Campus Training Limited

Campus Training Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Ann Monaghan, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

First Floor Norfolk House Norfolk Way Uckfield TN22 1EP Monitoring visit: Campus Training Limited, 24 and 25 May 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

Campus Training Limited is an independent learning provider that received its own contract to deliver standards-based apprenticeships in March 2022. It had formerly acted as a subcontractor to a number of other local providers. There are currently 19 apprentices. Of these, 15 are studying the teaching assistant standard at level 3, three are studying the early years educator standard at level 3 and one is on the early years practitioner standard at level 2. A small number of apprentices are aged 16 to 18. Eight apprentices are studying functional skills mathematics, and four are studying functional skills English as part of their apprenticeship.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders offer well-considered, specialist apprenticeship provision to meet the needs of local schools, including special schools, and a small number of local nurseries. They work very closely and collaboratively with employers. Employers are well informed about the commitment they are taking on at the start of the apprenticeship. As a result, employers are actively involved in attending progress reviews and understand very well how to support their apprentices. However, not all employers are fully involved in reviewing and deciding the curriculum content and ordering of topics.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have built on their previous experience as subcontractors to plan and teach their apprenticeship provision. They have adopted a cautious approach to growth and are implementing appropriate quality assurance and quality improvement processes, but many of these are still at a formative stage. Leaders recognise the need to accelerate this and become more evaluative and evidence based. Almost all learning and progress reviews are currently remote, and leaders are reviewing this model. Nevertheless, current apprentices are benefiting from an appropriate curriculum and are well supported by their tutor and their employer. Monitoring visit: Campus Training Limited, 24 and 25 May 2023 Leaders ensure that tutors benefit from monthly team meetings that include short, professional updating opportunities. Tutors also draw on their previous experiences of working in schools and early year settings to plan and review the curriculum. They

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Reasonable progress

utilise the knowledge and skills they have learned in short ‘introduction to teaching’ professional programmes. Leaders have plans in place to ensure that tutors can extend this training so that they can develop their teaching skills to further enhance the learning experiences of apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders carefully monitor the progress of apprentices, including their progress in functional skills English and mathematics. They implement appropriate support when any apprentice is at risk of not achieving and review the effectiveness of this support, with additional actions identified when appropriate.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices benefit from clear advice and guidance at the start of their apprenticeship. Tutors support apprentices during a thorough induction period that includes mentors from their workplaces. This helps to ensure that any support needs are put in place promptly.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors design the curriculum sensibly and prioritise an initial focus on safeguarding. Mentors and apprentices value this as it is important for the workplace settings, which include nurseries and special schools. Tutors and mentors ensure that apprentices become increasingly competent members of multidisciplinary staff teams. Apprentices enjoy studying a range of relevant short courses, such as ‘understanding autism’. They benefit from helpful discussions with their tutors and mentors before they apply their learning in their workplace setting. For example, apprentices draw on this learning and outline strategies they use to plan suitable, inclusive activities.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices enthusiastically learn new skills in their off- and on-the job training. They practise these skills in a range of contexts and with different children. They hone their skills while following plentiful advice and feedback from their mentors. For example, apprentices plan and run effective small-group activities where they help children recall and accurately use number bonds to 10.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices’ written work is at an appropriate level for their apprenticeship, and they have a reasonable understanding of what they can do next to continue to improve their work. Although apprentices have an appropriate understanding of their end- point assessment, too many employers do not have this information.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices would value the opportunity to have more group sessions rather than always meeting their tutor on a one-to-one basis. They and their mentors feel Monitoring visit: Campus Training Limited, 24 and 25 May 2023 strongly that they would benefit from the opportunity to discuss their learning and to share experiences with other apprentices and thereby deepen their learning.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have ensured that the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and deputy DSL, as well as all staff, are appropriately trained. Staff benefit from the consistent focus on safeguarding at the monthly staff meeting where staff discuss relevant updates. For example, a recent meeting included a focus on domestic violence and coercive control following a concern raised by an apprentice and her manager.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers follow safer recruitment practices in line with their policy. They know their apprentices well and provide support to keep apprentices safe. However, records of concerns were not sufficiently detailed, although recent changes have strengthened this oversight.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices benefit from the strong focus on working safely and on their wider well- being. They know how to work safely with the children in their care and they are very alert to potential safeguarding concerns and how to report these. For example, apprentices could talk about the importance of listening carefully to young children or noting where there may be bruises or scratches on a child’s skin. Monitoring visit: Campus Training Limited, 24 and 25 May 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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