Citrus Training Limited

Citrus Training Limited Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead inspector: Russ Henry, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Citrus Group House Nene Park Diamond Way Irthlingborough Wellingborough NN9 5QF Monitoring visit: Citrus Training Limited, 24 and 25 July 2024

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Context and focus of visit

Citrus Training Limited was inspected in September 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

Citrus Training Limited (CTL) provides apprenticeship courses for individuals who work in the construction sector. At the time of the previous inspection, CTL also offered adult learning courses, but managers had taken the decision to stop offering them. At the time of this monitoring visit, there were 75 apprentices. Forty were level 3 team leader/supervisors and 35 were level 5 operations/departmental managers. There was one adult learner.

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Reasonable progress

Managers appointed new apprenticeship tutors immediately after the previous inspection. These tutors have overhauled curriculum plans. They have identified the broad topics to be included in courses and have organised them in a sensible sequence. They initially focus on self-management, followed by general people- management theories and skills, before focusing on specific technical topics, such as project management. However, they have not yet considered carefully enough how topics link together or how and when they should revisit topics through further teaching or assessment activities. At the time of the previous inspection, each group of level 3 team leader/supervisor apprentices was taught a different selection of topics in a different order. The new tutor has reviewed the learning of each group and developed plans to eliminate each group’s learning gaps. Managers have increased the amount of work that tutors set for apprentices to

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Reasonable progress

complete outside of lessons. However, they have not yet developed effective ways of working with employers so that workplace activities can be coordinated with classroom learning. This means that apprentices themselves must plan these activities, and this is unlikely to lead to optimal learning. Tutors now make frequent use of low-stakes quizzes to help apprentices to remember more. However, they do this in the lesson immediately following the one in which instruction is given. They have not given enough thought to how they can Monitoring visit: Citrus Training Limited, 24 and 25 July 2024 use activities to repeatedly strengthen apprentices’ recall of topics throughout the course. Tutors have thought carefully about how they prepare apprentices for their final assessments. They provide clear descriptions of the requirements that must be met for portfolio tasks to be of the right standard for a distinction grade. In addition, they

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Reasonable progress

use mock presentations to help apprentices to practise for the real thing.

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Reasonable progress

The previous inspection coincided with the appointment of a new head of apprenticeships and funded provision. This new manager recognised that existing arrangements for quality assurance were not good enough and set about strengthening them. Managers have now developed a clear quality assurance strategy that includes a range of sensible processes. These include lesson observations, standardisation meetings, curriculum planning reviews, gathering learners’ and employers’ feedback, quality assuring assessment, and a deep dive process to review courses in their entirety. These processes have largely been implemented effectively. A few, including the deep dive process, have yet to be fully deployed. Managers have introduced a clear process for reviewing the performance of all apprentices each month. These reviews are thorough. They result in clear actions to support apprentices who are not making as much progress as they should. Managers

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Reasonable progress

are now in a strong position to quickly identify concerns and take remedial action, something that was singled out as a key area for improvement at the last inspection. Several formal and informal lesson observations have been conducted according to a newly devised process. While observations are now frequent, observers place too much emphasis on the inclusion of topics related to such things as safeguarding, functional skills and equality themes in all lessons, and not enough on the craft of teaching. Where observers identify strengths or areas for improvement, they do not explain what the teacher did that made this aspect of the lesson strong or weak. As a result, managers are unable to use these reports to share good practice or to develop effective improvement plans.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors present information clearly and use helpful examples to support apprentices to learn the intended curriculum. For example, tutors of the level 3 team leader/supervisor course include relevant case studies on conflict management to illustrate the application of different theories and strategies, so that apprentices understand how they might use them at work. Monitoring visit: Citrus Training Limited, 24 and 25 July 2024 In most cases, tutors use a suitable array of activities in lessons that helps apprentices to understand how they might apply concepts and theories. These activities include discussions, research tasks, small group tasks, break-out room activities and individual exercises. Tutors do not check apprentices’ understanding of topics thoroughly enough. During lessons, tutors do not ask enough questions or challenge apprentices to expand on answers that lack detail or precision. They do not revisit topics frequently enough

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Reasonable progress

throughout courses. This slows the rate at which apprentices develop a fluent recall of information. Tutors complete frequent progress reviews with apprentices. They ask suitable questions that allow apprentices to reflect on their learning and how they apply this at work. However, apprentices do not always respond in depth. Apprentices are now better prepared for their final assessments and pass first time. The vast majority achieve distinction grades.

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Reasonable progress

In most cases, tutors provide useful feedback to apprentices on the quality of their written work. Most feedback identifies precisely what apprentices have done well and what they need to improve. Tutors carefully link feedback to the knowledge, skills and behaviours of the apprenticeship standard. They check and correct errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar. As a result, most apprentices’ written work improves over time and reaches the required standard. However, tutors do not ensure that apprentices reference their work consistently well. Managers do not carry out enough checks on the quality of assessment feedback tutors provide to apprentices on their written work. Leaders are aware of this and are taking suitable steps to appoint a member of staff to complete this work. Monitoring visit: Citrus Training Limited, 24 and 25 July 2024 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young

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Reasonable progress

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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