The Developer Academy Limited

The Developer Academy Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Karen Anderson, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection dates: 31 January and 1 February 2024

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Oxo House 4 Joiner Street Sheffield S3 8GW Monitoring visit: The Developer Academy Limited, 31 January and 1 February 2024

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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.

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Context and focus of visit

The Developer Academy Limited began offering training in computer coding for aspiring developers in 2018. It currently offers three skills bootcamps in software development, data science and games development. These are offered nationally through a fully remote curriculum. At the time of the visit, there were 40 learners across the three programmes. All learners are aged 19 years or over. Learners are typically unemployed or working in a different sector when they start these bootcamps.

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Significant progress

Leaders have a strong rationale for their skills bootcamps. There is a need nationally for more trained coders and data scientists and high demand from people who wish to move into employment in the digital sector. Leaders are very responsive to the rapidly changing needs of the sector and create a culture at the provider that is agile and forward thinking.

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Significant progress

Leaders have a thorough understanding of their industry and cultivate positive relationships with employers and relevant groups, seeking out new opportunities to benefit their learners. They actively engage with their network to ensure that their curriculum remains current, so that their learners develop the skills that make them employable.

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Significant progress

Leaders are highly focused on enabling their learners to gain employment in the digital sector and offer a curriculum that goes beyond the minimum requirements of a skills bootcamp. Learners benefit from a high-quality employability programme to develop their work skills, such as communication, project management and teamwork, tailored to their individual career aspirations.

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Significant progress

Leaders use rigorous processes to monitor the quality of teaching, such as frequent visits to online lessons. Leaders take an active interest in the skills and knowledge Monitoring visit: The Developer Academy Limited, 31 January and 1 February 2024 that learners are acquiring, which includes watching learners’ weekly presentations of their work. Leaders use their expertise from education and industry and confidently assure themselves of the quality of the teaching that learners experience.

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Significant progress

Instructors keep their skills and knowledge up to date through frequent professional development. Leaders ensure that instructors complete specific training for teaching adult learners remotely, such as recently introducing training in coaching techniques.

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Significant progress

Instructors design the curriculum skilfully so that learners can rapidly learn new knowledge and skills in the 12 to 16 weeks of their bootcamp. They ensure that learners have a secure understanding of fundamental principles before introducing more complex topics. For example, in data science, learners develop skills to complete increasingly complex programming tasks, from creating a dice-rolling simulator to developing a text-based adventure game, before they move on to understand machine learning and artificial intelligence.

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Significant progress

Instructors provide consistently high-quality teaching, using a variety of methods to help learners build their knowledge and apply their skills. For example, in games development, learners begin with writing code to make playable characters walk and, as they progress, instructors introduce more sophisticated interactivity and movement. Learners participate fully in lessons, discussing their ideas and working well with peers on a range of projects.

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Significant progress

Instructors plan assessment carefully to test understanding and identify gaps in learners’ knowledge. This includes using a range of written, practical and project work, the outcomes of which inform their teaching. Instructors provide valuable feedback that helps learners understand how to improve.

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Significant progress

Instructors provide swift and effective support where it is needed, identified through their rigorous monitoring of learners’ progress. They hold daily ‘stand-up’ meetings, where learners discuss their current projects. This reflects industry practice and prepares learners to discuss the progress they are making in their work, talk honestly about problems that they encounter and work with peers to find solutions.

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Significant progress

Learners make rapid progress and develop the knowledge and skills to gain employment in the digital sector. They develop in confidence, becoming increasingly independent during the programme, and more adept at solving problems for themselves. Learners take pride in their achievements and create a portfolio of their work to demonstrate their skills and abilities to potential employers.

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Significant progress

Almost all learners successfully complete their programme. A high proportion successfully gain employment in the digital sector. Those who do not gain Monitoring visit: The Developer Academy Limited, 31 January and 1 February 2024 employment immediately receive support, such as weekly one-to-one meetings with a careers specialist, until they secure a job.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders are successfully developing a culture of safeguarding. They implement suitable policies and procedures for safeguarding their adult learners, including how to identify any learners who may be vulnerable. Leaders are taking appropriate steps to meet the requirements of the ‘Prevent’ duty.

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Reasonable progress

Instructors complete suitable training in safeguarding, including how to identify possible signs of abuse and to report concerns about learners. Leaders, including a well-trained designated safeguarding lead, deal with safeguarding and well-being issues quickly and consistently. This includes thorough record-keeping, swift responses to any concerns and providing support when needed. Monitoring visit: The Developer Academy Limited, 31 January and 1 February 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

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Reasonable progress

children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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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 .

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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 .

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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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