Bygrove Primary School

Bygrove Primary School Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Saher Nijabat, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Bygrove Street London E14 6DN Monitoring visit: Bygrove Primary School, 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

Bygrove Primary School, trading as London East Teacher Training Alliance (LETTA), is an independent training provider based in east London. It provides a range of standards-based apprenticeships in the education and training sector at levels 3 and 6.

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Context and focus of visit

At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 79 apprentices studying apprenticeship programmes. Of these, 37 apprentices studied the level 3 teaching assistant and 42 apprentices studied the level 3 team leader or supervisor standards. There were no apprentices enrolled on the level 6 teaching standard.

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Context and focus of visit

All apprentices, except one, are aged 18 and above. All apprentices work in east London.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have purposefully focused on developing apprenticeship courses to meet the skills gaps and staff shortages in the education and training sector. They are committed to improving the quality of education for children and young people in their communities by providing high-quality education and training to the local schools’ workforce. They work closely with local schools and academies to design programmes that offer apprentices transferrable skills and sustainable careers in education settings.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders work effectively with employers to create a curriculum in which apprentices gain relevant knowledge and skills essential for their work. Employers find that apprentices are knowledgeable, motivated and well prepared for their jobs. They greatly value this. Apprentices who complete their qualifications sustain employment with the same employer. Monitoring visit: Bygrove Primary School, 22 and 23 March 2023 Leaders have effective arrangements in place to ensure they meet all the elements of an apprenticeship. Leaders ensure they train tutors to understand apprenticeship standards. They ensure that employers understand their role in, and commitment to, the apprenticeship. They monitor apprentices’ off-the-job training and liaise with employers to ensure apprentices have suitable opportunities to put learning into practice.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders carry out appropriate activities to monitor the quality of training apprentices receive. They have made suitable changes to improve their provision. For example, they have recently implemented focused sessions and mock assessments to prepare apprentices for the end-point assessments. However, it is too early to see the impact of these actions on apprentices’ results.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have appropriate governance arrangements in place to provide oversight of the apprenticeship provision. The apprenticeship steering board members have a suitable awareness of the strengths and areas for improvement of the provision. They support leaders in their actions to improve the quality of support for apprentices. However, they lack the in-depth knowledge of apprenticeships to rigorously challenge leaders on all aspects of apprenticeship provision.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have created well-structured programmes that enable apprentices to learn new knowledge, skills and behaviours. Leaders and tutors include content on the specialised skills apprentices need for success in their workplaces. For example, on the level 3 teaching assistant course, special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) experts teach apprentices different communication strategies, such as Makaton and verbal and visual cues. Apprentices working in special schools gain confidence, as they know how to support pupils with SEND effectively.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and tutors assess apprentices’ starting points at the start of their apprenticeship effectively. They use information from these assessments well to plan the teaching and tutorial sessions. For example, tutors on the team leader course provide bespoke training on coaching and mentoring, financial management and time management to address the gaps they identify in apprentices’ knowledge. Apprentices also receive valuable support in the workplace from their mentors, who are experienced and qualified professionals from the same sector. As a result, most apprentices make suitable progress and successfully achieve their apprenticeships.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices who need to achieve English and mathematics qualifications receive suitable teaching and one-to-one support. However, tutors do not consistently correct apprentices’ grammar and punctuation errors. Consequently, apprentices do not improve quickly enough their knowledge and use of English. Monitoring visit: Bygrove Primary School, 22 and 23 March 2023 Most apprentices benefit from regular progress reviews with their tutors and employer. Tutors provide helpful feedback to apprentices on their progress and set clear targets to help them improve. However, in a few cases, tutors do not review apprentices’ progress frequently enough or identify their support needs quickly. Consequently, a small minority of apprentices do not receive support promptly, struggle to manage their course and work, and fall behind.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have created an appropriate culture of safeguarding in the apprenticeship provision. Staff, including the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and the deputy DSL, are suitably trained and experienced for their roles. They carry out the required pre-employment checks on all staff to ensure their suitability to work with apprentices who work in schools.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices feel safe and know whom to report concerns to. They have access to a wide range of well-being and welfare support. For example, apprentices can access online and face-to-face counselling and receive helpful information on issues such as council tax, housing, money and legal advice. Staff provide apprentices with effective support should they have concerns about their employer.

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Reasonable progress

Staff do not consistently teach apprentices about wider safeguarding topics, such as solo travelling, local risks specific to where they work and live or risks of radicalisation or extremism. Consequently, apprentices do not have a comprehensive understanding of these subjects. Monitoring visit: Bygrove Primary School, 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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