Specialist Trade Courses Ltd

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Specialist Trade Courses Ltd

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Inspection dates: 10 to 12 September 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

Specialist Trade Courses Ltd (STC) is an independent learning provider based in Harold Wood in Romford, Essex. STC provides education and training through apprenticeships and adult learning programmes. STC has recently introduced Skills Bootcamps as part of its adult learning offer. At the time of the visit, 23 adult learners were studying green construction on a Skills Bootcamp programme. A further 94 adults who receive adult learner loans were studying hair and beauty programmes in five locations across the country. Fewer than five adult learners were studying leadership and management courses for adult care.

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Information about this provider

At the time of the inspection, 27 apprentices were studying the level 3 installation and maintenance electrician apprenticeship and five were studying the level 3 assistant accountant apprenticeship (AAT). Fewer than five apprentices were studying level 2 adult care worker, level 3 lead adult care worker and level 4 leader in adult care apprenticeships. Thirteen apprentices were under 19 years old. Most apprentices study in London and the southeast of England. 10 to 12 September 2024

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

Apprentices quickly develop and apply new knowledge and skills to produce work that is of a good standard. This is because industry expert tutors plan and teach the content of each curriculum well so that apprentices can practise what they have learned. For example, electrical installation apprentices learn the theory behind and design of ring circuits. They then use this knowledge to correctly explain how to check socket cables and to replace these on a fuse board.

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

Adult learners participate well and make good progress in their learning. Hairdressing learners, for example, master basic straight cuts first, then move on to using more challenging skills such as layering hair. Staff teach learners the importance of health and safety and being professional in their respective industries, and learners use these skills, particularly in front of their customers and clients.

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

Learners and apprentices benefit from participating in a good range of personal development opportunities. For example, many health and social care apprentices access Parkinson’s disease and dementia awareness training, which helps them to identify early signs of these diseases when they work with clients. Beauty learners attend masterclasses in creative body art, which help them to develop new skills that they can use to expand the services that they offer, for example children’s face painting and creative art for special events.

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

Learners and apprentices receive effective careers education, information, advice and guidance. Tutors and external guest speakers explain to learners and apprentices the different career pathways and opportunities available to them when they have completed their studies. As a result, hair and beauty learners, for example, know about career opportunities ranging from cruise ships to teaching and special effects makeup.

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

Learners and apprentices feel safe. They enjoy learning in supportive environments free from bullying and harassment. Female learners, on the mostly male green construction programme, say that the environment which tutors create is highly inclusive. Learners and apprentices know how to report any concerns they may have. Most learners have a good understanding of the risks associated with radicalisation.

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better?

Since the previous inspection, there have been significant changes in leadership at STC. In addition, leaders faced several unexpected challenges to the delivery of their apprenticeship programmes. These included a large cohort of apprentices leaving their programme following the merger of two of their largest employers, and the notable impact of COVID-19 on the health and social care sector. These factors led to low retention on their three-year health and social care 10 to 12 September 2024

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apprenticeships, and low achievement rates that still featured at the time of inspection.

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Leaders took the sensible decision to pause the recruitment of apprentices for 18 months from early 2022 and have since introduced a clear strategic focus on teaching green construction, hair and beauty programmes and electrical apprentices in only a few geographic areas. Since making these changes, the retention of apprentices is good, and achievement rates are improving. Most apprentices who remained on their courses successfully passed their final assessment, and over a third achieved merits and distinctions.

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Leaders work effectively with local stakeholders in their aim to support learners and apprentices to gain qualifications that can lead to long-term careers. They use their industry expertise and links to carefully choose the programmes they teach to make sure they align well with local and national skills needs. For example, they introduced the green construction Skills Bootcamp in response to the ‘Skills for Londoners Strategy’ and the demand for workers with green construction skills.

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In most cases, tutors assess what apprentices already know and can do at the start of their course. However, in a few cases, hair and beauty teachers do not identify the specific skills and knowledge that learners already have because their assessments are not thorough enough. They do not consider learners’ work history and previous qualifications. As a result, they are not able to adapt the curriculum based on what learners know and can do, and the content of the curriculum is not sufficiently challenging for all learners.

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Tutors use their expertise very effectively to engage and motivate learners in sessions. Tutors plan the content of their curriculum well to become more complex over time. For example, beauty tutors start with basic makeup techniques and then teach learners how to apply these techniques to festival and Asian bridal makeup, increasing their skills and expertise over time.

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The quality of progress reviews is variable. In better reviews hair and beauty tutors discuss with learners the progress they are making and identify areas to improve. However, in less effective reviews discussions are superficial, tutors do not set clear actions to help learners catch up if they are falling behind or identify how to improve their work. Electrical apprentices’ employers do not routinely attend progress reviews. Because of this, they do not identify apprentices’ strengths and areas for improvement in the workplace.

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Tutors teach the content of lessons well. They use a range of effective techniques to teach learners new knowledge and skills. These include demonstrations, questions and clear explanations. For example, beauty tutors first demonstrate how to apply makeup to camouflage scars and other skin problems. Apprentices then practise what they have learned in practical sessions, and this helps them to embed their understanding of products and techniques. 10 to 12 September 2024

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Tutors use assessments such as different styles of questioning, mock examinations and quizzes to good effect to identify the progress that apprentices and learners make. Tutors use this information well to identify gaps in knowledge and adapt the curriculum accordingly. Most tutors provide constructive and developmental feedback to learners and apprentices on their work. This includes written and verbal feedback that identifies clearly what learners and apprentices have done well and what they need to do to improve.

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Leaders know their provision’s strengths and areas that they need to improve. They take appropriate steps to monitor and improve the quality of training they provide. Leaders act effectively to address some areas of weakness. For example, leaders rightly identified the need to teach functional skills earlier in apprentices’ training. Apprentices now study functional skills much sooner and most pass their examinations on the first attempt.

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Leaders provide good quality continuous professional development for staff. They offer monthly staff training on areas they identify that need to improve, for example, ensuring that staff talk to learners about topics related to their intended career routes in progress reviews. As a result of the training, staff now include topics such as how to work safely in extreme temperatures for construction learners and safeguarding scenarios when working alone for beauty learners.

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Tutors attend a range of industry-specific training that helps them to keep up to date with current practice. Beauty tutors, for example, attend courses in microblading and tattooing. Tutors value the training they receive and use the training effectively to teach learners current industry techniques.

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Tutors make sure that learners with additional learning needs receive appropriate support. Tutors suitably identify barriers to learning such as dyslexia through discussions with learners at the start of their course. They then put in place additional resources such as extra lessons and video clips of practical tasks that allow learners to practice in their own time, where needed.

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Governors provide effective challenge to the senior leadership team. They have an appropriate range of experience, for example in education and business, which they use well to hold leaders to account. Governors challenge leaders to produce effective reporting that tracks apprentices’ and learners’ progress. Governors know that the retention of level 3 health and social apprentices is too low. They make sure leaders have suitable support in place for the remaining few health and social care apprentices to ensure that they have the support they need to succeed.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 10 to 12 September 2024

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Improve retention leading to high success rates for apprentices.  Ensure progress reviews are of a consistently high standard and include input from employers.  Ensure they capture learners’ starting points effectively and adapt the curriculum based on learners’ needs to ensure it is sufficiently challenging. 10 to 12 September 2024

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Provider details

Address Unit 32a Bates Industrial Estate Church Road Harold Wood Romford Essex RM3 0HU

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Mark Eighteen

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection 13 to 16 November 2018

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Provider details

Main subcontractors None 10 to 12 September 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the quality and compliance director, 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

Paul Manning, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Joanna Walters His Majesty’s Inspector Graham Heath Ofsted Inspector Eileen O’Gara Ofsted Inspector Suzanne Wainwright His Majesty’s Inspector 10 to 12 September 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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