Waterton Academy Trust

Further education and skills inspection report

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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Information about this provider

Waterton Academy Trust is a multi-academy trust made up of 14 schools in Wakefield and Barnsley. It began delivering apprenticeships in 2021 and currently provides the level 3 teaching assistant standard to staff in the trust’s schools and in other schools. At the time of the inspection, there were 36 apprentices on programme with a further six progressing through their end-point assessment. All apprentices were aged over 18. 18 to 20 June 2024

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

Apprentices develop significant and highly relevant knowledge, skills and behaviours as a result of the training that they receive. This helps them to make a positive contribution to their school and prepares them very well for future careers in education. For example, some apprentices are given additional responsibility for supporting the phonics programme in their school, with very high levels of success. Headteachers are delighted with the impact that apprentices have in their school.

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

Managers and tutors have expertly structured the curriculum to enable apprentices to build their confidence and resilience over time. Tutors sequence practical activities very effectively to build the confidence of apprentices in communicating with others and taking part in professional discussions. This helps apprentices to build resilience for situations when they are faced with external scrutiny of their work.

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

Apprentices enjoy their learning. They are highly motivated to complete their training and to do their best for the children whom they support. Apprentices complete additional training on topics such as autism awareness, volunteer to lead after-school clubs and take children to the pantomime at Christmas.

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

Apprentices receive helpful and practical information on how to keep themselves and others safe. Managers and tutors plan very carefully the personal development of apprentices. Consequently, apprentices understand well how to protect themselves against risks such as hate crime and how to develop digital resilience.

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better?

Leaders have a very clear and purposeful rationale for offering the level 3 teaching assistant standard. The programme sits at the heart of their people strategy, with the aim of providing high-quality training for support staff both inside and outside the trust. Headteachers are unequivocal in their satisfaction with the progress of their apprentices and their impact in the workplace.

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better?

Leaders and trustees have a strong focus on delivering apprenticeship training that they know they can do well. They employ tutors with high levels of experience in education and supporting children and involve expert leaders from the trust in the teaching of the programme. Furthermore, they commission sector specialists to support with curriculum development to ensure that apprentices receive a research- informed curriculum.

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better?

Leaders and managers plan a highly ambitious curriculum for apprentices. They include content beyond that which is required by the standard to provide apprentices with a deeper understanding of why they need to do certain things. For example, apprentices develop their understanding of valuable concepts such as how children learn and how to avoid cognitive overload. Consequently, they become skilful in leading small-group activities to support children who fall behind in class. 18 to 20 June 2024

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Tutors use highly effective teaching strategies to ensure that apprentices remember what they have been taught. They use frequent recap and review activities so that apprentices can deepen their knowledge and apply it to a range of relevant situations. For example, apprentices become adept in their application of the Breakwell Cycle to identify crisis points for the children with whom they work. They look for behaviour triggers and know when to take children out of the classroom to avoid challenging situations from escalating too far.

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Managers and tutors have a thorough understanding of the progress of their apprentices. They make highly effective use of apprentices’ existing knowledge, skills and behaviours to create a personalised programme of on- and off-the-job training to complement the half-termly taught sessions. Managers and tutors work closely with school-based mentors to review the progress that apprentices make and set precise targets to challenge and support apprentices to fill any gaps in their knowledge and skills.

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Tutors provide highly effective support to apprentices who have additional learning needs. They ensure that these apprentices benefit from additional time in which to complete their work, proofreading support from mentors and carefully constructed feedback on their work. As a result, apprentices with additional needs produce high- quality work and progress well with their studies.

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Most apprentices complete and achieve their apprenticeship. Leaders and managers have been successful in their actions to reduce the number of apprentices who leave the programme early. Almost all apprentices pass their end-point assessment first time and achieve high grades in the observation element. Apprentices remain in employment at the end of their programme. Many gain promotion to higher-level teaching assistant roles or complete further training.

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Managers and tutors provide useful guidance to apprentices on the career choices available to them after they have completed their apprenticeship. This begins with information in the programme handbook that includes detail about a range of roles, including specialist support positions and teaching roles. Along with headteachers, managers and tutors are keen to support apprentices to pursue their interests and intended next steps. Apprentices know what options they might be able to pursue in the future.

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Leaders, managers and trustees evaluate proactively the quality of education that apprentices receive. They seek feedback from inside and outside of the trust to inform improvements. Staff at all levels of the organisation recognise the strengths of their curriculum design and delivery, and where they need to make changes. Therefore, managers were able to take prompt and appropriate action to improve their teaching of functional skills mathematics. Headteachers now praise the quality of the teaching and support that apprentices receive to improve their mathematics skills.

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Leaders have governance arrangements in place that allow trustees to hold them to account for the quality of the apprenticeship programme. They recruit expert 18 to 20 June 2024

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trustees who, through a new people committee, use their experience to inform the content of the provision and ask sensible questions. For example, trustees ask leaders challenging questions about capacity to oversee the apprenticeship programme and the progress that they have made in relation to functional skills mathematics provision.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 18 to 20 June 2024

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Provider details

Address Walton Primary Academy The Grove Wakefield WF2 6LD

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Dave Dickinson

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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 18 to 20 June 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the business 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

Andrea Shepherd, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Sarah Lonsdale His Majesty’s Inspector 18 to 20 June 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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