensure that apprentices are well informed on the progress they are making and what they need to do to improve. For example, apprentices benefit from detailed feedback, which helps them to improve their written work and practice.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices do not always benefit from consistently clear briefings for written assessments. As a result, a few apprentices are unclear about how to complete tasks and the standards expected.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders use appropriate safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ duty policies and procedures in place that contribute positively to keeping apprentices safe. Leaders ensure all apprenticeship and support staff are appropriately trained to meet safeguarding expectations.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have implemented mandatory training for apprentices on safeguarding, 'Prevent’ and British values. Staff help to raise apprentices’ awareness of safeguarding topics successfully. Apprentices understand how safeguarding relates to their duty of care to others. For example, apprentices have a good understanding of the signs of abuse or radicalisation and how to keep themselves and their service users safe.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices feel safe and know who to report any concerns to. Leaders and managers take appropriate actions to deal with welfare and well-being concerns that apprentices report. Monitoring visit: Royal Holloway University of London, 22 and 23 March 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 and child protection.

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Reasonable progress

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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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