Capital 4 Training Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Capital 4 Training Limited

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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 Requires improvement

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Information about this provider

Capital 4 Training Limited provides apprenticeships across the North East and the East Midlands. There were 292 apprentices at the time of the inspection, of whom 277 were studying level 2 construction plant operative and 15 were studying level 3 team leader and/or supervisor. Most apprentices are aged over 18. Apprentices attend training at employer premises or in training centres where they access specialist plant machinery. 19 to 22 March 2024

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

Apprentices are motivated and committed to their training. They benefit from high- quality training delivered by experienced trainers who create a professional environment in which apprentices thrive. Apprentices attend well and have positive attitudes to their learning. They demonstrate a professional approach to their work and are respectful, polite and courteous when participating in training activities.

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

Apprentices’ confidence, resilience and knowledge improve over time due to the support that they receive from their trainers. For example, on the level 3 team leader and/or supervisor programme, apprentices’ confidence significantly improves as they take on greater responsibilities at work. As apprentices become more self- assured, many achieve promotion in their workplace.

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

Apprentices use language thoughtfully and demonstrate appropriate behaviours in the construction workplace. Trainers teach them how to be a considerate employee, and apprentices know what this means. When speaking informally with colleagues, apprentices watch out for changes in facial expressions, ensuring that colleagues do not take offence or misinterpret any friendly jocular comments.

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

Apprentices have high aspirations for their future careers. They recognise that their development of new skills and knowledge results in increased salaries and better job prospects. Level 2 construction plant operative apprentices appreciate that their earning capacity improves through their ability to drive plant machinery safely on construction sites. Apprentices benefit from taking additional qualifications, such as site supervision safety training, which enables them to progress into supervisory positions.

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

Apprentices feel safe. They are aware of the safeguarding processes of their employers and know the roles of safeguarding officers. Apprentices feel confident to speak up if they have any concerns.

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better?

Leaders have taken appropriate actions to review their apprenticeship offer since the last inspection. They have ceased offering highways maintenance and groundworker apprenticeships due to a lack of commitment from employers. They now work closely with employers to identify the knowledge and skills that apprentices need. For example, the construction plant operative apprenticeship provides a successful route to enable employees who work in groundwork roles to acquire the skills and knowledge that they need to drive heavy plant machinery.

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better?

Most apprentices make at least expected progress from their starting points and develop substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours. However, a very few apprentices on the construction plant operative apprenticeship have already gained related qualifications. While these few apprentices develop new techniques and 19 to 22 March 2024

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valuable skills, such as knowing better how to manage lifting heavy loads, they repeat training in some aspects in which they are already competent.

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Managers and trainers sequence the curriculum content effectively. Apprentices on construction plant operative are first taught vital health and safety knowledge before moving on to operating plant machinery. This enables them to work safely and know how each machine works and is used. As a result, over time apprentices develop competency and mastery to operate a range of equipment.

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Trainers use a range of teaching strategies well to help apprentices quickly acquire new knowledge, skills and behaviours. They question apprentices effectively and check and correct misconceptions. As a result of the effective training that they receive, apprentices quickly acquire key occupational skills such as manoeuvring pallets to a 100-millimetre tolerance and stacking them at height with precision.

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Trainers assess apprentices’ knowledge and skills securely through a range of effective strategies. They set up useful mock assessments and activities which replicate the end-point assessment. Trainers continually ask apprentices to describe what they do in practical activities, which helps apprentices prepare for their professional discussion. On the construction plant operative apprenticeship, trainers accurately assess apprentices’ practical skills using video recording and photographs and provide helpful guidance on how apprentices can improve.

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Trainers do not support apprentices to record their off-the-job activity in training logs accurately. Apprentices place too much emphasis on recording off-the-job hours and are not encouraged to focus on how they can develop their knowledge, skills and behaviours further. As a result, they do not develop a full understanding of how to reflect independently on their learning or what they need to do to strengthen their understanding.

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Apprentices successfully extend their English and mathematics skills. On the construction plant operative apprenticeship, trainers help apprentices to practise mental arithmetic in calculating weights and angles, and how to apply this in considering the dangers of excessive loads.

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Trainers equip apprentices with a strong sense of responsibility. Apprentices are considerate of others when manoeuvring machinery on construction sites and know the importance of reporting faults and defects following pre-inspection checks. They use their new knowledge and skills when operating the telehandler and the 360- degree excavator, being mindful of what can go wrong when working on sites. Apprentices are made fully aware of the zero-tolerance expectations towards drug and alcohol abuse and the potential consequences should they be found to test positive for the use of these substances.

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Leaders and managers provide staff with appropriate training and development based on the outcome of their reviews of the quality of training. Trainers are supported to improve their teaching skills by studying for teaching and assessment 19 to 22 March 2024

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qualifications. They are encouraged to maintain their specialist knowledge, particularly in the construction industry.

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Leaders and managers are considerate of the workload and well-being of staff who feel well supported by their managers. Staff feel that their workloads are manageable and have frequent meetings to review this with their managers.

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Leaders and managers have improved their delivery of functional skills provision since the last inspection. They work well with employers to organise provision to enhance apprentices’ functional skills through, for example, providing tuition when employers have ‘downtime’. Most apprentices who need to acquire functional skills qualifications achieve these at their first attempt. However, in a few cases, apprentices do not sit their functional skills examinations until very close to the end of the programme, potentially delaying their achievement if they do not pass first time.

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Trainers provide apprentices with helpful careers advice and guidance. They frequently discuss with apprentices how to develop their careers and the steps needed to achieve their aspirations. Level 2 construction plant operative apprentices discuss the range of job roles within construction and demolition and identify further qualifications that they may need to obtain. Trainers on the level 3 team leader and/or supervisor programme have useful discussions with apprentices about their career aspirations and prepare them well for interviews. As a result, apprentices are well prepared for the next steps in their chosen careers.

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Leaders and managers rightly accept that the proportion of apprentices completing and achieving their apprenticeship has been too low in previous years. Since the last inspection, leaders have successfully improved their quality assurance processes to help them address the reasons for this. They now have a much stronger focus on reviewing apprentices’ progress and taking action to improve this where necessary. As a result, a greater proportion of apprentices now stay on programme and are on track to achieve.

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Leaders and managers benefit from challenge about the quality and leadership of the provision through a proactive employer advisory board. Members rightly challenge leaders and managers to assess and improve the quality of training. They have recently provided additional scrutiny of the effectiveness of quality assurance processes.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Support apprentices to reflect more accurately on their learning through their recording of off-the-job training and to identify what they need to do to 19 to 22 March 2024

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consolidate and strengthen their knowledge and skills.  Use the results of the assessments of apprentices’ starting points to ensure that all apprentices are developing substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours and not repeating training in areas where their knowledge and skills are already secure.  Maintain the strong emphasis on reviewing apprentices’ progress to ensure that apprentices remain on track to achieve. 19 to 22 March 2024

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Provider details

Address Collingwood Buildings 38 Collingwood Street Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1JF

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Andrew White

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection 19 to 22 October 2021 19 to 22 March 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the quality manager, 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

Mark Keen, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Chloe Rendall His Majesty’s Inspector Michelle Elliott Ofsted Inspector Tina Ockerby Ofsted Inspector 19 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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