Scale-Ability Ltd

Scale-Ability Ltd Monitoring visit report

p.1

Name of lead inspector: Andrea Machell, Ofsted Inspector

p.1

Type of provider: Independent learning provider

p.1

Address: 1-3-7 The Barracks White Cross Business Park South Road Lancaster LA1 4XQ Monitoring visit: Scale-Ability Ltd, 6 to 7 February 2024

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

Scale-Ability is an independent learning provider based in Lancaster, Lancashire. Scale-Ability received its funding from Lancashire and Cumbria County Councils to provide bootcamps in April 2023. At the time of the monitoring visit, the provider had 29 adult learners enrolled on a digital bootcamp.

p.2

Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers offer one Skills Bootcamp in digital which was developed to respond to staffing shortages and development needs of staff who work in the digital sector. Leaders have worked closely with employers to ensure that the curriculum includes the skills that employers require, such as coding, communication, team working and problem-solving.

p.2

Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that the facilitators that they recruit have the appropriate qualifications and experiences to teach their subjects. Facilitators have extensive experience of working in the digital sector. Facilitators benefit from professional development that helps them to enhance their teaching, for example in planning and assessing learning more effectively.

p.2

Reasonable progress

Leaders meet weekly with facilitators to discuss learners’ progress and to identify any learners who are at risk of falling behind. Facilitators have appropriate plans in place to ensure that learners catch up swiftly. For example, learners attend additional one- to-one coaching sessions with facilitators. As a result, most learners make at least their expected progress towards developing new knowledge, skills and behaviours.

p.2

Reasonable progress

Leaders have only very recently planned a range of activities to monitor the quality of education and to assure themselves of the quality of the Skills Bootcamp programme. They carry out observations of training and review the progress that learners make. Leaders’ plans to improve the quality of education do not always include clear and measurable improvement targets that can be monitored effectively. Monitoring visit: Scale-Ability Ltd, 6 to 7 February 2024 Governance arrangements have yet to be established to provide additional scrutiny and challenge to leaders. There are plans in place to work with an external partner who has experience of teaching Skill Bootcamps, to work with the provider to enhance the curriculum.

p.2

Reasonable progress

Facilitators use a range of assessment techniques to identify learners’ starting points. They assess learners’ current digital skills and use this information to plan individualised curriculums to meet their needs and interests.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Facilitators sequence the curriculum to help learners to learn different coding techniques and to practise and extend their skills. For example, learners first learn about coding languages such as HTML, CSS and Python, before developing their skills in data science, machine learning and SQL. They improve their online presence by learning about and uploading their profiles to networking websites. This helps them to research and apply for coding jobs.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Learners appreciate the support that they receive from facilitators and employability coaches. Learners with additional needs receive individualised learning support to help them develop their skills and behaviours such as resilience and confidence, to make them more employable.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Learners produce high-quality work that is accurate, and which becomes increasingly more complex over time. At the beginning of the course, learners produce work that shows basic coding skills using Java Script and Python. As the programme progresses, learners produce complex codes using React and Python. They are able to use pie charts, bar charts and plotting charts to support their work.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Facilitators expertly relate their subject expertise in data science to support learners in the selection of topics for coding projects and how these apply to aspirational career choices.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Facilitators provide precise feedback to learners following the assessment of written work. Learners routinely act on this feedback, often going above and beyond what is expected and make significant improvements to their work.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Learners develop their employability skills. For example, they update their curriculum vitae, practise their communication skills and develop their confidence in preparation for the guaranteed interview. Around a third of learners who complete the course have obtained work. Monitoring visit: Scale-Ability Ltd, 6 to 7 February 2024 In a small number of instances, facilitators teach concepts at too fast a pace, which means that learners’ understanding is not consolidated. For example, when learning about the more complex coding languages.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Learners are aware of their potential next steps across a range of careers, including application development and junior web developer. However, learners are unsure if the guaranteed interview will be related to their career aspirations.

p.4

Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that there are appropriate safeguarding policies in place to keep learners safe. The senior designated lead and designated safeguarding officer have had appropriate training to carry out their roles.

p.4

Reasonable progress

Leaders have not yet received any safeguarding concerns. The system to record any incidents has yet to be tested. Leaders record well-being concerns and ensure that learners receive appropriate support from an employability coach or are signposted to external agencies.

p.4

Reasonable progress

Learners feel safe. They know who to go to if they have any concerns. Learners demonstrate a good understanding of safeguarding when working or learning online. Monitoring visit: Scale-Ability Ltd, 6 to 7 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 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