Clear Quality Limited

Clear Quality Limited Monitoring visit report

p.1

Name of lead inspector: Sarah Seaman, His Majesty’s Inspector

p.1

Inspection dates: 22 and 23 January 2024

p.1

Type of provider: Independent learning provider

p.1

Address: Unit 3 Concept Court Wath-upon-Dearne Rotherham S63 5BD Monitoring visit: Clear Quality Limited, 22 and 23 January 2024

p.1

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.

p.2

Context and focus of visit

Clear Quality Limited provides training in the quality and management sector to large, small and medium-sized enterprises nationally. It works in a number of sectors including manufacturing, engineering, healthcare, logistics and service provision. It was established in 2017, offering consultancy services, and received a contract to deliver apprenticeships in September 2022. At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 190 apprentices on standards-based programmes, most of whom were on level 4 quality practitioner and level 3 team leader. Almost all apprentices are over 19 years of age.

p.2

Reasonable progress

Leaders have developed the curriculum closely with employers, other training providers and industry professionals to ensure that it meets the needs of employers and apprentices in the quality management sector. Leaders review the curriculum and adapt it where necessary based on feedback from stakeholders. Recent improvements have included moving from ‘house of quality’ principles to ‘critical quality trees’ to meet specific employer needs.

p.2

Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that end-point assessments (EPAs) are in place for apprentices and that arrangements are communicated to staff, apprentices and employers. Apprentices benefit from completing mock activities and participate in a series of EPA-focused workshops. They receive useful guidance and support from tutors to prepare them for EPA.

p.2

Reasonable progress

Leaders recruit apprentices with integrity and ensure that all are suitable for their course. Staff carry out extensive initial assessment with apprentices at the start of the programme to establish any prior experience. They carry out skills scans to identify apprentices’ starting points in consultation with employers. All apprentices Monitoring visit: Clear Quality Limited, 22 and 23 January 2024 complete a training plan that details planned on- and off-the-job training, the responsibilities of all parties and plans for EPA.

p.2

Reasonable progress

Leaders recruit tutors who have valuable industrial experience, and tutors use their experience effectively to support apprentices. Staff hold a range of qualifications and have relevant expertise in education and in the subjects that they teach, including manufacturing, quality control and management. As a result of their knowledge, tutors are able to link on- and off-the-job training skilfully to enable apprentices to develop new knowledge, skills and behaviours that they apply in their job roles.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Leaders have appropriate arrangements in place to monitor the quality of the provision. They complete useful audits and observations of training. Leaders identify areas for improvement and, in monthly meetings, monitor progress towards rectifying them. Leaders use effective systems to track the progress of apprentices. They ensure that tutors intervene quickly to provide additional support to apprentices who have fallen behind.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Leaders have suitable governance arrangements in place. Those responsible for governance have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision and provide appropriate guidance, challenge and scrutiny. Leaders rightly identify that they would benefit further by expanding their board of governance and have recently included on the board a number of experts to provide further support and challenge, such as specialists in education, training, business and finance.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Managers and tutors plan and sequence the curriculum logically to enable apprentices to develop their knowledge and skills effectively over time. In the largest curriculum area, level 4 quality practitioner, apprentices initially learn about quality management systems and then complete an analysis of their employer to understand key operations before learning how to measure quality and apply improvement processes.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Tutors use a range of assessment activities well. They establish apprentices’ current knowledge through effective subject-based assessment at the beginning of topics and use this information to inform their curriculum planning. Tutors know their apprentices well. They are skilful at ensuring that all apprentices are given the time and opportunity to contribute to lessons. For example, they identify apprentices who may need more time to answer questions, and apprentices who are able to demonstrate a deeper level of understanding.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Tutors provide useful online and face-to-face teaching sessions that apprentices value. They use a range of effective teaching methods to help apprentices commit learning to long-term memory. Tutors build on apprentices’ knowledge of quality Monitoring visit: Clear Quality Limited, 22 and 23 January 2024 management by providing helpful examples from across a range of industries. For example, they discuss quality management in general practitioner surgeries, Halal food production, and in engineering and manufacturing tutors link learning about quality management to relevant legislation and set apprentices research tasks to reinforce their understanding.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Apprentices develop new knowledge, skills and behaviours throughout their apprenticeship. Team leading apprentices develop their knowledge of management and team theory, such as Belbin’s theory of team development. Quality practitioner apprentices develop skills in change management, using a balanced scorecard and developing workplace policies. Quality practitioner apprentices develop key skills in SIPOC, KANO and quality metrics.

p.4

Reasonable progress

Apprentices who need to gain qualifications in English and mathematics as part of their programme receive helpful support, and almost all pass their examinations at the first attempt. However, tutors do not routinely support apprentices to develop their writing skills, such as using accurate grammar and spelling in assignment work.

p.4

Reasonable progress

Most tutors do not provide sufficiently helpful feedback to enable apprentices to improve their work and achieve higher marks. The feedback that they provide is mostly confirmatory, used to identify where apprentices have met assignment criteria. However, in a few cases tutors provide helpful support to apprentices to identify how they can improve their work to distinction level.

p.4

Reasonable progress

Leaders have placed sufficient attention on safeguarding, and developed a range of resources to reinforce this throughout apprentices’ journey. As part of the programme, tutors provide apprentices with a range of information on safeguarding, on topics that include mental health, signs of abuse, extremism and radicalisation. This enables apprentices to gain a better understanding of these topics and who to contact if they have a concern.

p.4

Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) has appropriate training and experience to be effective. Trained deputies provide good support to the DSL and act up in their absence to ensure timely responses to any concerns raised.

p.4

Reasonable progress

Leaders have implemented appropriate safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ duty policies and procedures which outline a clear reporting process. They complete appropriate background checks to ensure that staff recruited are suitable to work with apprentices, including vulnerable adults and those aged under 19. Monitoring visit: Clear Quality Limited, 22 and 23 January 2024 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

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