Northern Training Academy Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Northern Training Academy Limited

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Inadequate Adult learning programmes Inadequate Apprenticeships Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this provider

Northern Training Academy (NTA) is an independent learning provider based in Bolton, Greater Manchester. It provides training for the retail, travel and warehousing sectors. All apprentices are on standards-based apprenticeships.

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Information about this provider

At the time of the inspection, there were 375 apprentices and 14 adult trainees in learning. NTA delivers 25 different apprenticeship standards from levels 2 to 6. Most apprentices study retail-based apprenticeships at levels 2, 3 and 4. There are fewer than five apprentices studying the level 6 assistant buyer and assistant merchandiser apprenticeship. Adult trainees study employability skills alongside a work placement in the retail sector. 16 to 19 May 2023

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices display high levels of respect to their peers and their learning coaches. Most apprentices have a positive attitude and enjoy their learning. Level 3 retail team leader apprentices take pride in their professionalism and customer care skills at work. However, adult trainees are less well motivated and too often do not complete their work on time.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices understand the importance of attendance and punctuality at work. Attendance for most apprentices was high during the inspection. Leaders do not routinely track attendance of trainees and apprentices. Therefore, leaders are unable to provide effective support for them to catch up on missed sessions.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Most apprentices develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to be successful at work. They become valued members of their employers’ teams. Level 4 retail manager apprentices learn how to complete stock taking and staff rotas as part of their management responsibilities. However, too few level 3 retail team leader apprentices develop new skills or knowledge successfully because they do not undertake a sufficiently challenging curriculum.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Most apprentices develop their confidence because of their apprenticeship. Level 5 operations or departmental manager apprentices manage staff teams more effectively and adult trainees can speak to customers and complete tasks, such as cashing up independently.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Leaders do not provide opportunities for most apprentices, particularly those in retail, to complete additional activities beyond the vocational curriculum. These apprentices are unable to develop their interests and talents further. More recently, level 3 travel consultant apprentices have participated in a cruise exhibition to learn about cruise packages for customers.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Most learning coaches provide apprentices with careers information, advice and guidance. Apprentices know the opportunities for promotion, progression and higher-level learning that are available to them. However, adult trainees do not receive the same information and are insufficiently prepared for their next steps.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices feel safe. They recall the training that they have completed on radicalisation and extremism and know how to keep safe online. Level 2 retailer apprentices apply their knowledge of health and safety in the workplace by reporting risks, such as near misses with display tables.

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better?

Leaders and managers have a clear rationale to provide training that meets the post-pandemic skills shortages of local and national employers. Retail apprenticeships have been designed to provide staff to work in a range of high street retail employers. However, the quality of training that most of these 16 to 19 May 2023

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apprentices receive is poor. Leaders do not ensure that they meet the principles and requirements of an apprenticeship. Although the traineeship programme is intended to provide an entry route to apprenticeships in the retail sector, this programme is ineffective because it does not contain essential retail content. In contrast, leaders work with employers in the travel sector to develop a curriculum for level 3 travel consultant apprentices that is aligned to employers’ needs.

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Leaders do not accurately monitor apprentices’ progress to ensure that they are on target to achieve their apprenticeship. Too many current apprentices are either behind in their learning or have not achieved their apprenticeships on time. Around one third of apprentices are significantly behind in their progress towards achieving their functional skills English and mathematics. At the time of the inspection, leaders were unaware that apprentices on the level 6 assistant buyer and merchandiser apprenticeship were still in-learning.

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The quality of the traineeship curriculum has declined since the previous monitoring visit. This is because leaders have halved the time taken to teach trainees. The traineeship curriculum is unambitious and does not meet the needs of the trainees. The retail traineeship does not include any retail-specific topics to help trainees to improve their knowledge of the sector. Consequently, trainees are not prepared well enough for working in retail.

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Leaders and managers do not plan a sufficiently ambitious programme for all apprentices. In most cases, leaders do not ensure the apprenticeship curriculum is sequenced effectively to ensure that apprentices achieve their potential. Conversely, apprentices on the level 3 travel consultant apprenticeship benefit from an ambitious curriculum that prepares them well for working in the travel industry.

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Leaders have been too slow to rectify all the weaknesses identified at the previous monitoring visit. Leaders recognise that the teaching of functional skills English and mathematics is still weak. Too many apprentices do not start their functional skills early enough in their apprenticeship. Leaders have recently appointed a functional skills tutor who has responsibility for staff training and support for functional skills. However, it is too early to see the impact of this.

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Leaders’ quality assurance processes are inconsistent. For example, leaders have not recognised that the feedback that most trainees and apprentices receive on their written work is poor. However, leaders do monitor the performance and quality of coaches’ teaching ability. Observations identify key strengths and areas for development with supporting action and development plans where necessary to support coaches to improve their teaching skills.

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Leaders and managers ensure that staff are appropriately qualified and experienced in sectors such as retail and travel. Staff maintain and update their vocational expertise. For example, retail learning coaches shadow store managers in the retail sector. Staff are supported to complete academic development such as assessing and teaching qualifications. However, too many staff do not put this training into practice to provide a high-quality learning experience for apprentices and trainees. 16 to 19 May 2023

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Learning coaches have not received sufficient training to support trainees with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. These trainees are not supported well enough to achieve their qualifications.

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Most learning coaches do not provide sufficient training or feedback to help apprentices and trainees to develop their English and mathematical skills. For example, level 3 retail team leader apprentices do not have their spelling, punctuation and grammar corrected, and continue to make the same mistakes. Conversely, level 3 travel consultant apprentices develop their mathematics by accurately calculating foreign exchange currency rates.

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In traineeships, learning and development coaches’ assessment practice is poor. They do not effectively check trainees’ understanding of topics. This means that coaches do not know the gaps that trainees have in their learning. In apprenticeships, assessment practice is variable. A few development coaches, such as those teaching level 5 operational or departmental manager apprentices, ask probing questions to identify gaps in apprentices’ knowledge to inform the curriculum.

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Most learning coaches do not routinely provide timely and sufficient feedback to help trainees and apprentices to improve their written work. Too many trainees and apprentices do not know how to improve their work. Too many adult trainees and apprentices make slow progress and do not complete their qualifications on time.

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Learning and development coaches do not use the starting points of trainees and most apprentices effectively to plan a personalised curriculum. They do not set apprentices sufficiently challenging work. As a result, trainees and the large majority of apprentices do not make the progress of which they are capable.

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Learning coaches do not plan and coordinate on- and off-the-job training effectively. A significant number of employers do not attend progress reviews. This means that apprentices’ managers do not identify opportunities at work for apprentices to practise and hone their skills. Too many apprentices do not develop their knowledge, skills and behaviours quickly enough.

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Learning coaches prepare most of the remaining apprentices for their final assessments effectively. However, although apprentices understand the content of their final assessment, most do not have awareness of the grade opportunities that are available to them.

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Leaders and managers are considerate of the workload and well-being of staff. Staff have the opportunity for flexible, part-time and hybrid working. They participate in fund-raising activities for a children’s hospital and in team building activities, such as scavenger hunts. Staff have enhanced annual leave entitlement. Staff feel supported by their managers and regularly discuss their workload and well-being.

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Governance arrangements have been established since the new provider monitoring visit. The external board member is suitably qualified and experienced to carry out 16 to 19 May 2023

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their role. However, leaders do not provide them with sufficiently detailed reports that focus on the quality of education, or the progress that apprentices make. Therefore, the challenge that the board member provides does not have sufficient impact on improving the quality of education that apprentices and adult trainees receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders place a high priority on safeguarding. The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and their deputy are appropriately experienced and trained. The DSL uses their links to external agencies and partners to help apprentices access additional help such as housing and financial support.

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Safeguarding

Trainees and apprentices feel safe. They know who to contact if they have any concerns. The DSL swiftly follows up safeguarding referrals and monitors them effectively.

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Safeguarding

Leaders complete a range of appropriate checks when appointing new staff to make sure they are suitable to work with trainees and apprentices. Staff receive regular training and updating on safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty. The DSL provides regular newsletters for staff on issues that may affect apprentices, such as the sharing of sexualised images and how to keep safe online.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Leaders must take swift action to identify which apprentices are still in learning and which apprentices are behind so that they can target effective support to ensure that apprentices complete their apprenticeship on time.  Leaders should identify what apprentices already know and can do at the start of their apprenticeship and use this information to provide an individualised curriculum so that all apprentices develop substantial new knowledge and skills.  Leaders should ensure that they plan to teach English and mathematics functional skills earlier in the apprenticeship to develop apprentices’ English and mathematical skills swiftly. They should ensure that there are targeted interventions in place for current apprentices who are delayed in achieving these qualifications.  Leaders should ensure that learning coaches provide timely and constructive developmental feedback on apprentices’ and adult trainees’ written work so that

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

they know what they have done well and how to improve.  Leaders should implement effective quality assurance processes and procedures and use these so that they are able to quickly identify areas of weakness in the quality of education and take appropriate action to resolve these rapidly. 16 to 19 May 2023

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 Leaders should provide detailed and accurate reports to the board so that the board can scrutinise and challenge leaders effectively to improve rapidly the quality of education that apprentices and adult trainees receive.  Leaders should ensure that apprentices’ on- and off-the-job training is coordinated effectively to ensure that they can practise and hone their skills swiftly. 16 to 19 May 2023

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Provider details

Address Eagley House 10b Deakins Park Egerton Bolton Greater Manchester BL7 9RP

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Provider details

Main subcontractors None 16 to 19 May 2023

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the managing director, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous inspection report. The inspection was carried out using the further education and skills inspection handbook and took into account all relevant provision at the provider. Inspectors collected a wide range of evidence to inform judgements, including visiting learning sessions, scrutinising learners’ work, seeking the views of learners, staff and other stakeholders, and examining the provider’s documentation and records.

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Inspection team

Suzanne Horner, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Kim Bleasdale His Majesty’s Inspector Liz Greenhalgh Ofsted Inspector Emma King Ofsted Inspector Jackie Moores Ofsted Inspector Jo Hornby Ofsted Inspector 16 to 19 May 2023

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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 children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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