Mastered Studios Ltd

Mastered Studios Ltd Monitoring visit report

p.1

Name of lead inspector: Stuart Collett, His Majesty’s Inspector

p.1

Type of provider: Independent learning provider

p.1

Address: 124 City Road London EC1V 2NX Monitoring visit: Mastered Studios Ltd, 8 and 9 November 2023

p.1

Context and focus of visit

Ofsted undertakes to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of adult learning provision where the provision offered is in scope for inspection. 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.

p.2

Context and focus of visit

Mastered Studios Ltd is a national independent learning provider specialising in online skills bootcamps for the employed and unemployed in computer game development. The provider holds contracts for the teaching of skills bootcamps with The Department for Education, West of England Combined Authority, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, North of Tyne Combined Authority, Cambridge and Peterborough Combined Authority and West Midlands Combined Authority, and has recently secured a contract with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. At the time of the visit, there were 95 learners enrolled on online skills bootcamps.

p.2

Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have a clear rationale for offering the skills bootcamps they have selected. Using their extensive industry links as a commercial provider, they have worked with employers to identify the gaps in games development skills within the industry. They have developed bespoke courses in collaboration with those employers to target these, both to attract new staff and upskill existing employees.

p.2

Reasonable progress

Leaders have consulted with industry professionals and employers to select and develop curriculums with several pathways, offering learners a choice in the specialisms they are interested in pursuing, for example technical artistry, visual effects or games programming.

p.2

Reasonable progress

Teachers have significant industry experience, and most possess industry-standard instructor qualifications specific to the platforms or games engines that they teach. As a result, learners benefit from up-to-date, industry-standard teaching, which prepares them well for the workplace. However, leaders do not routinely monitor or promote the professional development of teaching skills further; consequently, a minority of learners have differing learning experiences. Monitoring visit: Mastered Studios Ltd, 8 and 9 November 2023 Leaders have suitably robust quality assurance arrangements that they use well to monitor the quality of the education that learners receive and intervene where necessary. Through weekly progress meetings and formal quality assurance activities, leaders are well informed of learners’ progress, and monitor this closely.

p.2

Reasonable progress

Leaders have a clear understanding of the strengths and areas for development of their curriculums. They conduct appropriately critical self-assessment activities and clearly articulate how areas for improvement are being rectified.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Leaders recognise that, as yet, they do not have arrangements in place for sufficient external scrutiny of the quality of education that they provide. While leaders continually refine and adapt their curriculums based on employer and industry needs, they have not sought critical, independent oversight of the quality of education to ensure that these needs are met by the curriculums that they offer.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Leaders and trainers have developed 16-week skills bootcamps which are logically sequenced to ensure that learners develop new skills and knowledge incrementally. Sessions are well linked to previous learning so that learners can, for example, apply basic 3D-skills to create a simple design before later applying texture and lighting.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Leaders tailor each skills bootcamp for existing employees to meet the needs of employers. Leaders, managers, and employers work closely to co-design appropriate curriculums. For example, one employer recognises the need to move into ‘real-time’ technology. As a result, trainers adapted the curriculum to ensure that each employee participating in the course developed skills that enabled them to collaborate on real-time projects.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Learners undertaking skills bootcamps for the unemployed benefit from an increased focus on employability. Learners with more advanced skills are supported by their mentors to quickly respond to gaps in their knowledge and build a professional portfolio, which helps them to demonstrate their skills to prospective employers. For learners with fewer existing skills, trainers sequence curriculums to ensure that learners build the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to secure a junior position in digital creative industries.

p.3

Reasonable progress

During their courses, learners benefit from visits from guest speakers in industry and former learners, and, in some cases, they attend industry events. Unemployed learners are well supported to develop the confidence to approach prospective employers during these events, and benefit from attending talks and demonstrations which broaden their knowledge of the games industry. Monitoring visit: Mastered Studios Ltd, 8 and 9 November 2023 Learners develop significant new knowledge and skills throughout their courses, which helps employed learners to perform higher-level tasks in their workplace and prepares unemployed learners well for entry into the sector.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Leaders have appointed a suitably trained designated safeguarding lead (DSL) who has established appropriate policies and procedures for recording and referring safeguarding cases should they arise.

p.4

Reasonable progress

The DSL is supported by a team of mentors, who, through their work with learners, identify any further support they need and signpost them to additional support, such as mental health charities.

p.4

Reasonable progress

However, leaders have not built a sufficient network of external links to draw on local information and develop learners’ understanding of the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism where they live and work. Monitoring visit: Mastered Studios Ltd, 8 and 9 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.

p.4

Reasonable progress

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.5

Reasonable progress

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.5

Reasonable progress

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.5

Reasonable progress

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

p.5