Paddington Development Trust

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Paddington Development Trust

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Adult learning programmes Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Information about this provider

Paddington Development Trust (PDT) is a registered charity based in Westminster. It offers training to adults from the local community, including many who are unemployed. Most learners speak English as an additional language.

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Information about this provider

PDT no longer has a direct adult education budget contract. They continue to offer courses funded by adult learning loans. At the time of the inspection, there were 10 adult learners. Six learners studied level 3 early years practitioner and four studied level 4 certificate in education and training. None of the learners had any special educational needs and/or disabilities. Courses are taught online. The provider does not work with any subcontractors. 25 to 27 June 2024

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

Learners value the highly supportive, respectful and inclusive learning environment that tutors create. Tutors build positive relationships with learners. They warmly welcome learners to online lessons and put them at ease, so learners feel comfortable to contribute. Most learners attend their sessions. When learners have to miss any sessions, tutors help them to catch up.

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

Learners benefit from an interesting and relevant personal development programme. During lessons, tutors explore topics to encourage learners to have healthy lifestyles. For example, learners know the importance of nutrition to combat tiredness. Tutors raise learners’ awareness of wider issues such as global warming and the concerns with single-use plastics. A few learners attend extra courses in areas such as paediatric first aid, food hygiene and workplace mental health first aid. These courses enhance their vocational knowledge.

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

Learners feel safe in the online learning environment and at work or in their work placements. Tutors ensure they teach safeguarding throughout each course. Learners understand the importance of safeguarding in the settings where they work and in their personal lives. Learners know how to complete risk assessments at work. They can identify risks for children such as slipping and falling.

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better?

Since the previous inspection, leaders have implemented appropriate actions to improve the quality of the training they offer. Leaders and managers have improved the support for learners who speak English as an additional language. They have stopped working with subcontractors as the proportion of learners who completed and achieved their qualifications with them was poor. Leaders and managers now offer courses in areas where they have close links with employers and tutors have considerable experience.

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better?

Tutors use a good range of teaching approaches to ensure that learners understand the concepts they teach them. On the level 3 early years practitioner course, tutors use videos effectively to introduce new concepts and question learners on their prior knowledge. Tutors use quizzes appropriately to check what learners understand. They use online breakout rooms sensitively to give one-to-one support. Learners enjoy sharing their experiences and learning from each other.

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better?

Tutors generally adapt their teaching effectively during lessons to take account of learners’ prior experiences. For example, tutors elicit in-depth responses from learners with more childcare knowledge. However, tutors and managers do not consistently use the information they have on learners’ widely varying prior experience and knowledge to inform their learning plans.

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better?

Learners apply their new knowledge and skills adeptly in their work settings. Learners based within school settings apply their knowledge of teaching approaches. 25 to 27 June 2024

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They know how teachers use retrieval practice to recap earlier sessions and check what children can remember. Level 4 education and training learners improve their practice as room leaders. They recognise the importance of listening to the views of others when planning activities. They develop the skills to design development plans and teaching resources to train other childcare professionals.

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Tutors ensure that learners receive useful, guiding feedback so that learners know what they need to do to improve their work. Tutors are ambitious for learners. They encourage learners to improve their work beyond the pass criteria. Nearly half of the learners achieve merits and distinctions. However, in a few cases, tutors do not identify how learners can improve their spelling, punctuation and grammar in written work.

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Leaders and managers ensure that learners receive useful careers advice and guidance so that they can make suitably informed decisions about their next steps. Leaders and managers have developed a series of informative workshops on topics such as confidence and motivation, completing CVs and applying for jobs. Tutors ensure that learners know about the different career routes they can take and the qualifications they can achieve on completion of their current courses.

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Leaders and managers have ensured that tutors receive the high-quality professional development they need. Tutors continue to improve their teaching skills. Tutors without formal teaching qualifications study towards these. Leaders and managers give tutors evaluative feedback on their teaching sessions. Leaders and managers use this information effectively to inform tutors’ development plans and plan team training sessions. Teaching staff continually share best practice. Tutors review topics such as the best way to ask challenging questions.

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Governors have a good understanding of the strengths and areas for improvement at PDT. They challenge leaders effectively on these. For example, governors ensure that leaders base their self-assessment report gradings on sufficient and reliable evidence.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Use information on learners’ starting points consistently to adapt their learning plans to meet learners’ needs.  Make sure that tutors consistently identify how learners can improve their spelling, punctuation and grammar in written work. 25 to 27 June 2024

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Provider details

Address The Stowe Centre 258 Harrow Road London W2 5ES

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Neil Johnston

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection 7 to 9 December 2021

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Provider details

Main subcontractors None 25 to 27 June 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the quality coordinator, 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

Georgina Ager, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Rebecca Jennings His Majesty’s Inspector 25 to 27 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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