Fearless Adventures Academy Limited

Fearless Adventures Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Anita Pyrkotsch-Jones, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider Address: Suite 3 Grove Chambers 36 Green Lane Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 1LD Monitoring visit: Fearless Adventures Limited, 3 and 4 July 2024

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Context and focus of visit

Ofsted undertakes to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of adult learning provision where the provision offered is in scope for inspection. This monitoring visit was undertaken as part of those arrangements and as outlined in the ‘Further education and skills inspection handbook’, especially the sections entitled ‘Monitoring visits’ and ‘Monitoring visits to providers that are newly directly publicly funded’. The focus of these visits is on the themes set out below.

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Context and focus of visit

Fearless Adventures Limited (Fearless Adventures) is an independent learning provider based in Wilmslow, Cheshire. Fearless Adventures initially received its funding from the Department for Education to provide Skills Bootcamps in October 2023. At the time of the monitoring visit, the provider had 150 adult learners enrolled on a digital marketing Skills Bootcamp.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have carefully considered the development of the Skills Bootcamp. Leaders and managers work closely with employers and partners to develop the curriculum to meet the needs of digital marketing employers and learners. The twelve-week course enables learners to learn from industry specialists and guest speakers about topics such as affiliate marketing, personal branding, content creation and email marketing.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders plan the curriculum with employers and partners so that learners develop a broad range of digital marketing skills. This helps learners to make decisions about the aspects of digital marketing that they want to specialise in, such as website development, artificial intelligence or social media.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders rightly recognised that too many learners were leaving the Skills Bootcamp early. They have reviewed and amended the recruitment process and the assessments to identify learners’ starting points. This has helped to improve significantly the proportion of learners who complete the Skills Bootcamp.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that all learners have a guaranteed interview for jobs in the digital marketing sector. Most learners move into apprenticeships or jobs such as junior copywriters, graphic designers, analysts, marketing executives, business exposocial content makers, account managers and programmatic assistants.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have worked diligently to develop and implement thorough quality assurance processes. They monitor the progress of learners closely. Leaders use the results Monitoring visit: Fearless Adventures Limited, 3 and 4 July 2024 from frequent learner evaluations of Skills Bootcamp sessions to inform improvements to the curriculum.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have recently appointed an external governor who has extensive experience and expertise in further education. The governor has attended one meeting with leaders to evaluate the quality of training that learners receive. Leaders and the governor rightly recognise that governance is in its infancy.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have developed an ambitious Skills Bootcamp curriculum that mentors teach in an order that builds learners’ knowledge, skills and behaviours. Learners initially learn about colour palettes and font pairing when developing social media content. They move on to completing complex skilled tasks such as creating low- and high- fidelity wireframes. This helps to prepare learners effectively for a career in the digital marketing sector.

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Reasonable progress

Learners produce work of a high standard that includes research in and analysis of digital marketing. Learners’ work becomes increasingly more complex and demonstrates the development of knowledge and skills gained during the Skills Bootcamp. Mentors provide learners with effective and developmental oral feedback. In a few instances, mentors’ written feedback to learners following written assessments does not always identify what learners have done well and what they need to do to improve the quality of their work.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors ensure that learners understand the potential dangers in using artificial intelligence (AI) and the need to routinely check the accuracy and integrity of digital programming. For example, learners learn about AI programmes that identify how to respond to people and how responses can start as kind and compassionate before changing to homophobic and racist. This contributes to learners’ improved confidence and skills in applying their learning when completing tasks using AI.

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Reasonable progress

Mentors support learners effectively, such as when writing CVs, letters of application and preparing for interviews. Learners practise sales pitches for a new brand or product, receiving constructive oral feedback from mentors before pitching to prospective employers. Learners benefit from effective careers advice that helps them to focus on their next steps and to prepare for forthcoming job interviews.

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Reasonable progress

The members of the safeguarding team deal with safeguarding concerns quickly and efficiently. They refer learners to external agencies such as NHS mental health crisis Monitoring visit: Fearless Adventures Limited, 3 and 4 July 2024 teams and the emergency services. The team members monitor safeguarding cases closely. Safeguarding records are comprehensive and frequently updated.

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Reasonable progress

Staff place a high priority on ensuring that learners have a thorough understanding of internet safety so that they can keep themselves safe from cyber threats when working in the digital marketing sector.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers follow safer recruitment practices when they employ staff. They carry out appropriate checks to ensure the suitability of staff to work with learners. Monitoring visit: Fearless Adventures Limited, 3 and 4 July 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 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Reasonable progress

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Reasonable progress

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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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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