Mastered Studios Ltd

Further education and skills inspection report

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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 Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this provider

Mastered Studios Ltd is a national independent learning provider specialising in Skills Bootcamps in the creative industries for the employed and self-employed. At the time of inspection, there were 150 adult learners. Of these, 70 were studying business for creatives, 28 were studying games technologies (code), 27 were studying games technologies (art), 16 were studying introduction to blender, and nine were studying games technologies (production/leadership). The large majority of teaching takes place online.

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Information about this provider

The provider holds contracts for Skills Bootcamps with the Department for Education, Cambridge and Peterborough Combined Authority, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, North East Combined Authority, Surrey County Council, South Yorkshire Combined Authority, West of England Combined Authority, West Midlands Combined Authority, and West Yorkshire Combined Authority. The provider does not work with any subcontractors. 22 to 25 October 2024

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

Learners enjoy their Skills Bootcamps. They value highly the opportunity to learn from industry experts who use current, industry examples to enable learners to understand how the highly technical skills they learn apply in the workplace. Consequently, learners are motivated, have good punctuality and attendance, and most who start their course successfully complete it.

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

Learners understand the level of commitment needed to be successful. They demonstrate professional behaviours when attending their online classes. They understand the importance of making an active contribution and freely share their ideas and questions.

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

Learners, particularly those who are self-employed, benefit from a curriculum that places a strong emphasis on developing the skills they will need to secure work in more technical fields. This includes the development of their confidence, resilience and communication skills. Learners who study business for creatives learn how to promote their businesses with confidence.

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

Learners feel safe when learning online and attending face-to-face sessions. They know how to report any concerns. However, while leaders use current topics in the media to develop learners’ understanding of radicalisation and extremism, they do not ensure that teachers cover these topics routinely. Leaders recognise this and have provided staff with training to help them teach these subjects to support learners to develop their understanding. However, as this has not yet taken place, the impact cannot yet be seen.

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better?

Leaders have a clear rationale for the Skills Bootcamps they offer. They have longstanding careers in the creative industry and make good use of their industry links to plan their courses. Through their relationships with industry stakeholder bodies and employers, leaders frequently seek feedback on the skills needs of the industry and develop their curriculums to meet these needs.

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better?

Teachers sequence their curriculums in a sensible order, allowing learners to build their knowledge over time. In games technologies, learners first develop the mathematical modelling skills they need and then apply these to three-dimensional renderings. They tackle more complex concepts, such as matrix manipulation and camera movement in virtual spaces, as they progress through their course, ensuring a solid foundation for working in advanced game development.

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better?

Teachers accurately assess learners’ starting points and use these to plan their teaching effectively. Learners start their course with a wide range of abilities. Staff use skills scans and one-to-one discussions to measure learners’ skills accurately before developing an individualised learning plan, which enables learners to make significant progress. 22 to 25 October 2024

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Leaders work effectively with individual employers to tailor their courses to meet their skills needs. They adjust the art curriculum for each employer so that their employees become fluent in the parts of the extensive software they need for their current projects. This prepares learners to be able to complete their projects more efficiently and improve their productivity in the workplace.

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Leaders ensure that permanent and freelance teachers are highly experienced in their profession. Where they teach specific software, teachers are well-qualified with industry certifications as instructors where appropriate. Leaders support teachers with professional development to maintain and enhance their industry expertise. However, leaders do not routinely support teaching staff across all courses to develop their teaching skills further. Consequently, in a few cases, learners’ experiences are not consistently good across different courses.

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Most teachers use effective teaching strategies to ensure that learners know more and can do more over time. Where appropriate, they tailor their teaching to reflect the practices commonly found in the workplace. For example, in games technologies, teachers extensively use paired programming to develop learners’ ability to collaborate and share experiences. Learners and employers value this approach, as it is effective in building learners’ technical skills while preparing them for the workplace.

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Teachers use assessment effectively to check what learners have learned and plan further teaching. In games technologies, teachers use questioning effectively to ensure that learners have a secure understanding of topics they have covered before moving on. Learners also benefit from one-to-one meetings, where they discuss their progress in detail with mentors. Through these discussions, mentors further measure the understanding learners have of the topics they have covered.

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Staff support learners who have additional learning support needs well. They provide business for creatives learners with dyscalculia with additional teaching and one-to-one support to complete their finance module alongside their peers.

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Leaders have recently developed new quality assurance procedures that allow them to monitor closely the quality of education that learners receive. They accurately identify areas where leaders can support teachers to develop their teaching skills further. However, as these procedures are new and have only recently been extended to all courses, leaders do not yet have a full picture of the quality of education they provide.

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Leaders have recognised a need to seek external scrutiny on the quality of education they provide. However, at the time of inspection, these arrangements were not yet in place, so the impact they will have cannot yet be seen.

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Staff frequently discuss next steps and potential careers with learners. Learners discuss and explore their future career aspirations and staff support them to make well-informed choices. Staff share their sector and business expertise to give helpful 22 to 25 October 2024

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advice and guidance, which helps learners to develop their freelance careers. Learners articulate well that the skills they are developing are transferrable and will make them more employable.

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Since revising the focus of their courses, leaders have significantly increased the number of learners who successfully move on to positive next steps when they complete their course. Most self-employed learners secure new work, while most employed learners gain new roles and responsibilities after completing their studies.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Provide teachers with the development they need to teach learners to a consistently high standard.  Continue to implement plans to seek external scrutiny of the quality of education that they provide. 22 to 25 October 2024

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Provider details

Address Good Place Poolhead Lane Stratford-Upon-Avon Warwickshire B94 5EH

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Provider details

Contact number No fixed-line telephone number available

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Perri Lewis

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Provider details

Main subcontractors None 22 to 25 October 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the Co-Founder and CEO, 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

Stuart Collett, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Joel Dalhouse His Majesty’s Inspector Steve Michael Ofsted Inspector Helen Kinghorn Ofsted Inspector Susan Gay Ofsted Inspector Rachel Clark His Majesty’s Inspector 22 to 25 October 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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