University Academy 92 Limited

University Academy 92 Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Alison Humphreys, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 February 2024

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Brian Statham Way Old Trafford Stretford Manchester M16 0PU Monitoring visit: University Academy 92 Limited, 21 and 22 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

University Academy 92 Limited (UA92) is an independent learning provider that is based in Manchester. UA92 offers a range of undergraduate programmes in business, media, sport and digital. In January 2023, UA92 received its own directly funded contract to provide apprenticeship training. At the time of the visit, there were 26 apprentices enrolled on the level 4 DevOps Engineering apprenticeship. All apprentices were aged over 19.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have a clear vision, which is to change lives by making higher education accessible to all and to meet the skills and talent needs of industry. Through this vision, leaders have developed a clear strategy and rationale to provide an ambitious apprenticeship offer that meets identified skills gaps in the digital sector. They work closely with employers to co-create a curriculum that provides a pipeline of staff that can deploy, secure and automate processes on cloud servers (cloud).

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Reasonable progress

Leaders recruit with integrity to the apprenticeship. Apprentices complete a robust assessment process with provider staff and potential employers. Apprentices carry out a range of activities to assess their current knowledge, skills and experience. They learn about potential employers, job roles and expectations of the apprenticeship. This means that apprentices develop substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours. All apprentices are highly motivated to achieve their apprenticeship, and of those who started their apprenticeship, all have continued their studies.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders recruit trainers who are highly experienced and qualified in their roles. They support trainers to continually update their skills to retain their industry relevance. For example, staff have completed training in artificial intelligence and undertake qualifications to remain cloud certified. Most staff maintain their skills by developing Monitoring visit: University Academy 92 Limited, 21 and 22 February 2024 websites and supporting businesses to look after their infrastructure. However, staff do not benefit from sufficiently targeted training to develop their teaching skills.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have quality processes in place to monitor the quality of apprenticeship training. They have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the apprenticeship. However, leaders have not ensured that the very few apprentices who require functional skills English and mathematics complete this early enough in their apprenticeship.

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Reasonable progress

Board members are provided with a range of reports and updates about the apprenticeship. However, these reports are focused on key performance indicators linked to income and recruitment targets. Board members do not always receive sufficiently detailed reports to enable them to challenge leaders on the quality of education that apprentices receive.

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Significant progress

Leaders skilfully design a highly ambitious curriculum to meet the needs of their employers. They include additional learning, such as training on specific cloud platforms and cyber operations, to support apprentices in their current roles. Leaders have designed individualised pathways for employers so that apprentices can learn about solution architecture, security and project management.

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Significant progress

Apprentices’ employers have a clear understanding of the content of the apprenticeship. Employers work closely with staff at UA92 to provide highly relevant activities in the workplace to help apprentices practise and hone their skills. Apprentices use coding software tools to rewrite code for their employers’ loyalty application (app). This has improved the efficiency of the app and enabled customers to earn reward points for their continued custom.

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Significant progress

Staff teach topics in a logical order that swiftly builds apprentices’ knowledge, skills and behaviours. Apprentices complete well-thought-out projects that increase in complexity over time. They develop their technical competencies in a range of cloud- based applications and become confident working in teams and presenting in front of others. Apprentices develop dashboards for clients and present new monitoring systems to these clients confidently.

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Significant progress

Staff carefully design training to support apprentices’ next steps. Apprentices complete a range of industry qualifications that helps them to develop the skills required in the workplace. As a result of this training, apprentices are highly competent in using cloud-based platforms to support customers effectively. Monitoring visit: University Academy 92 Limited, 21 and 22 February 2024 Apprentices speak highly of the support they receive from their trainers and workplace mentors. Staff closely monitor the progress that apprentices make and take swift action when apprentices fall behind. As a result, apprentices remain on their apprenticeship and make the expected progress.

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Significant progress

Apprentices are prepared well for their industry qualifications. Trainers use assessments effectively in order to check and consolidate learning. Apprentices benefit from sessions on developing their examination techniques and applying their technical knowledge. At the time of the visit, all apprentices who had completed additional qualifications had passed.

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Reasonable progress

The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and their deputies have received appropriate training to carry out their roles effectively. The DSL attends regional ‘prevent’ duty forums to remain current in their role and use this information to train staff.

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Reasonable progress

The members of the safeguarding team have not yet had to deal with any safeguarding incidents relating to apprentices. However, systems and processes have been tested with the wider student population at UA92. The members of the team have a good understanding of the processes in place and deal with wider safeguarding referrals and well-being concerns swiftly. They have links with a range of external agencies and know the processes for making referrals.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices feel safe and know who to contact if they have safeguarding concerns. They receive training on safeguarding and the potential risks of radicalisation and extremism before they start the apprenticeship. However, these topics are not sufficiently reinforced throughout the apprenticeship. Most apprentices cannot recall what they learned or how it would impact them in their job roles. Monitoring visit: University Academy 92 Limited, 21 and 22 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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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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