The Number 4 Group Limited

The Number 4 Group Limited Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead inspector: Nikki Brady, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider:

Address: Office 21-22 Greetwell Place 2 Lime Kiln Way Lincoln LN2 4US Monitoring visit: The Number 4 Group Limited, 20 and 21 April 2023

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Context and focus of visit

The Number 4 Group Limited was inspected in April 2022. At that time, inspectors judged the overall effectiveness of the provision to require improvement.

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Context and focus of visit

The focus of this monitoring visit was to evaluate the progress that leaders and managers have made in resolving the main areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection.

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Context and focus of visit

At the time of the monitoring visit, there was no teaching activity taking place, nor did the provider have any recorded lessons for the inspection team to view. Inspectors were able to review the one-week preparing to work in the construction sector course. Inspectors also reviewed the three-day employability course, which forms part of a larger suite of courses for adult learners completing qualifications in the security sector. However, other courses falling within this suite of programmes were out of scope for this inspection.

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Insufficient progress

Managers have reviewed the purpose of the construction course and what it is designed to support learners to achieve. Learners no longer study qualifications in customer service and employability alongside construction qualifications. Managers have an appropriate focus on supporting those who wish to work on a construction site to the gain qualifications they need to do so.

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Insufficient progress

Despite these changes, managers are yet to structure the content of courses appropriately. Managers and tutors continue to plan courses that contain too much content in a very short time frame. For example, in one morning, construction learners are expected to learn the principles of risk assessment, risk control, legal requirements, method statements, accident reporting procedures and safe manual handling. As a result, learners do not perform well in their end-of-module tests.

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Insufficient progress

Tutors are well aware of this challenge. They do not expect learners to be able to pass the first time due to the amount they are expected to learn in a short space of time. Tutors provide additional one-to-one support outside of the course to help learners to complete their work. Managers and tutors plan to remove a further element of the construction course, but it is too soon for inspectors to judge the impact this will have. Monitoring visit: The Number 4 Group Limited, 20 and 21 April 2023 Managers have made little change to how the employability qualification is taught beyond contextualising it to the security industry. Managers and tutors continue to plan to teach learners too much information in too short a time frame. For example, learners are expected to understand the principles of General Data Protection Regulation and handling sensitive information in a one-hour session. These topics are not revisited throughout the course in enough detail to ensure that learners gain

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Reasonable progress

Since the last inspection, managers have introduced a new online learner platform. They use this to ensure that learners receive feedback on their work in one place. The platform is well organised and used consistently by learners and tutors. Managers ensure that tutors use this system and that all learners’ work is now marked, which was not the case at the last inspection. Learners rightly value the fact that they can see their feedback in one place.

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Reasonable progress

Managers and tutors have considered how and when they assess and check learners' understanding. They plan timely opportunities for learners to receive feedback on their work. Managers acknowledge that in a few cases, there is more work to do to ensure these assessments are appropriate and challenging enough. They are undertaking a sensible mapping exercise to evaluate the assessment in each course. However, this work is not yet complete, so it is too soon for inspectors to judge the full impact this will have.

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Reasonable progress

Learners complete all their end-of-module tests online. Tutors consistently provide feedback on each attempt. Most learners receive feedback that directs them to what they need to do to improve. However, in a few cases, learners do not receive enough feedback when they have misunderstood something that is a core principle. For example, when learners cannot demonstrate that they understand what risks or hazards are, they are simply directed to do the question again.

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Reasonable progress

The majority of tutors check learners’ work for spelling, punctuation and grammar errors, This was not the case at the last inspection. As a result, most learners’ work does improve, they do not repeat the same errors and their punctuation improves.

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Insufficient progress

Managers have started to carry out initial assessments. They capture learners’ mathematics, English and digital skills, record their previous experience and note any declared learning difficulties or disabilities. However, they do not use this information Monitoring visit: The Number 4 Group Limited, 20 and 21 April 2023 well enough to ensure tutors further develop the knowledge and skills of learners who already have substantial experience in the topics they are studying.

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Insufficient progress

A number of construction learners have worked in the sector and have completed health and safety courses before. However, managers and tutors do not take this into account. All learners complete the same work and undertake all modules regardless of their starting points. As a result, courses are not suitably challenging for more experienced learners, and they do not develop their skills and knowledge beyond what is needed to achieve the qualification.

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Insufficient progress

Managers do not ensure that tutors use information about learners’ starting points effectively to design activities to support learning. For example, learners with low initial assessment scores in mathematics are taught to calculate probability and severity of risks at the same time and pace as those with higher levels of mathematical skill. As a result, those learners with gaps in their knowledge struggle to learn.

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Insufficient progress

Tutors do not use initial assessment activities well enough to check learners’ understanding and to plan further learning. Tutors assess learners’ work at the end of each topic, but they do not check their understanding thoroughly enough before moving on to different subjects.

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Insufficient progress

Managers have made several changes to their internal quality assurance (IQA) activities, such as standardisation of written assessments and a revised lesson observation process. In a small number of cases, these activities help managers review and amend areas for improvement. For example, new IQA processes have resulted in improvements to marking and written feedback.

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Insufficient progress

Managers complete formal and informal lesson observations to measure teaching quality. However, observation activity and records show that managers provide a commentary on what tutors are doing rather than the quality of teaching. Managers do not pick up on the appropriate issues they need to monitor, for example how tutors use assessment to help learners to remember and apply what they have been taught. This limits the impact that observations have on assessing tutors’ skills and the quality of their development plans.

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Insufficient progress

Managers complete development plans for tutors which are reviewed monthly. These records contain a range of compliance and quality indicators, including the outcomes of any observations. However, this process focuses predominantly on internal quality assurance activities to comply with awarding body requirements, rather than supporting tutors to improve their teaching practice. As a result, quality assurance Monitoring visit: The Number 4 Group Limited, 20 and 21 April 2023 processes do not sufficiently focus on activities that have the most impact on learners.

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Insufficient progress

Managers do not adequately support tutors to make demonstrable improvements in their teaching. Details to address weaknesses in teaching and subsequent action plans lack depth. For example, action plans merely repeat the development point noted during the observation, they do not include any actions, activity or planned follow up to support tutors with their teaching. As a result, tutors’ areas for improvement in development plans remain the same 12 months on. Monitoring visit: The Number 4 Group Limited, 20 and 21 April 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

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

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