Extraordinary Collective

Extraordinary Collective Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Kim Bleasdale, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: 1 Sherwood Avenue Crosby Liverpool Merseyside L23 7YG Monitoring visit: Extraordinary Collective, 8 and 9 October 2024

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Context and focus of visit

Ofsted undertakes to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of adult learning provision where the provision offered is in scope for inspection. 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

Extraordinary Collective is an independent learning provider based in Liverpool. It provides Skills Bootcamps in digital marketing to adults. At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 20 learners studying 12-week courses online.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have a clear aim to meet employers’ digital skills gaps within the Liverpool City Region. They are passionate about empowering local people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to develop their confidence, self-esteem and skills for employment or self-employment.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders carefully recruit the right learners for their courses. They obtain referrals through their close partnerships with a wide range of local community support programmes, such as Speke Training and Education Centre, Households into Work, Life Rooms, Liverpool in Work and Granby Toxteth Development Trust. Almost all learners who enrol remain on and complete their course on time.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers are well qualified and experienced. They benefit from a range of training, for example artificial intelligence (AI) and how to use AI models in digital marketing and the use of effective assessment and feedback. This helps trainers to further develop their subject knowledge and teaching skills.

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Reasonable progress

There are suitable quality assurance and improvement processes in place for leaders to monitor the quality of training. Leaders carry out observations of teaching and complete work scrutiny to ensure that teaching and assessment are to a high enough standard. Trainers know what specific aspects of their teaching practice they need to improve.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have very recently put in place external governance arrangements. They have appointed a governor with an educational background and have imminent plans Monitoring visit: Extraordinary Collective, 8 and 9 October 2024 to appoint two more. Although the first formal meeting has yet to take place, the new governor has already challenged leaders to improve aspects of their provision. For instance, leaders have strengthened their process for formally recording observations of training.

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Reasonable progress

Learners have a clear aim to improve their lives by developing their skills and earning potential. They enjoy their training and feel part of a community that lasts long after their course ends. Most learners who are unemployed move into secure, well-paid jobs. Those who are already employed gain improved roles at work. Almost half of learners who are self-employed increase their business revenue. A few learners start their own businesses or go on to further learning.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers teach a logically sequenced curriculum that enables most learners to learn new knowledge and skills which they quickly apply at work. Learners efficiently run search engine optimisation reports to improve the performance of a website. They use the three-box strategy to produce a digital marketing plan and design engaging and innovative company logos. Learners become confident digital marketing practitioners.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers use a variety of useful teaching strategies that help learners to retain knowledge in their long-term memories. They routinely check learners’ understanding to identify gaps in learning and inform teaching. Trainers use effective questioning techniques, discussions and quizzes. This helps learners to easily recall learning, for instance marketing models such as AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) and The Golden Circle. Learners successfully apply these models at work in marketing campaigns for clients.

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Reasonable progress

Employers greatly value the new knowledge and skills their employees enthusiastically bring to the workplace. They feel that the course fully meets their business needs to increase revenue through developing the digital marketing skills of their employees. For example, learners effectively identify and implement additional marketing opportunities which have already greatly increased the business’s profile across a wide range of social media platforms.

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Reasonable progress

Although staff collect information about what learners already know and can do at the start of their course, trainers do not use this information well enough to meet the individual needs of learners. Leaders acknowledge this and have plans in place to quickly rectify this. Monitoring visit: Extraordinary Collective, 8 and 9 October 2024

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Reasonable progress

Leaders are keen to make sure their learners are safe. They ensure that all members of the safeguarding team are suitably qualified. Leaders complete a range of appropriate checks when appointing new staff to make sure that they are suitable to work with learners. All staff, including the designated safeguarding lead and deputy, receive appropriate training on safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty.

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Reasonable progress

Learners feel safe and know how to raise any concerns they may have about their or anyone else’s safety. They know how to keep safe online by not sharing their passwords and keeping personal information private. Monitoring visit: Extraordinary Collective, 8 and 9 October 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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Reasonable progress

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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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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