The Retrofit Academy Community Interest Company

The Retrofit Academy Community Interest Company Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Maggie Fobister, Ofsted Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Barn 4 Dunston Business Village Dunston Stafford ST18 9AB Monitoring visit: The Retrofit Academy CIC, 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 adult learning provision where the provision offered is in scope for inspection. 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

The Retrofit Academy Community Interest Company (TRA) is an independent learning provider based in Staffordshire. TRA was awarded direct contracts in September 2022 by the West Midlands Combined Authority, the Cambridge and Peterborough Combined Authority, the West of England Combined Authority and New Anglia LEP to provide skills bootcamps specialising in retrofit building techniques. To date, 136 learners have completed their courses. Learners work towards 16-week bootcamps in level 5 retrofit coordination and risk management, 10-week bootcamps in level 4 domestic retrofit assessment, and 6-week bootcamps in level 3 domestic retrofit advice. At the time of the visit, 95 learners were in training. TRA has a direct contract for training with the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero, which was out of scope for this visit.

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Reasonable progress

Senior leaders have a clear rationale for the curriculums that they offer. The curriculums align with government priorities to make domestic properties more energy efficient by 2030. They work effectively with industry experts, such as the Department for Energy, the Business Standards Institution, employers, social housing providers and net zero hubs to design curriculums that meet sector needs very well. The curriculum responds to significant skills shortages in the green skills economy.

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Reasonable progress

Senior leaders have carefully selected well-qualified industry experts with the skills they need to teach their adult learners. They ensure that expert tutors design and teach the curriculum in a logical way. For example, learners on coordination and risk management courses start with an introduction to domestic retrofit before they move on to more complex topics, such as building physics and moisture risks. As a result, learners build their learning in meaningful steps over time. Monitoring visit: The Retrofit Academy CIC, 24 and 25 May 2023 Senior leaders have put in place appropriate procedures to enable them to evaluate the quality of their provision. They carefully monitor the progress that learners make and provide them with the support they need to stay on track with their studies. However, quality processes do not evaluate all aspects of the provision well enough. For example, observations of teaching focus too heavily on what teachers do and not

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Reasonable progress

sufficiently on the impact that teaching and assessment have on learners’ progress over time. Leaders are acutely aware of their strengths and weaknesses and have started to implement quality improvements. However, it is too soon to see the impact of these actions. Leaders have yet to take the required steps to benefit from effective governance to support and hold them to account.

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Reasonable progress

Well-qualified tutors provide learners with high-quality, expert-led sessions. They provide clear explanations, supported by useful examples and opportunities for discussion in virtual classrooms. Learners benefit from well-sequenced online learning resources, which includes a mix of pictures, charts, graphs, videos, and links to documents that illustrate new concepts well. Consequently, most learners know more and can do more over time. However, in a few cases, learners do not have sufficient opportunity to practise and master learning and place it securely in their long-term memory.

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Reasonable progress

Learners develop valuable, industry-relevant new knowledge as they progress through the curriculum. For example, learners on coordination and risk management courses complete option appraisals for domestic properties, which they explain clearly to customers. They understand how to manage moisture risk, thermal efficiency and how to improve the insulation of floors, roofs, walls and windows. As a result, learners quickly gain the knowledge they need to progress within the industry.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and tutors do not assess well enough what learners know and can do when they start their course. Where learners start the course with existing vocational knowledge, the design of the course meets their needs well. However, in a few cases, learners without prior knowledge find the content of the course challenging, which results in these learners making slower progress.

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Reasonable progress

Assessor-mentors are highly experienced in the industry. They are accessible and provide learners with flexible support. In most cases, assessor-mentors use assessment effectively to check learners' progress. They provide very clear feedback on what learners need to do to improve their work and meet the required standard. Where learners fall behind with their studies, assessor-mentors provide effective support, which helps them to catch up. Monitoring visit: The Retrofit Academy CIC, 24 and 25 May 2023 Leaders and tutors do not make their expectations of learners’ attendance at lessons clear enough or take appropriate action to respond to poor attendance. As a result, not all learners routinely attend lessons and, in a few cases, fall behind with their studies.

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Reasonable progress

Senior leaders have implemented appropriate procedures to keep their adult learners safe. The two designated safeguarding leads (DSLs) have completed relevant training and have implemented suitable reporting procedures to deal with safeguarding concerns as they arise. Leaders follow suitable recruitment practices to check that staff are safe to work with their adult learners.

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Reasonable progress

Senior leaders and managers have put in place appropriate safeguarding policies and an appropriate ‘Prevent’ duty policy and risk assessment. However, they have not yet started to measure the impact of the actions they have set in their ‘Prevent’ action plan. All staff undertake regular training.

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Reasonable progress

Senior leaders provide learners with safeguarding information, including contact details of DSLs, when they start their course. Learners feel safe and know how to report any concerns they may have. Tutors develop learners’ understanding of fundamental British values, such as respect and the rule of law, well during their course. However, leaders have yet to provide learners with training on the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism. Monitoring visit: The Retrofit Academy CIC, 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

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Reasonable progress

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

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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