Eden Training Solutions Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Eden Training Solutions Limited

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Inspection dates: 30 July to 2 August 2024

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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 Apprenticeships Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Information about this provider

Eden Training Solutions Limited is based in Normanton, West Yorkshire and offers early years education programmes to apprentices and adult learners nationwide. At the time of the inspection, there were 1,392 apprentices, of whom 1,046 were on level 3 early years educator, 213 were on level 2 early years practitioner, 116 were on level 5 early years lead practitioner, and 20 were on level 3 teaching assistant. There were 24 adult learners, with the majority studying the level 3 diploma in children’s learning and development.

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Information about this provider

There were 425 apprentices who were under 19 years of age. 30 July to 2 August 2024

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

Learners benefit from helpful online sessions that are conducive to learning. Tutors set out and uphold clear expectations of apprentices in these sessions, including ensuring that apprentices keep their cameras and microphones on and take part in discussions verbally and by using the chat boxes. Apprentices who attend the sessions behave very respectfully, engage well with the tutors and participate in professional discussions with each other.

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

Tutors help and support apprentices and learners to develop their confidence and improve their communication skills. Apprentices and learners use these skills well when communicating with parents about the different activities that the children in their care have been undertaking during the day.

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

Most apprentices and learners make good progress and achieve their qualifications, if they remain on their course until the end. A high proportion of apprentices achieve distinction grades in their end-point assessments.

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

The small number of adult learners study courses appropriately designed to help them to update their knowledge and progress their careers in the early years sector. However, in too many instances, staff provide learners with information that is only relevant to apprentices, which means that learners are often unclear about what is expected of them.

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

Apprentices and learners feel safe at work. They understand how to look after themselves and how to keep the children in their care safe.

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What does the provider do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have developed a curriculum offer that meets the needs of apprentices, learners and employers in the early years sector. Since the previous inspection, they have refocused their offer to specialise in early childhood programmes. This has enabled staff to focus entirely on meeting the pressing skill shortages within the early years sector by providing high-quality training for new entrants and those taking on more senior roles.

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What does the provider do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have worked hard to improve the achievement of apprentices, and their actions have been successful. They have rightly recognised the need to improve further the number of apprentices who remain on their programme until the end. Leaders have identified the anxieties that apprentices aged 16 to 18 sometimes experience and have introduced separate lessons for this age group in which the apprentices feel more confident to contribute and ask questions. As a result, the retention and achievement for this group of apprentices has increased significantly.

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What does the provider do well and what does it need to do better?

Tutors do not do enough to encourage apprentices to attend the helpful taught sessions. Apprentices can opt not to attend and to receive the content from their tutors in one-to-one sessions. This results in apprentices making choices that may not be in their best interests. For example, those who choose not to attend do not 30 July to 2 August 2024

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benefit from working with their peers from different settings or sharing experiences to develop deeper knowledge and understanding.

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Tutors use their extensive experience of working in early years settings to plan activities that successfully develop apprentices’ and learners’ vocational knowledge and skills. They use workplace examples and case studies to model to apprentices how they might use activities such as play in their settings. Apprentices are then able to demonstrate what they have been taught by using play to enable, for example, disadvantaged children to learn about what it is like at the beach. They set up play stations with sand, allowing the children to experience the feeling of sand between their toes, and bring in seashells from their own holidays to show to the children.

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Most tutors use teaching and assessment activities effectively in order to develop and check understanding. Tutors use quizzes, online drag-and-drop activities and multiple-choice questions to gauge apprentices’ and learners’ starting points and to check what they have learned. Tutors work quickly to adapt their teaching if apprentices misunderstand things. As a result, apprentices can confidently describe the types of transition that a child experiences in their life, why these are important and the impact that they can have on a child. However, tutors working with adult learners do not take the time to consolidate learning, moving from one task to another too quickly without ensuring that learners are developing the knowledge required.

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Assessors thoroughly assess how apprentices apply their newly acquired knowledge, skills and behaviours at work. Skills assessors observe apprentices completing work-based tasks such as setting up play activities and preparing for mealtimes. Employers value highly the skills that apprentices develop and often give them extra responsibilities, including becoming a key worker for particular children.

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Leaders do not have sufficient oversight of the progress of apprentices who need to achieve functional skills qualifications. Too many apprentices do not get the support that they need to achieve these qualifications quickly enough at the start of their programme.

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Tutors support apprentices well to enable them to use accurate educational terminology in their written work. They ensure that apprentices understand educational terms, how to spell them and in what context they should be used.

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Tutors provide good support for apprentices and learners with additional learning needs. Apprentices and learners who disclose a need at enrolment benefit from an initial support meeting. Tutors identify with apprentices and learners different learning strategies to support them throughout their learning and communicate this information to skills coaches and teachers.

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Tutors provide valuable information to apprentices and learners to help them prepare for current and future career roles. Effective careers information, advice and guidance are provided during induction and discussed at progress reviews. 30 July to 2 August 2024

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Apprentices and learners are clear about how they wish to progress their careers and what they need to do to be successful.

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Tutors do not provide apprentices under 18 years of age with information to reinforce their prior learning about healthy relationships. Apprentices cover these topics at school, but staff do not refresh this learning well enough.

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Leaders ensure that tutors have access to a wide and varied range of professional development opportunities. The training courses that tutors attend help them to develop their teaching practice and update their knowledge about changes affecting the early years sector. Tutors have ample opportunities to shadow more experienced team members to enhance their understanding of practice and job roles in supporting apprentices and learners. Staff are proud to work at Eden Training Solutions Limited.

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Leaders work with an enthusiastic, knowledgeable and committed small group of governors. The board has been instrumental in encouraging leaders to refocus the provision to specialise in early years. Governors provide appropriate support and challenge to leaders about the aspects of the provision that they need to improve.

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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 apprentices who need to achieve functional skills qualifications benefit from developing their English and mathematics skills earlier in their programme.  Ensure that apprentices under the age of 18 receive information about leading healthy and safe lives throughout their programme.  Ensure that apprentices are encouraged to attend the online taught sessions so that expert tutors can help and support them to deepen their knowledge of topics affecting children.  Ensure that adult learners receive accurate information and guidance about the expectations of them throughout their programme. 30 July to 2 August 2024

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Provider details

Address Unit 8, Courtyard Thirty One Pontefract Road Normanton West Yorkshire WF6 1JU

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent L orna Newbould

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Dates of previous inspection 2 to 5 June 2015

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Provider details

Main subcontractors None 30 July to 2 August 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 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

Hayley Lomas, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Mark Keen His Majesty’s Inspector Glenise Burrell His Majesty’s Inspector Jacquie Brown His Majesty’s Inspector Sarah Lonsdale His Majesty’s Inspector Tina Ockerby Ofsted Inspector 30 July to 2 August 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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