Football Family Limited

Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead inspector: Joanne Stork, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection dates: 31 October and 1 November 2023

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Manvers House Pioneer Close Wath upon Dearne Rotherham S63 7JZ Monitoring visit: Football Family Limited, 31 October and 1 November 2023

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Context and focus of visit

Football Family Limited was inspected in December 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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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers have worked with subject experts to develop learning plans for the apprenticeship programmes that they provide. Each plan identifies the monthly expectation of what will be covered in off-the-job training, the online resources that will be used and the time that will be dedicated to assignment work. This ensures that apprentices have a clear understanding of the commitment needed to complete the programme. However, the plans are too generic to identify specifically what apprentices need to do to develop the skills and knowledge that they need to complete the programme.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers have recently redesigned the process that assessors use to provide feedback to apprentices. Assessors using the new process provide a large amount of feedback about how apprentices have met the assessment criteria, but they often do not inform apprentices about what they need to do to improve their work. In a few cases, assessors do not correct basic errors in apprentices’ work, such as incorrect temperatures at which to serve food, as well as spelling and grammatical errors.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers do not make use of information about the starting points of apprentices who need to achieve English and mathematics qualifications to plan learning effectively. Apprentices work independently through resources on an online learning platform, with assessors providing support should apprentices need it. For those apprentices who have significant gaps in learning, staff do not focus sufficiently on these gaps to help apprentices develop their skills and knowledge successfully. This results in too many apprentices not achieving their functional skills qualifications quickly enough, and this delays their progress in completing the programme. Monitoring visit: Football Family Limited, 31 October and 1 November 2023 Leaders and managers do not ensure that staff check apprentices’ prior knowledge and skills effectively before enrolling them onto programmes. On occasion, apprentices have already attained higher-level qualifications and have then enrolled

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Insufficient progress

on an apprenticeship programme in the same discipline at a lower level. Although these apprentices benefit from refreshing and updating their knowledge, they do not develop substantial new skills and knowledge.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers do not provide apprentices with high-quality careers advice and guidance. Staff check with apprentices at the start of the programme what their aspirations are. Apprentices take part in careers discussions with staff during the programme after six months, after 12 months and on completion of the course. However, staff do not provide sufficient support to help apprentices to improve their employability skills through, for example, CV writing and completing job applications.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers do not have a clear understanding of the quality of careers information, advice and guidance that staff provide to apprentices. Staff responsible for providing the information and support have limited experience and expertise in this role. In the few cases where assessors are experts in their sector, they provide relevant information to help apprentices progress to their next steps.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers have not recruited assessors with sufficient expertise to deliver the apprenticeship programmes that they teach. In too many cases, assessors do not hold relevant qualifications, or their qualifications are at the same level as programmes they are delivering. In a very few cases, assessors are well qualified and have significant experience of training and working in the sector. These assessors provide training that is well planned and engages apprentices in topical and relevant discussions.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers have recently implemented a suitable new process for evaluating the quality of training. They have appointed a teaching and learning practitioner to oversee session observations. However, staff responsible for implementing the process have limited expertise and experience to enable them to oversee the quality of the provision and identify key improvements. As a result, too many improvement actions do not focus sufficiently on the quality of the training that apprentices receive. Monitoring visit: Football Family Limited, 31 October and 1 November 2023 Leaders and managers do not have clear oversight of the apprenticeship programmes that they provide. They do not ensure that staff provide and maintain accurate and up-to-date information about apprentices. As a result, management information, such as the number of active apprentices on a programme and contact details for apprentices, are, in some cases, inaccurate.

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Insufficient progress

Too many apprentices leave their programmes early. Leaders and managers have recognised this and identified that employers did not have sufficient understanding of the commitment of an apprenticeship programme. In order to address this, they developed a new apprentice recruitment process to provide employers and apprentices with more detailed information prior to enrolment. However, it is too early to evaluate the impact of this. Monitoring visit: Football Family Limited, 31 October and 1 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

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Insufficient progress

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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Insufficient 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 .

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Insufficient 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 .

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Insufficient progress

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

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