Sumo Digital Ltd.

Sumo Digital Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Ian Frear, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 September 2023

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Address:

Unit 32 Jessops Riverside 800 Brightside Lane Sheffield S9 2RX Monitoring visit: Sumo Digital Limited, 14 and 15 September 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

Sumo Digital Limited is an employer provider. The head office is based in Sheffield, but the provider has several games design studios across England and in other countries around the world. Sumo Digital started delivering apprenticeship standards in March 2022 and was part of the trailblazer group that designed the level 7 game programmer apprenticeship. At the time of this visit, there were 12 apprentices on this standard. Almost all apprentices are graduates who have studied subjects unrelated to the games industry. All apprentices are aged 19 and over.

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Significant progress

Leaders have developed a highly ambitious apprenticeship curriculum that enables new entrants to the gaming industry to acquire rapidly the new knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to work as junior programmers. Leaders work with studio senior programmers and industry experts to develop an apprenticeship that meets the need for junior programmers, as there is a shortage of skilled staff in this sector.

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Significant progress

Leaders provide successful outreach programmes, such as the ‘diversity internship’, to attract potential recruits from diverse backgrounds to their apprenticeships. The internship provides potential apprentices with a realistic experience of the gaming sector and helps them to learn the basics of programming. The internship is also used as part of the selection process so that only the most suitable candidates are accepted onto the apprenticeship.

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Significant progress

Leaders have effective methods to determine the quality of their provision. They conduct frequent quality assurance activities. For example, experienced practitioners within the Sumo group check the quality of apprentices’ work after each block of learning. They also check that the course structure and content are fit for the Monitoring visit: Sumo Digital Limited, 14 and 15 September 2023 gaming industry. They make recommendations to leaders about how the content should be developed and sequenced.

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Significant progress

Staff are very well qualified and highly experienced in the gaming industry. Many have taught undergraduate and postgraduate courses at universities. All staff have worked for well-known games companies or owned micro studios, where they have developed games that have been published.

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Significant progress

Leaders ensure that staff benefit from a wide range of high-quality professional development. Most staff already keep up to date with changes in the industry through, for example, online forums and newsletters, as they are enthusiasts in this field. Leaders also provide staff with helpful training on topics such as the latest design techniques for games.

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Significant progress

Leaders provide apprentices with high-quality and highly realistic learning resources. Apprentices study in a real studio and use current technology, programming software and games engines to practise what they have learned. They are well supported to develop their understanding of cross-platform programming techniques to widen their sector knowledge and enhance their future employment opportunities.

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Significant progress

Governors have extensive knowledge of the gaming sector and use their insight to support and challenge leaders effectively. They meet frequently and are actively involved in the quality assurance and design of the curriculum. A number of governors also have experience of education, finance and industry outside of gaming, which they use to hold leaders to account for the quality of education that they provide.

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Significant progress

Trainers have developed their curriculum carefully to ensure that apprentices build their knowledge and skills effectively over time. Apprentices start using the PlayBuffer framework, designed by trainers, which simplifies the learning of the C++ language for game development. This allows apprentices to progress swiftly toward using industry-standard programming software.

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Significant progress

Trainers plan on- and off-the-job training very well. They adjust training plans depending on each apprentice’s individual performance. Apprentices learn and work on real projects, including on games very recently released by well-known publishers. This allows apprentices to flourish, developing their confidence to tackle new and challenging programming tasks. Apprentices produce very high-quality work.

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Significant progress

Trainers use assessment to check apprentices’ progress systematically throughout their programme. This includes the use of coding tests under examination conditions Monitoring visit: Sumo Digital Limited, 14 and 15 September 2023 and group projects where apprentices apply their learning to increasingly large and complex games. Apprentices understand very clearly what they are doing well and how they can improve further.

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Significant progress

Trainers provide apprentices with high-quality teaching. They use a range of methods, including lectures, practical tutorials and skills projects, which helps apprentices to grasp theoretical concepts securely and put them into practice. For example, trainers ensure that apprentices understand the fundamental mathematics of how to control objects in games and that they can use statistical probability to adjust game difficulty to enhance a player’s experience.

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Significant progress

Trainers support apprentices to develop their written and presentation skills very well. Apprentices produce very good written work, and a few have had their work published.

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Significant progress

Trainers prepare apprentices very well for their final examinations. Apprentices understand from early in their programme how they will be assessed at the end. They complete a comprehensive portfolio of work throughout the apprenticeship and use this to reflect on their progress in preparation for the professional discussion. Consequently, apprentices make very good progress and achieve well. Most attain high grades in their final examinations.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have appointed a designated safeguarding lead, who has had suitable training for the role. Apprentices can also talk to other staff across the organisation, such as equality champions and mental health first aiders, should they need support.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders understand the potential dangers to their apprentices that are specific to the gaming sector, such as misogynistic views in male working environments, isolated working practices and the risk of substance abuse. Staff provide apprentices with training on these topics, ensuring they understand the potential dangers and conditions that they could encounter at work.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns in the very few instances when they occur. They accurately record safeguarding incidents and make sure that they are followed up. However, leaders do not record in their incident logs the time or name of the person making the disclosure. Monitoring visit: Sumo Digital Limited, 14 and 15 September 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 children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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

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