UK Skills Academy 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

UK Skills Academy Limited began delivering apprenticeships in April 2021. There are currently 19 apprentices on standards-based apprenticeships. Ten are studying level 3 digital marketer, three are studying level 3 content creator, three are studying level 3 business administrator, two are studying level 3 IT solutions technician and one is studying level 5 operations or department manager. Nine apprentices are 16 to 18 years old. All training is taught either online or on employers’ premises. 19 to 21 March 2024

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

Apprentices receive a high standard of training. They quickly become confident and trusted members of their employers’ teams. For instance, level 3 business administrator apprentices confidently provide accurate quotations to their customers at work. Three-quarters of apprentices achieve distinction grades in their final assessments.

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

Skills coaches ensure that most apprentices have an effective understanding of fundamental British values. Apprentices routinely treat colleagues and customers with courtesy and respect. They closely adhere to a range of workplace legislation such as health and safety and data confidentiality. A few apprentices support their local communities by raising money for charity.

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

Skills coaches know their apprentices very well and make regular checks on apprentices’ health and well-being. Apprentices feel respected and greatly appreciate the high levels of sensitive and caring support that their skills coaches give them.

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

Apprentices feel safe. They know about the importance of consent and what sexual violence is. Most have an effective understanding of the dangers of extremism and radicalisation, including the local risks near where they live and work.

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better?

Leaders carefully align their apprenticeship offer to meet local and national digital skills gaps. They work closely with employers to provide relevant qualifications that fully meet the needs of apprentices and their employers’ businesses. After completing their apprenticeships, most apprentices remain in employment, become self-employed or undertake further learning.

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better?

Skills coaches teach apprentices the appropriate knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to be successful at work. For example, level 3 digital marketing apprentices initially learn about the marketing lifecycle and product awareness before learning about marketing strategy. After this, apprentices learn more complex aspects relating to complying with the required security levels to protect data across digital and social media platforms. Most apprentices make the progress expected of them.

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better?

Skills coaches have suitable qualifications and experience to teach apprentices. They benefit from a variety of training such as blog writing, aligning brand language to marketing content and integrative, reflective and adaptive teaching. This enables skills coaches to teach up-to-date and industry-relevant topics to apprentices.

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better?

Skills coaches use assessment effectively to identify gaps in learning and inform teaching, for instance asking probing questions, group discussions, written assignments and project work. This helps apprentices to know more and remember 19 to 21 March 2024

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more over time. Level 3 business administrator apprentices accurately recall how to carry out a root cause analysis to meet stakeholders’ needs.

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Skills coaches systematically carry out progress reviews for apprentices. However, in a few cases, apprentices’ line managers do not regularly attend the progress reviews. This means that these few employers do not know what they specifically need to do to help their apprentices quickly develop their skills at work.

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Skills coaches ensure that apprentices know the requirements of their end-point assessments. Most apprentices know how to achieve their targeted grades. However, this is not the case for apprentices on the level 3 content creator apprenticeship. These apprentices are unaware of the grades they can achieve.

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Leaders have in place a range of suitable quality assurance and improvement processes to monitor the quality of education for apprentices, for instance observations of teaching, peer reviews and internal moderation activities to ensure consistency in marking assignments. This enables leaders to have an accurate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in relation to the standard of training. Leaders identified a small minority of apprentices who have not completed their apprenticeships on time. They have appropriate plans in place to help apprentices swiftly catch up and successfully complete their apprenticeships.

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Apprentices receive a range of useful information that helps them to make informed choices about their next steps, for example website links to the National Careers Service and other useful online careers resources. Apprentices have had useful discussions with their line managers and skills coaches. Most apprentices know what their next steps are after they have completed their apprenticeship.

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Advisory board members receive detailed reports from senior leaders. This helps them to understand the strengths and areas they need to improve. Advisory board members closely monitor the areas that need improving. They firmly challenge leaders to make the necessary changes to improve the quality of apprentices’ training, for instance to lower the number of apprentices who leave their apprenticeships before completing. This number has considerably reduced since the previous year.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Continue to reduce the number of apprentices who leave their apprenticeships before completing and the number of apprentices who have not completed their apprenticeships on time.  Ensure that all line managers routinely attend their apprentices’ progress reviews. 19 to 21 March 2024

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Provider details

Address Riley Business Centre Preston New Road Samlesbury Preston PR5 0UP

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Gemma Beech

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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 19 to 21 March 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the chief executive officer, 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

Kim Bleasdale, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Jaqui Scott Ofsted Inspector Amanda Kennedy Ofsted Inspector 19 to 21 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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