Nextstep Training Limited

Nextstep Training Limited Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead inspector: Joanna Walters, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Unit A2 1b Mentmore Terrace London E8 3DQ Monitoring visit: Nextstep Training Limited, 3 and 4 July 2023

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Context and focus of visit

Nextstep Training 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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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have taken suitable action to improve the teaching skills of tutors and assessors. Leaders and managers identify the training needs of tutors and assessors through conducting lesson observations. They use the outcomes of these observations to develop a training plan so that tutors and assessors can improve their teaching and assessment practice.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors and assessors participate in development opportunities that help them to improve their teaching and assessment skills. This includes training on setting targets for learners, providing feedback, planning lessons and how to teach using video conferencing facilities. Tutors and assessors report that the training helps them to improve the quality of their lessons for apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors and assessors receive training on different online teaching and learning techniques to help apprentices learn and remember new content. In both online and classroom lessons, tutors have begun to apply their recently acquired teaching skills so that they can check apprentices’ knowledge. This is having a positive impact on apprentices’ participation in lessons and in their recall of what they learn.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors have carefully considered the frequency and methods of assessment they use to identify apprentices’ development of new knowledge, skills and behaviours. Tutors check apprentices’ recall of what they have been taught regularly at the beginning of lessons. This enables them to identify any gaps in prior learning before they teach Monitoring visit: Nextstep Training Limited, 3 and 4 July 2023 new knowledge. For example, level 3 digital marketing tutors use written assessments to establish if apprentices’ knowledge about file formats is secure before teaching new content about compressing and decompressing large amounts of data. Tutors and assessors do not consistently give apprentices effective developmental feedback. For example, there is too much variation in the quality of written feedback that tutors give on apprentices’ assignments. This means that apprentices are not sufficiently challenged to develop their knowledge and skills to a higher level.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors prepare apprentices well for their final assessments from an early stage of the programme. They require apprentices to complete reflective logs on their acquisition of knowledge, skills and behaviours and link these to their final assessment. Tutors conduct mock professional discussions so that apprentices are confident in the skills they need to be successful. As a result, apprentices have secure knowledge about the different components of final assessments at the very early stages of their programme.

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Reasonable progress

Managers have improved how they monitor the outcome of apprentices’ assessments. Information from these assessments is now recorded on a central learner information system, which is accessible to staff, tutors and employers. As a result, managers are able to intervene more quickly when apprentices fall behind.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors and assessors have taken reasonable steps to ensure a close alignment of on- and off-the-job training. This now begins with tutors and assessors checking that apprentices are in suitable job roles that allow them to make progress across the full apprenticeship standard in the workplace. As a result, apprentices get a range of opportunities to practise and improve their new knowledge, skills and behaviours in the workplace.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have redesigned the curriculum so that the knowledge, skills and behaviours apprentices need to learn in lessons and in the workplace are clear. For example, level 3 business administration apprentices confidently talk about how they apply what they have learned about financial systems to take more responsibility for invoicing clients. In a few cases, leaders do not ensure that employers have a sufficient understanding of what apprentices are taught so that on- and off-the-job training are fully aligned.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors and assessors ensure that apprentices have frequent progress reviews. In most cases, tutors and employers give useful feedback during reviews on apprentices’ progress. However, in a few instances, the feedback that tutors and Monitoring visit: Nextstep Training Limited, 3 and 4 July 2023 employers give is not specific enough, and they do not sufficiently identify how apprentices have applied their learning in the workplace. In these instances, tutors do not identify well how much progress apprentices make and the areas in which they may require support.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous inspection, leaders have taken suitable steps to ensure that apprentices receive effective careers advice and guidance. At the start of programmes, tutors discuss with apprentices their career goals and aspirations. Tutors provide suitable advice and guidance about further learning opportunities available to apprentices once they complete their training. As a result, apprentices have a reasonable understanding of their next steps and future opportunities.

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Reasonable progress

Through the curriculum, tutors widen apprentices’ knowledge about different roles in the industry related to the programme they study. For example, in digital marketing, tutors explore with apprentices the different roles they can move into, such as in search engine optimisation or website development. This helps apprentices to plan their careers. However, leaders do not ensure that apprentices have opportunities to understand the full range of employment or sectors for which their apprenticeship prepares them. Monitoring visit: Nextstep Training Limited, 3 and 4 July 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

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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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