Seetec Business Technology Centre Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Seetec Business Technology Centre Limited

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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Information about this provider

Seetec Business Technology Centre (Seetec) is a national independent learning provider. It is one of the largest employee-owned public service providers in the UK and Ireland. Seetec provides a range of adult and apprenticeship training to individuals across England. The company’s head office is based in Hockley, Essex. It has one training centre in Manchester.

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Information about this provider

At the time of the inspection, there were 482 apprentices studying at levels 2 to 5. The largest proportions of apprentices were studying levels 3 business administrator (BA), international freight forwarding specialist (IFFS) and team leader or supervisor, level 5 operations or departmental manager (ODM) and levels 4 associate project manager (APM) and employability practitioner. There were 119 apprentices who were aged 16 to 18 years. There were 68 adult learners on two courses. Thirteen learners were studying English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) skills for life and 55 learners were studying digital skills qualifications.

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Information about this provider

Seetec works with one subcontractor for their adult and five subcontractors for their apprenticeships provision. 16 to 19 July 2024

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

Too few adult learners and apprentices routinely attend their training. A significant proportion have experienced disruption to their learning. They have had several changes of tutors. A few learners and apprentices feel anxious and worried because they have fallen behind in their learning. Most learners and apprentices feel more settled now and are enjoying their training.

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

Most learners and apprentices develop their confidence and self-esteem. Adult learners studying ESOL confidently make doctors’ appointments and order food in cafes. Apprentices studying the level 5 ODM standard confidently manage difficult conversations with members of their team. They are proud of these achievements.

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

Most apprentices have a secure understanding of fundamental British values. They clearly understand how the laws and regulations apply in their industries. For instance, apprentices studying the level 3 IFFS standard know how the maritime law of general average governs workers. However, tutors do not sufficiently promote British values to adult learners. This means that most learners have a very limited understanding of the subject.

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

Tutors do not provide well-planned and unbiased careers information, advice and guidance to learners and apprentices. While many apprentices plan to gain promotion at work, they do not know the range of opportunities available to them outside their employer’s business.

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

Learners and apprentices feel safe and know who to report any safeguarding concerns they may have about themselves or others. Apprentices know about online grooming, the importance of not clicking on unknown links and keeping their social media profiles private.

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better?

Leaders and managers have a sound rationale to meet the skills requirements of the employers they serve. However, since the previous inspection, the quality of education has declined. This is due to a considerable period of disruption within the business when many managers and tutors left. A new senior leadership team has recently been formed. New leaders have identified the reasons behind the decline in the quality of education. Their actions are starting to have a positive effect. For instance, staff turnover has stabilised. The proportion of learners and apprentices who remain on their courses and those who achieve their qualifications and apprenticeships has slightly improved.

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better?

Leaders’ quality assurance of their courses is honest and accurate. They conduct activities such as observations of teaching and learning. Leaders scrutinise tutors’ feedback to learners and apprentices on their marked work. They have accurately identified a range of weaknesses in the quality of education. For example, the 16 to 19 July 2024

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ineffectiveness of on- and off-the-job training, the variability in tutor feedback and the need to further improve tutors’ teaching skills.

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Tutors have the relevant qualifications and experience to teach learners and apprentices. This includes tutors who work for subcontractors. Tutors routinely update their subject knowledge. ESOL tutors benefit from training in inclusion and the power of positive language. Leaders ensure that tutors receive training to develop their basic teaching skills, for instance in relation to effective questioning and assessment skills and providing helpful feedback to learners and apprentices. While this training is starting to have a positive impact, there remain many inconsistencies in the quality of learners’ and apprentices’ training.

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Leaders and tutors ensure that the curriculum is ordered in a way that enables most learners and apprentices to build new knowledge, skills and behaviours over time. Apprentices studying the level 4 APM standard first learn about the lifecycle of a project. Next, they learn about procuring and budgeting for a project. Finally, they learn more complex project management aspects such as risk assessment and quality assurance. Learners studying ESOL learn a wide range of new words and sentences to use in conversations. They accurately ask for directions and ask the price of goods in shops. After completing their apprenticeships, most apprentices remain in employment. A few gain additional duties and promotions or move on to further learning. However, too few adult learners achieve their goal of moving into employment after completing their courses.

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Most tutors use assessment well. They use effective questioning to check learners’ and apprentices’ understanding of topics. Tutors use a range of strategies such as discussion, written assignments and workbooks to identify gaps in learning and to inform their teaching. This enables most learners and apprentices to know more and remember more over time. Apprentices studying the level 3 BA standard clearly recall previously learned theory on PESTLE and SWOT analysis. ESOL learners remember how to accurately describe items using demonstrative pronouns such as ‘these toes’ and ‘this table’.

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Too few learners and apprentices receive helpful feedback from tutors. Tutors provide feedback that focuses only on what learners and apprentices have done well. As a result, most learners and apprentices do not know what they specifically need to do to improve their work.

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Tutors do not ensure that on- and off-the-job training is systematically planned and coordinated across all apprenticeship areas. Too few line managers routinely attend their apprentice’s progress review. This means that apprentices do not benefit from planned opportunities to practise their skills at work. As a result, apprentices do not develop their new knowledge, skills and behaviours quickly enough.

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Tutors effectively prepare most apprentices for their final assessments. Most apprentices pass at their first attempt. Approximately half of apprentices achieve merit and distinction grades. 16 to 19 July 2024

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Leaders do not have sufficient oversight of their subcontracted provision. They focus too much on compliance and not enough on understanding important quality aspects of training. New managers are now in place to oversee subcontractors. These managers plan to work closely with subcontractor staff to assess and monitor the effectiveness of learners’ and apprentices’ training, although it is too soon to see the impact of these planned actions.

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Leaders do not have an effective English and mathematics education strategy. This means that learners and apprentices do not benefit from a carefully planned approach to further develop their English and mathematical skills. Despite this, a small minority of apprentices develop their mathematical skills. Apprentices studying the level 3 credit controller and debt collection specialist standard accurately calculate credit limits and ratios and the time it takes consumers to pay their debts. Of those apprentices who are required to complete functional skills English and mathematics qualifications, most pass their functional skills English examinations at their first attempt. Approximately half of apprentices pass their functional skills mathematics examinations at their first attempt.

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Most tutors in apprenticeships provide appropriate support for apprentices who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). For example, apprentices with dyslexia benefit from one-to-one support to help break down large volumes of text when approaching written assignments. This enables these apprentices to make the same progress as their peers. However, tutors do not identify whether adult learners have SEND at the start of their courses. This means that tutors do not know what specific support they need to provide to enable these learners to make good progress.

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Leaders have identified that their current governance arrangements are not sufficiently effective. To rectify this, leaders have recently put in place a quality committee with individuals who are experienced in education and training. However, the reports that leaders provide to the quality committee are not detailed enough on important aspects such as the progress of learners and apprentices. Consequently, committee members are unable to sufficiently challenge senior leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Provide reports to committee members with sufficient detail about the quality of education enabling the committee to provide suitable scrutiny and challenge to senior leaders to improve the quality of education and training rapidly.  Rapidly strengthen leaders’ oversight of subcontracting arrangements.  Swiftly create and implement an English and mathematics education strategy for the planned development and improvement of learners’ and apprentices’ English and mathematical skills. 16 to 19 July 2024

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 Ensure that tutors systematically plan and coordinate the on- and off-the-job training for apprentices.  Ensure that learners and apprentices receive high-quality education and training motivating them to routinely attend their training.  Ensure that tutors provide unbiased careers information, advice and guidance to learners and apprentices so that they know the full range of opportunities available to them for their next steps. 16 to 19 July 2024

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Provider details

Address Head Office 75-77 Main Road Hockley Essex SS5 4RG

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent John Baumback

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection 26 July 2017

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Provider details

Main subcontractors Automotive Transport Training Limited British International Freight Association Chartered Institute of Credit Management Transport Training Academy Limited Wallace School of Transport Limited Xyrius Training Limited 16 to 19 July 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the head of quality, 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

Kim Bleasdale, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Chloe Rendall His Majesty’s Inspector Suzanne Wainwright His Majesty’s Inspector Deborah Summers Ofsted Inspector Andrea McMahon His Majesty’s Inspector Glenise Burrell His Majesty’s Inspector Alison Dennis His Majesty’s Inspector 16 to 19 July 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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