Intec Business Colleges Limited

Intec Business Colleges Limited Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead inspector: Mark Parton, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Old School, Pennington Court, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV21 2BB Monitoring visit: Intec Business Colleges Limited, 24 and 25 July 2024

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Context and focus of visit

Intec Business Colleges Limited 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

Intec Business Colleges Limited is an independent learning provider based in Rugby, Warwickshire. At the time of the visit, there were 923 apprentices in learning, of whom 125 were aged 16 to 18. The provider offers 20 apprenticeships in the business management, and supply chain and logistics sectors. Most apprentices study the supply chain warehouse operative, business administrator, team leader/supervisor and operations/departmental manager apprenticeships. The provider does not work with any subcontractors.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous inspection, leaders have redefined staff roles and responsibilities regarding the use of management information to monitor apprentices’ progress. Leaders have appointed a new manager whose specific focus is to monitor the progress made by apprentices and take remedial actions. Leaders and managers can now identify and take appropriate actions when apprentices do not make the expected progress.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers now collect, analyse, and share management information about apprentices’ progress more effectively with employers. For example, leaders now know when apprentices have attended learning sessions or caught up on missed learning. Leaders use this information well to ensure that tutors intervene and take timely action to help apprentices to improve their knowledge and skills.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have taken effective action to reduce tutor workloads. Tutors now teach a smaller range of apprenticeship standards. This has enabled them to develop a deeper understanding of the curriculums they teach, and identify more accurately Monitoring visit: Intec Business Colleges Limited, 24 and 25 July 2024 and provide help to apprentices who require additional support. Most tutors help apprentices who are falling behind in their learning to catch up. However, leaders recognise rightly that a few tutors do not monitor apprentices’ progress closely enough and require further training.

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Reasonable progress

Following the previous inspection, leaders conducted a review and restructure of most of the curriculums they offer. In most cases, this has resulted in a more considered and logically sequenced curriculum. The revised curriculums now focus well on apprentices’ development of knowledge, skills, and behaviours over time. Tutors ensure that new learning links more effectively to apprentices’ prior knowledge and experience. For example, apprentices studying the associate project manager at level 4 first study the overarching principles and requirements of project management before moving on to studying different elements of the project lifecycle.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that tutors take part in well-considered continuous professional development (CPD), designed to improve their teaching and the support they give to apprentices. Leaders use CPD sessions to ensure that tutors frequently share best practice in teaching. This has helped many tutors to plan and sequence learning that helps apprentices to remember their learning.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have successfully adapted the range of learning activities apprentices undertake during their studies. Most tutors ensure that apprentices take part in learning activities that are suitably challenging and linked carefully to previously taught topics. For example, apprentices shadow senior colleagues at work so that they gain a deeper understanding of how to apply the skills they are learning.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have taken effective action to ensure that the majority of apprentices receive relevant information and advice regarding their career aims and future goals. For example, operations/departmental manager apprentices now take part in career conversations that link closely to the apprenticeship they are studying. Leaders have introduced new networking events, where many apprentices meet employers and gain a wider insight into the industry in which they work. Monitoring visit: Intec Business Colleges Limited, 24 and 25 July 2024 Leaders ensure that during progress review meetings, apprentices receive well- informed career advice and guidance from their employer and tutor. For example, supply chain warehouse operative apprentices take part in conversations about the opportunity to diversify their skill set, such as training how to operate forklift trucks. This helps apprentices to increase their knowledge and employment prospects.

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Reasonable progress

However, leaders recognise rightly that further work is required to ensure that all apprentices receive high-quality advice and guidance from tutors.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have collaborated with external specialists to enhance the career advice and guidance that apprentices receive. They plan to use partners’ specialist expertise to help to improve teaching staff’s understanding of current sector needs.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders now ensure that most tutors provide apprentices with clear and helpful verbal and written feedback.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders provide tutors with training on how to provide apprentices with feedback that helps them to know what they have done well and how to improve. Most apprentices receive helpful feedback that informs their developmental targets. However, leaders recognise rightly that further training is required to ensure that apprentices use tutor feedback and their targets to help them to improve the quality of their work overtime.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have implemented new quality assurance procedures that enable them to monitor the quality of feedback and targets that tutors provide to apprentices. Where tutor feedback and target setting are not meeting the required standard, leaders take prompt remedial actions.

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Reasonable progress

Most apprentices now receive helpful feedback from tutors on how to achieve distinction grades at their end-point assessments. For example, business administrator apprentices know how to reference a broader range of theoretical concepts to emphasise key arguments in their written work. Monitoring visit: Intec Business Colleges Limited, 24 and 25 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 children looked after, safeguarding

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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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