Academy 1 Sports Ltd

Academy 1 Sports Ltd Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead inspector: Rebecca Perry, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 November 2023

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Suite 122 Thames Industrial Park Princess Margaret Road East Tilbury Tilbury Essex RM18 8RH Monitoring visit: Academy 1 Sports Ltd, 15 and 16 November 2023

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Context and focus of visit

Academy 1 Sports Ltd was inspected in February 2023. 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

Academy 1 Sports Ltd is an independent learning provider based in Tilbury with apprentices in all regions of England. They offer apprenticeships from level 2 to level 5 in early years, business, sports and digital subjects. At the time of the visit there were 103 apprentices in learning, of which around half required functional skills qualifications as part of their apprenticeship. 13 apprentices were under the age of 19. Leaders do not work with any subcontractors.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have been too slow to make improvements since the previous inspection. Governance arrangements have very recently strengthened. New owners recently acquired the provider and swiftly brought about changes to the leadership team. Previous leaders did not focus sufficiently on improving the quality of apprenticeships. Those responsible for governance now have close oversight of the quality of the provision. They have started to provide highly effective support to the new leaders. While there are early signs of positive impact, it is too soon to judge the full effectiveness of these arrangements. As a result, it is still the case that too few apprentices achieve their apprenticeship within planned time frames.

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Insufficient progress

There is no demonstrable impact from leaders’ recent improvement actions. Leaders have put in place a range of well-informed actions to tackle known areas of weakness in the quality of apprenticeships. They have increased individual coaches’ accountability for their apprentices’ progress through new monitoring processes and weekly one-to-one meetings to review caseloads. They have improved the recruitment and selection process for new apprentices.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have not had sufficient impact on improving the proportion of apprentices who remain in learning. While there has been a slight improvement, leaders recognise that this is a priority area for further improvement. Monitoring visit: Academy 1 Sports Ltd, 15 and 16 November 2023 Leaders and governors have completed an effective review of the apprenticeships that they offer. They have streamlined the offer to focus on sports, digital, early years and business subjects. For example, they have ceased to offer adult care due to a high proportion of early leavers and lack of expertise in the coaches. Leaders appointed new specialist coaches in early years programmes in response to identified quality issues in this area.

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Insufficient progress

Too few apprentices receive the support that they need to succeed in English and mathematics. Leaders have not made sufficient progress in improving the experience for apprentices who require functional skills. Too few apprentices complete their apprenticeship due to not achieving these qualifications.

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Insufficient progress

Functional skills tutors do not plan learning well enough to help close gaps in apprentices’ English and mathematics knowledge. Tutors plan a series of topics to teach that are not informed by apprentices’ needs. Apprentices choose whether to attend lessons based on their own perceptions of their areas for development.

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Insufficient progress

Too few apprentices attend one-to-one or group lessons for support with functional skills. Leaders have recently introduced group lessons for teaching apprentices who require functional skills qualifications as part of their apprenticeship. However, due to low attendance, they are still reviewing the times these sessions are available.

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Insufficient progress

Too few apprentices attempt their functional skills examinations and too few are successful. A significant minority of apprentices fail to achieve after multiple attempts at the examination. Too many apprentices are very frustrated at the delay in achieving their apprenticeship because of not achieving their functional skills.

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Insufficient progress

Most apprentices develop the English and mathematics skills that they need to succeed in their job roles. For example, on the level 5 operations or departmental manager standard, apprentices learn about budgeting and financial planning, and they apply this knowledge at work. Apprentices on the level 3 digital marketer standard develop English skills to ensure that social media posts contain written content that reflects a professional company image.

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Insufficient progress

Monitoring visit: Academy 1 Sports Ltd, 15 and 16 November 2023 Leaders and managers have not improved the quality of teaching, assessment and support for apprentices quickly enough. There remains far too much inconsistency in apprentices’ experiences. Too often apprentices complete self-directed learning tasks and workbooks which do not help them to progress quickly. Too few apprentices receive useful guidance in their one-to-ones with coaches. Many apprentices are frustrated at their lack of progress and behind with their work.

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Insufficient progress

The quality of teaching is not yet good. A minority of coaches give clear explanations and link theoretical topics to workplace activities effectively. However, too few coaches plan learning well enough. They cover topics in a disconnected order. Coaches do not check what apprentices already know and can do effectively when they introduce new topics. As a result, too few apprentices build on their existing skills and knowledge quickly. They struggle to recall what they have learned as part of their apprenticeship.

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Insufficient progress

Coaches do not use assessment effectively. Too often apprentices wait too long to have their work assessed. Coaches rarely complete workplace assessments to check apprentices’ application of their skills. Coaches do not hold sufficiently frequent or effective progress reviews with apprentices, and too often apprentices’ line managers are not included in review meetings. As a result, apprentices do not know what they need to do to succeed in their final assessments or how to make improvements to their work.

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Insufficient progress

Most apprentices recognise recent improvements to their experience. They appreciate the more frequent contact with their coaches and support coaches who provide help for them to complete their written assignments.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have improved their oversight of apprentices’ attendance. They have recently introduced useful attendance trackers for apprentices. Leaders review this information weekly and attendance rates have improved. However, the attendance of apprentices remains too low.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have recently improved quality assurance activities. They provide weekly staff development sessions to provide training to coaches to improve their teaching and assessment skills. Leaders use the outcomes of observations of coaches’ practice to inform the plan. However, these activities are too recently introduced to yet have any demonstrable impact on improving quality.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers have not acted quickly enough to put in place an effective, ongoing and impartial careers advice and guidance programme for apprentices. Monitoring visit: Academy 1 Sports Ltd, 15 and 16 November 2023 Leaders have not made any significant changes to how apprentices receive this information since the previous inspection.

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Insufficient progress

Coaches have not had sufficient training to help them to provide effective careers advice to apprentices. As a result, the information apprentices receive about potential career pathways does not help them to understand the breadth of options available to them in the future. Coaches signpost apprentices to websites and other information sources about specific careers. However, coaches do not give apprentices detailed information to help them make informed choices about their next steps.

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Insufficient progress

Apprentices who have been on their apprenticeship for a long time and those who are approaching their final assessments have had limited discussions about their next steps. They do not have a thorough awareness of what they could do next or how to achieve their career aims.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have sensible plans in place to improve the quality of careers information that apprentices can access. This includes the introduction of a new online system and staff training. However, they have not considered sufficiently a planned careers curriculum and have not implemented their plans quickly enough. Monitoring visit: Academy 1 Sports Ltd, 15 and 16 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 looked after children, safeguarding

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Insufficient progress

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Insufficient progress

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Insufficient progress

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Insufficient progress

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