O.S.A.T Ltd

Name of lead inspector: Sara Woodward, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

First floor 85 Great Portland Street London W1W 7LT Monitoring visit: O.S.A.T Limited, 7 and 8 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 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.

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Context and focus of visit

O.S.A.T is an independent learning provider based in Crawley, West Sussex. It specialises in construction apprenticeships in London, the south east and Blackpool. It also provides health and care apprenticeships in the south east. At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 78 apprentices in learning. Most apprentices were studying various level 2 apprenticeships in construction, including 29 tramway construction operative apprentices and 15 roofer apprentices. There were six health and care apprentices studying at levels 3 and 5. Eighteen apprentices were aged 16 to 18.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have ‘associated contract’ arrangements in place for approximately one quarter of their provision: construction apprenticeships in Blackpool and health and care apprenticeships in the south east. Leaders do not have sufficient oversight of these arrangements or quality assurance systems in place. For example, they have not ensured that health and care apprentices are suitably recruited or receive appropriate training and support. Because of this, leaders have placed these apprentices on a break in learning. Consequently, leaders have not ensured that all apprenticeships meet the essential principles and requirements of an apprenticeship.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have not put in place suitable teaching and support to ensure that apprentices in every provision study and pass their English and mathematics qualifications. They have not planned sufficiently for the teaching of functional skills. Consequently, no apprentices have yet had an opportunity to pass these qualifications.

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Insufficient progress

Recently appointed governors do not yet have effective oversight of the quality of provision or understand its strengths and weaknesses. They do not ensure that Monitoring visit: O.S.A.T Limited, 7 and 8 February 2024 leaders meet their statutory responsibilities in relation to safeguarding and health and safety.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have selected a variety of appropriate apprenticeship standards to meet the needs of the construction industry. They work closely with employers to understand the issues impacting the sector, such as an ageing workforce and significant skills shortages. For example, leaders introduced the tramway construction operative apprenticeship in response to national employer demand.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders are committed to the provision of beneficial training for young people and adults with major barriers to employment. They provide valuable job opportunities for young people who are not in education, employment or training and unemployed adults who progress from Skills Bootcamps in construction.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders ensure that most construction assessors are well qualified and experienced. They support assessors to update their industry knowledge and skills effectively. As a result, most construction apprentices benefit from industry-standard and relevant training.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that the majority of apprentices develop substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours, which they use skilfully in their work roles. For example, tramway construction operative apprentices learn how to work safely at night on major tramway construction and repairs in city centres. Consequently, apprentices develop skills that are relevant to their job roles and valued highly by employers.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that the curriculum for construction apprenticeships is planned logically. For example, roofer apprentices learn to construct a roofing structure in careful sequence, from the bottom up, so that it is safe, secure and of solid quality. As a result, the majority of apprentices build their knowledge and skills over time.

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Reasonable progress

In the majority of provision, assessors use initial assessment appropriately to check what apprentices already know and can do. They use this information to adapt their teaching to meet the needs of most apprentices effectively. Consequently, the majority of apprentices, including those with additional learning needs, make good progress.

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Reasonable progress

Most assessors use their expertise effectively to ensure apprentices link their learning to the workplace. For example, they help apprentices to apply their knowledge of COSHH (control of substances hazardous to health) to the safe disposal of materials at work, such as oil-based paint. Subsequently, most apprentices develop their skills in the workplace quickly and adopt safe working practices. Monitoring visit: O.S.A.T Limited, 7 and 8 February 2024 Assessors work closely with most employers to coordinate on- and off-the-job training appropriately so that most apprentices consolidate their learning and skills at work. Most assessors complete useful site visits to train apprentices on the job and assess their knowledge and skills. As a result, most apprentices develop fluency in their skills and apply them in their work proficiently.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors do not consistently ensure that apprentices improve their English and mathematical skills effectively. For example, they do not consistently provide apprentices with feedback on the spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors in their written work. As such, apprentices do not develop the literacy and numeracy skills to help them in their learning and at work.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders do not fully appreciate their duty to ensure a positive culture of safeguarding. They do not have sufficient oversight of safeguarding arrangements for apprentices who study in Blackpool or who study health and care. For example, leaders have not established suitable processes for health and care apprentices to raise concerns or receive support.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders do not hold records or risk assessments of vulnerable 16- and 17-year-old apprentices. The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) has not established contact with relevant external professionals, such as those responsible for apprentices who are looked after by the local authority. The DSL does not hold records of reported incidents in Blackpool or have oversight of these.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have not completed safer recruitment checks on staff who work with apprentices in Blackpool and the south east who are not directly employed by O.S.A.T. They do not have sufficient assurance of whether staff who have direct contact with apprentices under the age of 18 are safe to do so.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have implemented a broad safeguarding policy and ‘Prevent’ duty risk assessment. These are not comprehensive enough to set out appropriate processes and practices for the management of safeguarding risks and incidents in all provision.

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Insufficient progress

Those staff who leaders employ directly benefit from suitable safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ duty training. The DSL is appropriately trained and experienced. Staff are confident to report safeguarding concerns and know who to speak to if they have a concern. Monitoring visit: O.S.A.T Limited, 7 and 8 February 2024 Leaders have undertaken appropriate safer recruitment checks on staff who they directly employ, to ensure that they are safe to work with children and vulnerable adults. Monitoring visit: O.S.A.T Limited, 7 and 8 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

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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

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Insufficient progress

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Insufficient progress

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Insufficient progress

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