Achieving Excellence Uk Ltd

Achieving Excellence UK Ltd Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead inspector: Andrea McMahon, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

8 Belmont Hill London SE13 5BD Achieving Excellence UK Ltd, 10 and 11 July 2024

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Context and focus of visit

Achieving Excellence UK Ltd was inspected in July 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 241 apprentices studying standards in adult care, 184 apprentices studying standards in children, young people and families, 35 apprentices studying standards in early years, 8 apprentices studying a business administrator standard, and fewer than 5 apprentices studying team leader or supervisor, and operations or departmental manager standards.

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Reasonable progress

Staff carry out suitable checks of what apprentices know and can do at the start of their courses. Apprentices complete assessments of the skills and knowledge they already have, including in English and mathematics. Staff use this information well to create a suitable curriculum. Where apprentices have existing qualifications, staff recognise these so apprentices do not have to repeat what they already know. Staff place apprentices on the right course that helps them develop new knowledge, skills and behaviours. Apprentices study an ambitious curriculum. Tutors include up-to-date information that goes beyond the basic requirements of the training. For example, children, young people and families tutors teach apprentices about approaches to professional client supervision and managing difficult situations. This contributes to apprentices having the confidence to take on additional responsibilities at work.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors and employers work closely together to plan a curriculum that meets apprentices’ and employers’ needs . For example, after discussions with employers, childcare tutors include a unit on communicating with individuals with autism that includes helpful guidance on different verbal and non-verbal communication strategies. As a result, apprentices know how to select the right strategy to communicate with service users in the residential settings where they work. Achieving Excellence UK Ltd, 10 and 11 July 2024 Tutors adapt how they teach the curriculum appropriately. They adjust the content they teach and when they teach it to include the knowledge and skills apprentices need at work. For example, early years tutors adapt the timing of a unit on transitioning to primary school to support apprentices to prepare the children in the nurseries they work in to move on to primary schools.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have not ensured that they sequence functional skills training into the curriculum early enough. Too many apprentices are behind with their training as they have not completed these qualifications.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous inspection, leaders and managers have placed a high priority on improving teaching. They have recently recruited performance managers to support tutors to improve their teaching skills. Performance managers routinely hold team meetings, where tutors share their ideas with each other and practise new skills before they teach their apprentices. Managers carry out regular teaching observations and, subsequently, set tutors improvement targets. Leaders have invested in staff training to support tutors to teach online. Tutors now better understand how to use the different tools available in the remote learning environment. For example, tutors use digital interactive whiteboards and online quizzes to test apprentices’ knowledge. Tutors have increased their confidence in and knowledge of teaching online. However, tutors need to further refine their skills with these tools to teach more effectively.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors mostly use a range of teaching methods to teach well. During teaching sessions, they use clear presentations to introduce new ideas, break down complex topics step by step, and provide up-to-date case studies and examples to reinforce key themes. They help apprentices understand new theories by asking them to apply them to their own context. For example, children, young people and families manager apprentices better understand leadership and management models by reflecting on the staff they manage in residential and care settings. Apprentices learn new knowledge, skills and behaviours that employers value.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers took swift action to reinforce with employers the requirement to attend the progress reviews of their apprentices. To facilitate this, they now plan review dates for the duration of apprentices’ training and share these in advance. However, employers do not consistently attend progress reviews with apprentices Achieving Excellence UK Ltd, 10 and 11 July 2024 and tutors. As a result, these employers do not contribute their views on apprentices’ progress or what skills apprentices need to develop. Tutors work well with employers to keep them updated about apprentices’ progress, particularly when employers do not attend progress reviews. Tutors check with employers that apprentices complete work tasks competently. Employers update tutors about the progress that apprentices make at work. In a small proportion of cases, tutors do not routinely adapt apprentices’ individual training plans to reflect

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Reasonable progress

the tasks and skills that apprentices develop. This means that not all apprentices and employers have a current understanding of apprentices’ progress. Employers speak positively of the support and regular communications they receive from tutors. Employers appreciate the useful reminders they receive about the tasks apprentices need to complete. They value the frequent updates about apprentices’ progress that tutors provide through emails and workplace visits, and the flexible way in which tutors work. For example, care home managers appreciate the fact that childcare tutors make last minute adaptions to the timings of workshops they carry out in their settings to fit in with their service users and their activities.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders now have suitable staff in place to manage and teach their curriculum. They have stabilised their staffing by employing more permanent tutors. They have recruited well-qualified and experienced performance managers to oversee their childcare and care curriculums. Working with leaders, performance managers have improved the thoroughness of their quality assurance processes. For example, they carry out frequent checks on apprentices’ work and have a detailed oversight of when apprentices fall behind and the actions they take to get them back on track. Leaders and managers have a more accurate understanding of their curriculum. For example, managers closely monitor the progress apprentices make through their courses and provide frequent updates to leaders. Tutors provide additional one-to- one teaching for those apprentices who are behind with their training. As a result, the number of apprentices who do not achieve on time is gradually improving.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have put in place an appropriate staff development programme. Tutors undertake professional development in areas that help them in their job roles, such as teaching online, assessment and understanding neurodiversity. Leaders support tutors who need a teaching qualification to gain one. Apprentices benefit from being taught by tutors who are knowledgeable and have expertise in the sectors they are training to work in. Achieving Excellence UK Ltd, 10 and 11 July 2024 Leaders and managers have improved the recruitment and selection of apprentices to make sure apprentices enrol on the right courses and at the right levels. They give apprentices thorough advice and guidance when they enrol and at the start of their courses. Achieving Excellence UK Ltd, 10 and 11 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

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Reasonable progress

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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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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