Trailfinders Limited

Trailfinders Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Paul Manning, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Address:

23 Abingdon Road London W8 6AH Monitoring visit: Trailfinders Limited, 14 and 15 August 2024

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Context and focus of visit

Ofsted undertakes to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of apprenticeship training provision funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency and/or the apprenticeship levy. This monitoring visit was undertaken as part of those arrangements and as outlined in the ‘Further education and skills inspection handbook’, especially the sections entitled ‘Monitoring visits’ and ‘Monitoring visits to providers that are newly directly publicly funded’. The focus of these visits is on the themes set out below.

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Context and focus of visit

Trailfinders Limited specialises in tailor-made holidays. Its head office is in central London with a further 46 travel centres across the country. Trailfinders Limited became an employer provider in May 2023. Leaders recruited the first cohort of apprentices in June 2023.

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Context and focus of visit

At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 81 apprentices studying level 3 travel consultant apprenticeships. All apprentices, except one, are 19 years old or over.

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Context and focus of visit

There were no apprentices who needed to study functional skills qualifications in mathematics or English as part of their apprenticeship.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders make sure that their training meets apprenticeship requirements. Apprentices benefit from high-quality on- and off-the-job training. They discuss career progression opportunities at their frequent progress reviews. However, trainers do not consistently set apprentices accurate targets to help them focus on what they need to do to improve their work before their next review meeting.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have created a curriculum that is carefully aligned with the business needs of the travel industry. They work closely with branch managers to develop the curriculum so that apprentices gain the skills, knowledge and behaviours they need for their job roles. For example, leaders have added additional content on how to sell popular destinations such as New Zealand and American cities following feedback from managers.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have put in place appropriate quality assurance activities. They visit lessons and provide supportive feedback to trainers. Leaders respond effectively to learner feedback. For example, they have changed shift patterns for apprentices’ first 10 Monitoring visit: Trailfinders Limited, 14 and 15 August 2024 weeks in travel centres. This helps apprentices manage their workload and training requirements.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders are in the initial stages of implementing governance arrangements. They recognise that external expertise in apprenticeships and safeguarding may provide additional rigour to their quality assurance practices.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders plan some effective continuous professional development opportunities for their staff. Trainers and managers complete coaching training, keep up to date with industry and company changes, and complete mandatory safeguarding and handling data training. However, leaders have not focused sufficiently on the continual development of trainers’ teaching skills.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers are practising industry experts. They use their knowledge of the industry to plan the curriculum effectively. Trainers use a range of well-planned activities to help apprentices recall their learning. For example, they set frequent complex booking tasks and use recordings of client calls effectively to help apprentices identify good practices and missed opportunities. Trainers set useful quizzes on topics such as airport codes. They set effective weekly tests so that apprentices consolidate what they have learned. Trainers use questioning well, for example to check that apprentices understand how commission is linked to selling additional tours when planning trips.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders do not have effective systems to check what apprentices already know and can do at the start of their apprenticeships. Although leaders accurately check apprentices’ understanding of their job roles, they do not individualise apprentices’ training based on their existing understanding of the skills, knowledge and behaviours required to complete the apprenticeship.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices quickly develop new skills and knowledge. They become skilled at using online booking systems. They develop communication and mathematical skills when pricing trips with clients. Apprentices understand the differences between airlines’ published and net rates when planning trips. They become valued members of the teams they work in. Most apprentices make good progress towards their sales targets.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders do not make apprentices aware of the progress they make with their apprenticeship and the standard they work at. Trainers do not make it sufficiently clear to apprentices that the knowledge, skills and behaviours they develop are a requirement of the final assessment. Apprentices do not know what they need to do Monitoring visit: Trailfinders Limited, 14 and 15 August 2024 to achieve distinctions and merits for these assessments. A few apprentices at the end of their apprenticeship do not have a planned final assessment date.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have an appropriate safeguarding policy and procedures in place for reporting safeguarding concerns. The designated safeguarding lead is appropriately trained. Staff complete mandatory safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ training frequently.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have an appropriate ‘Prevent’ risk assessment in place. However, leaders have not developed effective partnerships with safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ agencies in the areas where they work. Leaders, managers and apprentices are not aware of local risks.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices feel safe and know how to stay safe online. Apprentices understand the risks associated with radicalisation and how to identify potential signs that someone has been influenced by those who hold extremist views. Monitoring visit: Trailfinders Limited, 14 and 15 August 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 and child protection.

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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