The Square Metre Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Apprenticeships Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

p.1

Information about this provider

The Square Metre Limited is an independent learning provider based in Redditch, Worcestershire. The provider gained a contract to deliver apprenticeships in 2018. At the time of the inspection, there were 20 adult apprentices, all on the operations or departmental manager apprenticeship at level 5. All apprentices work within the crowd safety management sector and are based in many regions across England. The provider does not work with any subcontractors. 20 to 22 March 2024

p.1

What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices value highly the recently appointed skills coaches who help them to link the new knowledge they gain in theory lessons with their workplace practice. Apprentices report that this helps them to make progress with their studies.

p.2

What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices are motivated and the majority aspire to achieve distinction grades in their final assessments. However, in a few cases, apprentices find it difficult to manage their workload and complete assignments on time. Where this is the case, most employers provide apprentices with the time they need to catch up with their studies.

p.2

What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

In most cases, attendance at theory lessons is high. Where apprentices are unable to attend theory lessons, often due to work pressures, tutors provide them with access to catch-up sessions and recorded lessons that help them to stay on track with their studies.

p.2

What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices have a good awareness of the risks associated with extremism and radicalisation and the potential threats that they may face in the crowd safety management sector. For example, apprentices discuss how they recognise suspicious behaviour and deal with unattended baggage at large public events.

p.2

What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices feel safe in the workplace. They know who to report any safeguarding concerns to. They have confidence that the provider’s staff would treat any concerns they report seriously and sensitively.

p.2

better?

Senior leaders have a very clear rationale for the curriculum that they offer. They use their strong links with employers such as the police and national football clubs to design an ambitious curriculum that aims to fill significant management skills gaps within the crowd safety management sector. Apprentices study additional qualifications, including the level 4 diploma in spectator safety management and the level 5 award in crowd safety.

p.2

better?

Senior leaders and tutors plan and teach the curriculum in a logical order. Apprentices first learn about the history of crowd management and licensing before they learn about the concepts of operational management and leadership. They then learn about operational crowd management and project management. Consequently, apprentices build their learning in meaningful steps over time.

p.2

better?

While leaders have made improvements since the previous inspection, they have not addressed sufficiently the weaknesses identified in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Following a recent quality review, leaders have identified several areas for improvement. As a result, they have made recent changes to the apprenticeship management structure. However, it is too soon to see the impact of these actions. 20 to 22 March 2024

p.2

3

Leaders have recruited well-qualified industry experts to teach their apprentices. Tutors maintain their professional expertise by working worldwide within the crowd safety management sector. However, leaders have not ensured that they provide tutors with sufficient support to develop their teaching skills.

p.3

3

Tutors use their extensive knowledge of working in the crowd safety management sector to teach apprentices. They provide apprentices with powerful examples of well-known disasters, such as the Manchester Arena bombing. They share the learning from these tragedies such as ‘Martyn’s Law’. However, tutors do not make use of effective teaching strategies. Too often, teaching is fast-paced and information rich. Teaching methods lack variety to ensure that apprentices learn key concepts and remember more over time.

p.3

3

Tutors do not consider well enough what apprentices already know and can do at the start of their programme to enable them to plan learning that is sufficiently individualised. Most apprentices have existing experience in the crowd safety management sector and often work in management positions. In some cases, tutors cover topics that apprentices already know. As a result, apprentices do not always make the progress that they are capable of from their respective starting points.

p.3

3

Tutors do not use assessment strategies well enough in theory lessons. They do not use assessment effectively to check and consolidate apprentices’ learning and to correct misconceptions. Consequently, apprentices are not always able to express confidently what they know and can do as a result of their learning.

p.3

3

Recently appointed skills coaches frequently review apprentices’ progress. They support apprentices well to identify the new knowledge they have developed and help them to identify how they may apply their new knowledge in the workplace. In some cases, employers participate in progress reviews with apprentices and skills coaches. This enables effective planning of on- and off-the-job training. However, not all employers participate in progress reviews.

p.3

3

Tutors’ feedback to apprentices on their written work is too variable. Where tutors provide feedback that is developmental and constructive, apprentices improve their work and understand how they can achieve high grades. However, where feedback is informal and not recorded, apprentices are not sufficiently clear about what they need to do to improve.

p.3

3

Specialist tutors support apprentices well to develop their English and mathematics skills. They provide one-to-one coaching sessions to help apprentices achieve their functional skills qualifications. In vocational lessons, apprentices calculate capacity and rates of crowd flow to ensure that outdoor events are safe for public attendance. As a result, most apprentices fill their skills gaps in these skills.

p.3

3

Most apprentices are aware of the career opportunities available to them within the crowd safety and security sector. They are prepared well for the next phase of their career development. However, apprentices are not always sufficiently aware of how 20 to 22 March 2024

p.3

4

they may use the transferrable skills that they gain, outside of the crowd safety management sector.

p.4

4

Most apprentices develop new knowledge, skills and behaviours. For example, with their employers’ support, they plan and manage complex projects such as large national music festivals and public firework displays. They demonstrate their new learning about ‘Martyn’s Law’ and how this applies to crowd safety measures.

p.4

4

Leaders and managers have quality processes in place, which include activities such as observations of teaching and reviews of apprentices’ work. However, observation reports are overly descriptive and focus too much on what tutors do. They lack emphasis on the effectiveness of planned learning in deepening apprentices’ knowledge. As a result, these activities do not give leaders a clear understanding of the areas of teaching that need to improve.

p.4

4

Leaders and managers now review the quality of their apprenticeship provision frequently. Historically, the management information leaders used focused too heavily on compliance and not sharply enough on the quality of education that apprentices receive. More recently, leaders and managers have placed a clearer focus on the quality of apprenticeships. For example, they now receive monthly quality reports to identify apprentices at risk of not completing their apprenticeship and identify strategies to help apprentices to stay on track with their studies. As a result, the majority of current apprentices are making the expected progress.

p.4

4

Governors provide appropriate challenge to senior leaders. Since leaders have focused more sharply on the quality of education apprentices receive, governors have been able to provide appropriate challenge.

p.4

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.4

What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Support tutors to further develop their teaching skills.  Use information about what apprentices already know and can do to plan their learning so that all apprentices develop substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours and make the progress they are capable of.  Ensure that tutors use a variety of teaching and assessment strategies to support apprentices to know more and remember more.  Provide feedback that supports all apprentices to improve their work to the highest standard of which they are capable.  Ensure that all line managers routinely attend apprentices’ progress reviews so that they are involved in on- and off-the-job planning.  Ensure that all apprentices are aware of how they may use the transferrable skills that they develop outside of the crowd safety management sector. 20 to 22 March 2024

p.4

5

 Focus observations of teaching and learning more precisely on the quality of teaching and learning apprentices receive. 20 to 22 March 2024

p.5

Provider details

Address The Former County Court 13 Church Road Redditch B97 4AB

p.6

Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Andy Hollinson

p.6

Provider details

Provider type Independent Learning Provider

p.6

Provider details

Date of previous inspection 12 to 14 April 2022

p.6

Provider details

Main subcontractors None 20 to 22 March 2024

p.6

Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the group head of operations, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous inspection report. The inspection was carried out using the further education and skills inspection handbook and took into account all relevant provision at the provider. Inspectors collected a wide range of evidence to inform judgements including visiting learning sessions, scrutinising learners’ work, seeking the views of learners, staff and other stakeholders, and examining the provider’s documentation and records.

p.7

Inspection team

Maggie Fobister, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Steve Kelly His Majesty’s Inspector 20 to 22 March 2024

p.7

8

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.8

8

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.8

8

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.8

8

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

8

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8