Whitehead-Ross Education and Consulting Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Whitehead-Ross Education and Consulting Limited

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Adult learning programmes Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this provider

Whitehead-Ross Education and Consulting Limited (WREC) is an independent training provider based in Skewen, Wales. It began providing Skills Bootcamp courses to adult learners in October 2023. The Skills Bootcamp learning sessions take place at learning centres in Brighton, Newquay, Swindon, Weymouth and Worthing and online.

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Information about this provider

WREC provides Skills Bootcamp courses to 207 adults. At the time of inspection, 101 adults were studying cyber-security, 53 were studying digital support, 27 were studying television and video production and 26 were studying project management. All adults were unemployed at the start of their training. 26 to 28 June 2024

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

Adult learners do not study an ambitious curriculum. Leaders and managers do not provide adults with a curriculum that prepares them effectively for their next steps. Adults develop new knowledge, skills and behaviours, but too few gained a job interview in the earlier cohorts at the end of their Skills Bootcamp course. They do not receive sufficient careers advice and guidance from staff to help them move into employment.

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

Adults are made to feel welcome by tutors. Tutors ensure that they take part in inclusive and supportive online and face-to-face learning sessions. Most tutors know the adults well and are responsive to their learning needs. However, leaders and managers do not always ensure that a few adults with low rates of attendance receive the support they need to catch up on missed learning and complete their Skills Bootcamp course.

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

Adults enjoy learning in a safe and respectful learning environment. Tutors set high expectations for their behaviour. Tutors skilfully create learning sessions that are calm and free from disruption. They use restorative practices and conversations to deal quickly with any matters that arise between adults, ensuring that they stay on task and build resilience. Adults feel able to contribute their views confidently in sessions and do so professionally.

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better?

Leaders and managers do not work closely with local and regional employers to design the curriculum and ensure that it meets their training needs. This has contributed to too few adults moving into employment after completing the Skills Bootcamp course.

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better?

Leaders and managers do not monitor the quality of teaching closely enough. They do not ensure that professional development activities lead to continuous improvement in the quality of teaching and learning. For example, a few tutors do not implement the learning from training events, such as the use of effective teaching methods, so that adults make the expected progress during learning sessions. A minority of teaching does not support adults to learn and remember new knowledge.

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better?

Leaders and managers do not ensure that adults learn about the wide range of training and career opportunities available to them early enough to inform their decision-making. Too few adults receive meaningful interview practice and high- quality feedback from tutors to help them complete job applications and prepare for interviews with employers.

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better?

Most tutors develop adults’ knowledge and understanding of life in modern Britain well by teaching topics such as fundamental British values using age-appropriate content. Tutors are instrumental in helping most adults to develop their character 26 to 28 June 2024

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and build confidence throughout the training. For example, digital tutors support adults in developing coping strategies to help maintain positive mental health. Tutors promote adults’ knowledge of equality and inclusivity well. For example, project management tutors discuss the importance of knowing about and making adjustments for people who have protected characteristics sensitively with adults.

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Leaders and managers have a well-intended strategic plan to provide Skills Bootcamp courses to help unemployed adults move into employment. They have identified well areas in the South West and South East regions where unemployment is high and put in place training in locations to help meet the needs of adults. Leaders and managers have forged positive relationships with the Jobcentre Plus in the communities they serve so that unemployed adults are referred to the Skills Bootcamp courses that WREC provide.

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Most tutors sequence training logically so that it enables adults to build new knowledge, skills and behaviours progressively. Most tutors ensure that adults study at a pace that is right for them. For example, adults studying cyber-security develop the technical skills and behaviours they need, for example identifying how to reduce online threats before moving on to more complex content such as how to respond to online hacking incidents.

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Tutors have specialist subject knowledge. Tutors use their expertise well in learning sessions to provide adults with useful explanations. This helps adults to develop their technical vocabulary. Tutors enrich learning sessions by sharing their industry- related experiences with adults. Project management tutors put the theoretical content they teach into context using relevant examples from the workplace so that adults learn new knowledge and know how to apply it to assessments.

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Tutors provide adults, including the small number with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), with useful and effective support. Tutors provide adults with SEND with transcriptions during online learning sessions. This helps them to study at a pace that meets their learning needs. However, leaders and managers do not ensure that all adults with SEND are identified at the start of their course so that they receive the timely support they need.

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Leaders and managers have recently implemented actions to help increase the number of adults who meet their employment goals as a result of studying the Skills Bootcamp course. For example, they have appointed engagement officers to provide adults with job-related support. However, at the time of inspection, too few adults had yet to take part in a job interview or had secured employment at the end of their training.

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Leaders and managers are proactive in helping to promote the well-being of their staff. They provide staff with manageable workloads. Leaders have created a culture where adults develop positive attitudes to learning and work as a result of studying the curriculum and receiving support and guidance from tutors. 26 to 28 June 2024

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Governance arrangements are in their infancy. Leaders have recently recruited governors with significant senior leadership experience. Although leaders have plans in place to ensure that governors have the information required to effectively hold them to account for the improvement of the quality of education, it is too soon to measure the impact of governance.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Ensure that adults study an ambitious curriculum that meets the needs of local and regional employers, prepares them effectively for their next steps and leads to job interviews and employment.  Ensure that all adults with SEND are identified at the start of their course and receive timely and effective support.  Ensure that leaders provide tutors with ongoing training and support to develop further their teaching skills, have effective oversight of the quality of teaching and take appropriate remedial actions.  Make sure that governance arrangements provide leaders with effective challenge that results in swift improvements to the quality of education and training. 26 to 28 June 2024

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Provider details

Address 137 New Road Skewen West Glamorgan SA10 6HL

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Provider details

Provider type Independent training provider

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Provider details

Main Subcontractors Not applicable 26 to 28 June 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 adults’ work, seeking the views of adults, staff and other stakeholders, and examining the provider’s documentation and records.

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Inspection team

Matt Hann, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector John O’Connell Ofsted Inspector Edd Brown Ofsted Inspector Christine Ricketts Ofsted Inspector 26 to 28 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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