Fullagar Construction Skills Centre Ltd

Fullagar Construction Skills Centre Ltd Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Alastair Mollon, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Unit 14 Lea Green Business Park Eurolink St Helens WA9 4TR Monitoring visit: Fullagar Construction Skills Centre Ltd, 1 and 2 November 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

Fullagar Construction Skills Centre Ltd began training its first group of apprentices in September 2022. It is an independent learning provider that provides training to apprentices in floor-laying. Previously, Fullagar Construction Skills Centre Ltd trained apprentices in several trades across the construction industry as a subcontractor for other providers. It continues to provide commercial training.

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Context and focus of visit

At the time of the new provider monitoring visit, there were 31 apprentices, all following the floor-layer apprenticeship standard at level 2. Apprentices work across the country in these specialist roles. Approximately half of the apprentices were aged under 19. Fullagar Construction Skills Centre Ltd does not subcontract any of its provision.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers design and plan a niche curriculum that provides apprentices with the knowledge, skills and behaviours that they need to become competent floor- layers. Leaders were part of the trailblazer group. They plan the curriculum to meet the needs of apprentices, their employers and the wider industry. Leaders focus on textiles and resilient materials as this provides apprentices with a broad, useful skill set that meets the needs of industry and customers.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and tutors teach an ambitious curriculum that challenges apprentices to improve and apply their new knowledge, skills and behaviours at work. They teach additional useful knowledge and skills beyond the requirements of the apprenticeship. These include a new method of alternative mitring rather than using external welds on cap and cove work and teaching about nosings on stairs to provide additional safety fittings in commercial premises. As a result, apprentices gain valuable, up-to-date skills that enhance their employability. Monitoring visit: Fullagar Construction Skills Centre Ltd, 1 and 2 November 2023 Tutors are qualified and experienced subject-matter experts. New tutors continue to work in the industry and remain vocationally current as practising floor-layers. Leaders ensure that tutors maintain and update their vocational and mandatory knowledge and skills with industry work and visits.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders support tutors who do not have teaching qualifications. New tutors shadow experienced tutors to develop their teaching skills. However, leaders do not provide tutors with sufficient feedback on what they can do to improve their teaching skills. Tutors do not routinely receive enough well-planned professional development to enhance their teaching practice.

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Reasonable progress

Senior leaders have an improving oversight of the quality of training that apprentices receive and the progress that they make. They understand most of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision and use this to challenge tutors to improve the quality of training for apprentices. However, governance arrangements are underdeveloped. At the time of the visit, no governance board was in place.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and tutors plan the curriculum effectively so that apprentices develop substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours throughout their training. Most apprentices are new to the industry. They learn how to use tools safely and correctly before preparing sub-floors and checking moisture levels before fitting a damp-proof membrane. Apprentices learn skills in screeding, fitting underlay, fixing vinyl and laying carpets. Most apprentices make at least their expected levels of progress.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices benefit from useful feedback on their practical skills in workshops. Tutors challenge apprentices to improve their cutting techniques. They use questioning and observation to check apprentices’ understanding and revisit topics in the workshop. Apprentices gain fluency in their skills. They remember what they learn and apply their new knowledge and skills effectively in the workplace, completing jobs at customers’ homes, such as screeding a front porch.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors prepare apprentices effectively for their final assessments. Apprentices practise for their assessments using realistic mock assessments for their online multiple-choice knowledge test, practical observation and professional discussion to mimic the assessment process. Apprentices know what they need to do to improve and achieve distinction grades.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors do not involve employers sufficiently in the reviews of apprentices’ progress or to plan and coordinate on- and off-the-job training. Employers do not routinely contribute to target-setting or discussion on activities that apprentices need to complete at work to develop their skills further. Consequently, a few apprentices do Monitoring visit: Fullagar Construction Skills Centre Ltd, 1 and 2 November 2023 not practise their new learning promptly or develop their skills as quickly as they could.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders rightly recognise that they do not sufficiently prioritise apprentices’ functional skills in English and mathematics for those apprentices who need these qualifications before progressing to their final assessments. Most apprentices complete this training independently through online activities. A few apprentices who are coming to the end of their apprenticeship have still to complete these examinations.

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Reasonable progress

The designated safeguarding lead and staff team have the appropriate training, skills and experience to carry out their roles effectively. They instil a culture of welfare and well-being throughout the organisation and follow safer recruitment practices when they employ new staff.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices benefit from training on safeguarding, the ‘Prevent’ duty, and health and safety. They revisit topics around safeguarding in the review process. Apprentices learn how to carry and use knives safely when cutting carpets. They wear the correct safety equipment, including safety boots and knee-pads.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices feel safe and know how to report any concerns they may have. They explain how to keep safe when online and how to protect their data and themselves from online scams. Monitoring visit: Fullagar Construction Skills Centre Ltd, 1 and 2 November 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 and child protection.

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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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