St Mary's University, Twickenham

St Mary’s University, Twickenham Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Steve Lambert, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Higher education institution

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Address:

Waldegrave Road Strawberry Hill Twickenham TW1 4SX Monitoring visit: St Mary’s University, Twickenham, 29 and 30 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

St Mary’s University, Twickenham started training apprentices in 2021. At the time of this monitoring visit, the university had 12 apprentices training to be lay chaplains in schools or youth settings. All apprentices are over 18 and are on the level 4 children’s and families practitioner standard. They work for schools and dioceses across the country. St Mary’s University, Twickenham does not work with any subcontractors.

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Reasonable progress

Senior leaders have thoughtfully created an apprenticeship course aimed at individuals who want to become lay chaplains within schools. They work closely with employers and the dioceses to consider carefully the needs of different schools. All apprentices are taught about safeguarding, health and well-being, and spirituality. This helps apprentices to understand their pastoral role in school. Apprentices then learn about more complex topics such as working with those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), managing complex behaviours, and ethical issues facing lay chaplains.

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Reasonable progress

Senior leaders have recruited highly experienced teaching staff, who have expertise in working as senior lay chaplains. Apprentices value the experience that staff have. They are supported well through frequent reviews and good quality learning resources that teachers use in lessons, and apprentices use for independent study. Apprentices learn the knowledge they need to be effective lay chaplains. They complete assessments and teachers give them helpful feedback, highlighting as necessary, any areas for development. Monitoring visit: St Mary’s University, Twickenham, 29 and 30 March 2023 Staff ensure that apprentices have appropriate jobs and work closely with the school and the dioceses to select suitable apprentices who understand that role. They provide a thorough induction to apprentices and their line managers so that all are aware of, and meet the requirements of the apprenticeship standards. However, they

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Reasonable progress

do not provide enough information on the requirements of the end-point assessment.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have established an apprenticeship committee that provides oversight of the apprenticeship provision. The committee reports to the university’s academic board. Leaders and managers provide useful information to the apprenticeship committee, which in turn provides effective support and challenge.

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Reasonable progress

At the start of the programme, apprentices complete an assessment to determine the existing knowledge, skills and behaviours they have relative to those demanded by the apprenticeship standard. Tutors use information from this assessment effectively as a starting point from which to gauge the progress that apprentices make, and that they apply in the work in schools.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors support apprentices well to be inclusive in their roles as lay chaplains. Through their lessons, apprentices learn how to design pastoral sessions in such a way that they meet different pupils’ needs. For example, they learn about changing the background colours of prayer slides for learners with dyslexia, understand how young people develop, including those with SEND.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors provide opportunities for apprentices to explore chaplaincy in different settings. They make good use of guest speakers, for example, to explore with apprentices the impact on children having a parent in prison. Apprentices also have opportunities to explore the lay chaplaincy role in the health service. This helps apprentices to understand their role beyond what they do in school.

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Reasonable progress

Where an apprentice has a declared learning difficulty, they receive good support from the university to ensure that the appropriate adjustments are made. Apprentices have access to the same support that students studying on campus at the university have. This includes individual support for academic writing, career advice, counselling, and specialist support for apprentices who have processing difficulties. As a result, apprentices receive the support they need to make good progress in their studies.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices receive regular time to complete their apprenticeship programme, attending lessons on Fridays. However, apprentices do not record well enough other activities that they complete towards their apprenticeship. While staff monitor Monitoring visit: St Mary’s University, Twickenham, 29 and 30 March 2023 attendance to lessons, this is not recorded well enough. As a result, staff and apprentices do not have a good enough overview of their entitlement to off-the-job training.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have good oversight of safeguarding and apprentices’ well- being and mental health. They update their policies and practices to take account of new or emerging threats. Staff have received specific training on county lines, female genital mutilation and knife crime. This helps staff to inform apprentices of dangers related to where they live and work.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that suitable staff are in place as designated safeguarding leads and as safeguarding officers. They ensure that they and all staff are appropriately trained. Staff know how to identify apprentices who are at risk. They take effective action with, and on behalf of, apprentices where issues are raised. They keep accurate records of actions taken.

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Reasonable progress

At the start of the programme, staff give apprentices good information about safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty. Tutors frequently refer to these in lessons and progress reviews with apprentices. Apprentices know who to contact if they had a concern. However, staff do not ensure that there is sufficient enough emphasis placed on apprentices’ understanding of how to stay safe online. Monitoring visit: St Mary’s University, Twickenham, 29 and 30 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

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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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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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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