The Coders Guild Ltd

The Coders Guild 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:

Avenue HQ 10–12 East Parade Leeds LS1 2BH Monitoring visit The Coders Guild Limited, 19 and 20 June 2024

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Context and focus of visit

The Coders Guild 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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Context and focus of visit

At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 21 apprentices on a range of digital industries standards, including level 4 DevOps engineer, level 4 software developer, level 4 software tester and level 4 associate project management. All apprentices are aged 18 or over and are employed nationally in the digital skills industry.

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Reasonable progress

Since the last inspection, leaders have appointed an apprenticeship manager who has become the key point of contact for all employers. The apprenticeship manager has worked to build successful relationships with employers that are based on effective communication. They ensure that employers have a full understanding of the commitment and expectations of an apprenticeship. As a result, employers taking on an apprentice are fully informed of the key components and requirements, such as off-the-job training and participation at progress reviews.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have provided suitable training to ensure that staff understand the fundamental aspects of a progress review, including the importance of employer involvement. Staff have engaged well with this training and are now more confident and competent to carry out progress reviews successfully. As a result, there has been a significant increase in employer engagement in the apprenticeship. Employers acknowledge the benefit of attending reviews and appreciate the time dedicated to this.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have placed more emphasis on the identification of useful and supportive targets during progress reviews. Staff now set targets collaboratively with employers and apprentices to ensure that both apprentices and their employers are clear about the knowledge, skills and behaviours that have been developed and progress to date. As a result of closer monitoring of progress towards targets, concerns are highlighted quickly and interventions are put in place. Monitoring visit The Coders Guild Limited, 19 and 20 June 2024 Leaders are continuing to explore further ways to increase employer engagement. These include the development of an employer newsletter and regular opportunities to review and feed back on the apprenticeship process. At the time of the monitoring visit, these actions were not yet fully implemented.

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Reasonable progress

Since the last inspection, a manager has taken a lead role in formalising the careers strategy and policy to ensure that all apprentices, including those aged under 18, receive impartial information regarding their career aims and future goals. They have also created additional resources, such as newsletters and career maps, and promote relevant conferences and networking events to apprentices. This means that apprentices now gain a wider insight into the industry in which they work.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that staff are suitably trained and qualified. For example, the progression lead is currently completing careers leader training as part of their professional development and has attended a conference that focused on careers in apprenticeships. As a result, the progression lead is more able to develop and implement an effective strategy for careers advice and guidance.

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Reasonable progress

Staff have begun to work collaboratively to ensure that careers advice and guidance are embedded throughout the apprenticeship journey to support apprentices as they consider their next steps. This includes the onboarding process, relevant classroom sessions, pastoral reviews and exit reviews. Staff rightly recognise that there is further work to do to ensure an effective model is fully in place that is relevant to all apprentices with whom they work.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have invested in external resources to review their careers advice and guidance strategy. They use these effectively to evaluate their current provision and inform further developments.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have put in place an effective system to monitor apprentices’ progress. This provides trainers, coaches, apprentices and employers with a clear overview of any gaps in knowledge or issues with progress. Trainers and coaches use the new system to provide apprentices with ongoing feedback throughout the programme. Monitoring visit The Coders Guild Limited, 19 and 20 June 2024 Trainers and coaches provide helpful feedback to apprentices in a range of formats, including verbal, video-recorded and written. Apprentices use this information to identify what they need to do to improve their work and make progress towards their targets. Trainers and coaches skilfully facilitate learning so that apprentices receive feedback from a range of sources, including peers, managers and staff. For example, coaches on the level 4 DevOps engineer programme encourage apprentices to collaborate in evaluating each other’s work. Apprentices value this feedback and

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Reasonable progress

Trainers and coaches provide effective feedback to apprentices during their progress reviews. Coaches, apprentices and employers work together to review and evaluate apprentices’ work and their achievements. During progress reviews, trainers and coaches provide apprentices with useful, helpful feedback that supports them to improve and make progress through their studies.

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Reasonable progress

Staff use a range of initial assessment activities to identify apprentices’ levels of knowledge and experience at the start of their programme. They discuss the outcomes of these activities with the employer and technical coach to inform curriculum planning and identify the individual needs of apprentices. Staff use apprentices’ starting points well to plan and sequence the curriculum to enable apprentices to develop the skills that they need. Trainers and coaches have a clear understanding of what apprentices need to do to progress and achieve.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers and coaches plan sessions effectively to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours of each apprentice. They adapt individual lessons and the curriculum content to ensure that all apprentices can make sense of challenging topics and situations. They provide opportunities for apprentices to refer back to previous learning and apply this to new topics. For example, apprentices on level 4 DevOps engineer refer back to previous knowledge and understanding gained within their data subject when learning about client server architecture. Monitoring visit The Coders Guild Limited, 19 and 20 June 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

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Reasonable progress

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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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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