TRN (Train) Ltd.

TRN (Train) Limited Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead inspector: Sarah Seaman, His Majesty's Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Endeavour House Colmet Court Queensway South Team Valley Trading Estate Gateshead NE11 0EF Monitoring visit: TRN (Train) Limited, 16 and 17 April 2024

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Context and focus of visit

TRN (Train) Limited was inspected in June 2023. At that time, inspectors judged the overall effectiveness of the provision to require improvement.

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Context and focus of visit

The focus of this monitoring visit was to evaluate the progress that leaders and managers have made in resolving the main areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection.

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Significant progress

Leaders and managers have worked swiftly to identify areas for improvement and have successfully implemented actions to improve the quality of education. They have put in place effective processes to review and monitor their progress. As a result, the quality of training has improved and apprentices are making more rapid progress.

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Significant progress

Leaders and managers have revised the training requirements for their teaching staff. Following the last inspection, they raised the minimum standard to a level 5 teaching qualification and acted quickly to ensure that staff were enrolled at the earliest opportunity. All teaching staff, following their probationary period, are supported well to gain relevant skills and qualifications. Staff value this training and, as a result, have increased their confidence and found a renewed passion for teaching.

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Significant progress

Leaders and managers carry out a range of useful quality assurance activities, including lesson observations, to identify areas of strength and further development. They use the results of their lesson observation activities to identify the specific knowledge and skills that staff need to improve and the most suitable course of action. For example, following lesson observations, staff were provided with training by an external party on planning and maintaining high-quality teaching. As a result, teaching standards have improved, staff are better trained and supported, and apprentices benefit from effective teaching strategies. Monitoring visit: TRN (Train) Limited, 16 and 17 April 2024

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have introduced various strategies to enable apprentices to achieve their qualifications in English and mathematics in a timely manner. These include the recruitment of dedicated, highly experienced and well-qualified English and mathematics teachers, the implementation of a dedicated English and mathematics curriculum and the introduction of an effective tracking system to monitor apprentices’ progress. As a result, there has been an increase in the proportion of apprentices achieving their qualifications in English and mathematics.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices receive tuition from functional skills teachers who are skilled at using current teaching strategies. Teachers support apprentices to use critical thinking when completing difficult calculations and to take time to process new information. They use assessment effectively to determine apprentices’ current level of knowledge and to increase the difficulty and complexity of the topics being taught. As a result, apprentices make progress in developing new knowledge and skills in English and mathematics, and are more confident to use their skills in the workplace.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers ensure that all staff find opportunities to develop apprentices’ English and mathematic skills. Staff have completed a range of relevant training in relation to developing apprentices’ English and mathematics skills and making the teaching of these subjects relevant to industry. As a result, they are able to support the ongoing development of apprentices' English and mathematic skills. For example, skills coaches develop apprentices' knowledge in calculations and percentages when establishing medication dosages in relation to body mass index.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have taken effective and sustainable actions to improve engagement with employers. They have improved the ways in which they involve employers at all stages of the apprenticeship. Leaders have implemented a pre- enrolment activity to establish the suitability of potential apprentices and their employers. They complete a range of activities to ensure that potential apprentices have access to activities at work that will enable them to develop and build their knowledge, skills and behaviours and have sufficient access to on- and off-the-job training. Monitoring visit: TRN (Train) Limited, 16 and 17 April 2024 Leaders and staff have implemented effective strategies to increase the engagement of employers in their apprentices’ training. Employers have attended a programme of workshops to raise their understanding of the responsibilities and expectations of the apprenticeship. Topics included on- and off-the-job training requirements, the need

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Reasonable progress

to attend progress reviews and delivery of the apprenticeship standards. In addition, leaders and staff consult with employers and relevant stakeholders on their apprenticeship provision to ensure that it is up to date and industry-relevant. Employers who have attended these workshops are very positive about the purpose and content.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have recruited new staff to monitor the engagement of employers, including appointing two additional training managers and expanding the number of business development managers. Training managers and business development managers monitor employer engagement and implement effective actions and interventions when it is not sufficient. As a result, there has been a significant increase in employer presence and involvement in progress review meetings and target setting.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders, managers and staff have designed and implemented bespoke programmes of study for each apprenticeship standard, ensuring that topics covered and sequencing of delivery are contextually relevant to the industry that apprentices work in and their qualification. As a result, apprentices are developing useful knowledge and skills beyond the main curriculum.

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Reasonable progress

Staff have developed a well-considered personal development programme which includes topics such as safeguarding, online safety, fundamental British values and mental health awareness. A new topic is released each month and completion is monitored by staff and followed up in individual meetings and progress reviews with apprentices. Apprentices recall their learning well about these topics. They can identify the benefits that their learning brings to them as individuals and its application in their job roles.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and staff have created resources to support the personal development of their apprentices. These include workbooks, further reading and an online learning platform. Apprentices value the resources, which they use to learn independently and to reinforce learning from taught sessions.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices produce a good standard of work that demonstrates their understanding of the topics studied. They present their work well in a variety of formats including text, presentations and discussions. Apprentices are proud of the work that they produce. They apply their knowledge well, enabling them to work safely and confidently in their workplaces. Monitoring visit: TRN (Train) Limited, 16 and 17 April 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

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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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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