Varsity Training Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Apprenticeships Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this provider

Varsity Training Limited (VTL) is based in Weston-Super-Mare and provides training to apprentices, who mostly work in healthcare settings in Devon and Somerset. At the time of the inspection, 48 apprentices were studying with VTL, 32 were studying the senior healthcare support worker standard at level 3, eight the healthcare assistant practitioner standard at level 5, five the operations department manager standard at level 5, and three were studying the team leader or supervisor standard at level 3. All apprentices are adults and almost all of the teaching takes place online. 20 to 22 March 2024

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

Apprentices enjoy their training and are committed to their learning. This is because assessors teach content in a logical order so that apprentices successfully build their knowledge and skills over time and are well prepared for their next steps. For example, healthcare apprentices working in a surgical environment and learn about theatre practice early in their training. This enables them to practise their new skills, such as working with unconscious patients, from the start of their apprenticeships. However, leaders do not support apprentices with opportunities to take part in charitable or social action projects. As a result, apprentices miss chances to learn about how they might use their skills and knowledge to contribute to the wider society.

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

Apprentices value the positive relationships they develop with their assessors. They feel safe at work and are supported well by their tutors. Apprentices particularly appreciate assessors’ focus on their mental health and well-being. Assessors develop a person-centred approach to the care they provide. This helps apprentices to become considerate professionals, who learn to manage complex workplace scenarios with empathy. As a result, apprentices build their resilience and confidence at work. However, assessors do not teach apprentices well enough about healthy living. As a result, apprentices do not remember useful information about how to keep themselves healthy when working in sometimes physically demanding environments with varied shift patterns.

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

Tutors provide apprentices with well-informed and helpful careers advice. They share and discuss with apprentices a range of useful and high-quality online resources, including access to NHS employment vacancy sites, which they discuss at review meetings. As a result, apprentices have a good understanding of the employment opportunities in their sector. Apprentices use this information well to inform their decision-making about their next steps, and to identify the skills and knowledge they need to develop further in order to achieve their goals and ambitions.

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better?

Leaders have developed valuable, care-focused training which is effective in helping to address a local and national skills gap. They have effective employer relationships and work well with large employers, such as NHS trusts, to inform the training they provide. Leaders have also developed a small number of useful apprenticeships in team leading and supervisor roles. This is in response to the requests made by employers, such as local councils, with whom they have longstanding partnerships. As a result, the curriculum that apprentices learn is valued highly by employers.

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better?

Leaders have set high standards for the training they provide, and they are aspirational for their apprentices. Leaders have developed a high-quality curriculum that helps to develop apprentices beyond the requirements of the apprenticeship 20 to 22 March 2024

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standard. This helps to ensure that apprentices are well equipped to provide the best possible care and support for the patients and clients they work with. Apprentices develop significant new skills, knowledge and behaviours, and take on additional responsibilities at work. For example, apprentices studying the level 5 operational department manager standard, apply their new learning to how to manage complex projects and take the lead on the rollout of new initiatives in their workplace.

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Leaders ensure that those apprentices who have additional learning needs (ALN) are supported well by assessors. They provide apprentices with personalised learning resources and adjust their assessments, such as offering opportunities for professional discussions as an alternative to written tasks. As a result, apprentices with ALN make the expected progress in their learning, which is in line with their peers.

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Leaders support assessors well to develop their teaching skills. They provide assessors with opportunities to study useful formal teaching qualifications, and take part in ongoing professional training in topics such as assessment strategies. As a result, assessors are highly skilled teachers who plan effective training.

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Assessors have high levels of industry specialism and experience, which they use effectively to ensure that training meets apprentices’ and employers’ needs. They revisit content frequently and ensure that apprentices have timely opportunities to practise what they have learned at work. This helps apprentices to deepen and secure new knowledge. Because of this, apprentices develop substantial new skills, knowledge and behaviours, which they apply well in their workplace. For example, apprentices studying the senior healthcare worker standard learn about a range of communication methods and styles while they are working on neo-natal wards. This helps them to better interpret and respond to non-verbal cues from their patients. However, assessors do not always make good enough use of the information they collect about what apprentices already know and can do at the start of their training to personalise training. As a result, a minority of apprentices do not learn at the

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Assessors prepare apprentices well for their final exams. They use mock assessments to help apprentices to identify gaps in knowledge, and to provide them with additional support to help to correct any misconceptions and fill the gaps. As a result, apprentices know what they need to do to successfully complete their apprenticeship, and many achieve high grades in their exams.

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Assessors support employers well to ensure that all apprentices receive their entitlement of time off work to take part in training. Assessors frequently meet with apprentices and employers to discuss the progress apprentices are making in learning new knowledge and developing new skills. Assessors use these opportunities well to provide apprentices with useful feedback on their written and practical work, and use questioning effectively to help to consolidate apprentices’ learning. Assessors make skilful use of workplace scenarios to test and extend apprentices’ learning. For example, assessors ask apprentices to consider and 20 to 22 March 2024

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explain how and why they would respond to a specific set of patient’s needs in a ward-based context. This helps apprentices to secure their understanding and know how to apply their learning at work.

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Leaders manage VTL well. They use well-considered quality processes to inform useful improvement plans, and to ensure that assessors provide apprentices with a high standard of training. For example, leaders developed and implemented a plan to help assessors to link better the teaching of mathematics and English to apprentices’ workplace activity. This has contributed to high first-time pass rates in functional skills exams. Leaders work well with governors who are appropriately experienced. They use their detailed knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision to inform valuable discussions with governors, who in turn provide them with good levels of scrutiny and challenge.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Ensure that apprentices are taught and learn how to keep themselves physically fit and healthy.  Ensure that assessors use the information about what apprentices know and can do at the start of their course to personalise their training.  Ensure that apprentices have the opportunities to take part in social action projects. 20 to 22 March 2024

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Provider details

Address Pure Offices 137 Pastures Avenue St Georges North Somerset BS22 7SB

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Del Wraight

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Provider details

Main subcontractors None 20 to 22 March 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the company director 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.

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Inspection team

Paul James, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Maria Woodger Ofsted Inspector 20 to 22 March 2024

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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.

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