Harriet Ellis Training Solutions Limited

Harriet Ellis Training Solutions Limited Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead inspector: Andrea McMahon, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: 103 North Street Romford RM1 1EU Harriet Ellis Training Solutions, 4 and 5 October 2023

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Context and focus of visit

Harriet Ellis Training Solutions Ltd was inspected in November 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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Context and focus of visit

Harriet Ellis Training Solutions Limited (Harriet Ellis) is an independent learning provider that teaches apprenticeship programmes within the dental and healthcare sectors. Harriet Ellis’s main centre is in Romford, Havering. The provider also teaches programmes in the east midlands, north west, south east, east of England, and north east, Yorkshire and Humber regions.

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Context and focus of visit

At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 647 apprentices studying the level 3 dental nurse (integrated) standard and 21 apprentices studying the level 4 dental practice manager standard.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous inspection, leaders and managers have taken suitable steps to ensure that teaching staff receive information about apprentices’ prior experience and knowledge. Dental educationalists (DEs) adapt their teaching appropriately to reflect apprentices’ knowledge of the topics they learn about. For example, they frequently recap key concepts in lessons and provide useful individualised support to apprentices who struggle and need extra help. They recognise apprentices who have health and social care qualifications and ask them to contribute their prior knowledge in lessons. As a result, DEs teach a curriculum that makes sure any gaps in apprentices’ knowledge are filled. In a few instances, however, DEs do not adapt the curriculum well enough for apprentices who have substantial prior knowledge and experience of dental and healthcare. This means these apprentices repeat what they already know.

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Reasonable progress

DEs adapt the curriculum effectively in order to support apprentices with additional learning needs. DEs carry out detailed assessments of what specific needs apprentices have. They use this information to develop targeted strategies to support apprentices’ development. For example, DEs adjust their teaching resources by using Harriet Ellis Training Solutions, 4 and 5 October 2023 different colours and fonts to help apprentices with dyslexia. They provide additional one-to-one tutorials for apprentices who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder so that they benefit from individualised support. As a result, apprentices with additional learning needs make progress in line with their peers.

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Significant progress

Senior leaders and managers have worked resolutely to completely redesign their English and mathematics curriculum. They now follow a more structured process for assessing and teaching these subjects than previously. For example, specialist English and mathematics tutors assess apprentices’ starting points accurately. They adjust the content of the curriculum to reflect apprentices’ knowledge and skills in these subjects. This means they do not teach content apprentices already have secure knowledge of. They provide intensive teaching and additional individualised support to fill any skills gaps apprentices have. They have introduced mock tests before final examinations and make sure that apprentices feel prepared for them. As a result, the majority of apprentices achieve their English and mathematics qualifications.

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Significant progress

DEs teach apprentices extensive new technical vocabulary. For example, they teach dental nurse apprentices’ acronyms such as XLA for extraction under local anaesthetic and BPE for basic periodontal examination. Despite using these acronyms to record their notes quickly, DEs make sure that apprentices know and can write the full forms of technical language accurately. Apprentices also learn how to complete manual charts with key terms such as molar cavity, extraction and eruption. As a result, apprentices learn and use the language they need in their workplaces.

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Significant progress

DEs revisit key mathematics skills frequently throughout apprentices’ training. Dental nurse apprentices gain helpful skills, such as different methods for calculating percentages, ratios and decimals. This helps them know how to use ratios for mixing solutions and how to estimate distance so that radiography equipment can be used properly. Dental practice manager apprentices learn how to work out percentages of conversion rates when they create marketing materials. As a result, continue to develop mathematics skills in their training that they then use at work.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders, managers and staff have taken appropriate steps to make sure that they support apprentices to achieve high grades during their course and in their final Harriet Ellis Training Solutions, 4 and 5 October 2023 assessments. For example, they have redesigned the way and the frequency with which they assess apprentices. DEs set and score helpful short tests at the end of each lesson. They re-test apprentices at the start of the next lesson to check they have remembered what they learned. As a result, apprentices identify the areas they need to improve based on which questions they answer correctly or incorrectly.

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Reasonable progress

Staff make sure that apprentices have a good understanding of what they need to do for their final assessments. They give apprentices frequent helpful guidance and support and a range of suitable activities to complete, such as professional discussions, throughout their programmes. As a result, most apprentices feel confident about their final assessments.

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Reasonable progress

DEs provide apprentices with helpful and guiding feedback on their work. They ask apprentices to reflect on workplace examples in their written assignments to replicate the end-point assessment requirements. They ask them to identify their progress and explain what their strengths and weaknesses are. As a result, most apprentices can describe confidently how they meet relevant knowledge, skills and behaviours for their standard. In a few instances, apprentices do not know about the distinction grade they can achieve.

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Significant progress

Since the previous inspection, leaders and managers have made rapid progress in implementing a curriculum that helps apprentices develop their skills beyond their vocational learning. Staff provide apprentices with frequent and targeted careers advice and guidance. DEs provide apprentices with valuable guidance on how to stay safe online.

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Significant progress

Staff teach apprentices effectively about their next steps in the dental and healthcare sectors. They teach them useful employability skills such as interview techniques and creating a CV. They use their own rich experiences to give apprentices good advice about various possible career paths, including working in radiography, orthodontics, dental hygiene and dental therapy. Apprentices know that for many of these roles they need to complete further study, and staff write references to support them. However, apprentices are not always clear about the entry requirements they need to apply for higher education courses.

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Significant progress

Staff teach apprentices effectively about how to stay safe online. Apprentices learn about cyberbullying and cyber harassment, keeping passwords safe and not sharing personal information. As a result, apprentices know what to look out for and how to report any concerns. Harriet Ellis Training Solutions, 4 and 5 October 2023 Most apprentices have a secure understanding of fundamental British values and how these apply in their workplaces. They describe confidently how to treat all patients fairly and respectfully. For example, they understand patient choice and how to recognise that some clients cannot accept certain blood types due to religious reasons. They know the importance of recording this in their medical notes.

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Significant progress

As a result of their positive relationships with staff, apprentices become more confident through their programmes. For example, they participate in sessions when studying online. They contribute to work projects and take on more responsibilities in their job roles. Increasing their confidence enables apprentices to function more effectively at work when dealing with patients and colleagues. Harriet Ellis Training Solutions, 4 and 5 October 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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Significant progress

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

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Significant progress

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