Green Inc (EU) Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Education programmes for young people Requires improvement Adult learning programmes Good Provision for learners with high needs Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Information about this provider

Green Labyrinth’s head office is based in Swindon, Wiltshire. It provides education programmes for young people and provision for young people with high needs at its Swindon training centre. Its provision for adult learners is funded by adult learner loans. This is based primarily in St Helens near Liverpool.

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Information about this provider

Most young learners have typically had little or no prior engagement in formal, mainstream education and/or previously gained few or no qualifications. At the time of the inspection, 60 young learners were on a study programme, of whom 20 were learners with high needs. The study programme offers vocational and academic qualifications from entry level to level 2 for young people who are 16 to 18 years old and for young adults with low prior attainment, an education health and care (EHC) plan, or who have other barriers to learning. Around 60 adult learners were studying level 3 or 4 qualifications in hairdressing and beauty therapy.

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Information about this provider

The current owners purchased the company in March 2024 when it was close to ceasing trading and had no young learners onsite. Leaders have since been stabilising the business. 5 to 8 November 2024

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

Most young learners, including those with high needs, are overcoming significant personal barriers to learning by regularly attending their Green Labyrinth course. However, learners’ attendance is not high enough. This means that too many learners are not developing the basic employability skills employers require. Through low or irregular attendance, these young learners are not making the progress they are each capable of, or learning at the rate teachers intend. Young learners and learners with high needs are not experiencing consistently good teaching and learning or personalised programmes of learning.

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

Too many of the young first and second-year learners, including those with high needs, have yet to access well-targeted work experience or work-related activities. This is a substantial gap in their expected learning experience. Leaders’ plans to introduce such activities and make sure they are all tailored to learners’ needs are new and it is too soon to gauge their impact.

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

Most young learners are conscientious and focused on learning when they attend classes. They exhibit generally positive behaviours and attitudes in the classroom and study quietly to complete the activities and learning goals teachers set them. Most benefit from additional learning activities that help them to develop their resilience, explore new interests, and grow in self-confidence and character. Most are developing the skills needed to move on to either further training, apprenticeships or employment.

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

Adult learners are very positive about the education and training they experience. They are ambitious, commit well to their studies, complete their work diligently and take pride in their achievements.

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

All learners feel safe while learning. Teachers and tutors have created friendly, supportive and calm learning environments which adults and young people welcome. Most younger learners value the small class sizes. This makes them feel comfortable and confident to engage in lessons and ask staff for help. On adult courses, teachers follow correct health and safety practices effectively during their course. This ensures they work safely in their salons or workplaces.

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

Learners rarely experience bullying or harassment. They know how to report any concerns and are rightly confident that concerns would be dealt with swiftly and effectively. 5 to 8 November 2024

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better?

Since purchasing the company in March 2024, leaders have made swift and purposeful decisions to ensure the continuity and viability of the organisation and have identified numerous actions for improvement. However, most of these improvement actions have been put in place very recently or are at an early stage of implementation and have not had the full impact that leaders intend. For example, too few young learners, including those with high needs, have achieved their target qualifications, largely due to disrupted teaching and support prior to the change of ownership. Leaders’ initiatives to improve current young learners’ attainment are at an early stage of impact. However, in contrast, nearly all adult learners who start their studies complete them in the allotted time.

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better?

Leaders have only very recently begun to formally evaluate the quality of teaching and assessment and it is too early for them to have eliminated weaknesses in teachers’ practice. Leaders have encouraged their less experienced teaching staff to start a relevant teaching qualification. Leaders do not ensure that tutors on adult learner programmes systematically improve their craft of teaching over time.

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better?

Leaders ensure that the vocational and academic curriculums they provide are designed well to help young learners and learners with high needs prepare for the world of work. Content includes improving their English and mathematics expertise as well as the practical employability skills, knowledge and personal behaviours they need to be able to take their next steps into further training, employment or an apprenticeship.

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better?

Leaders select curriculums for adults which successfully meet the skills needs of local communities, particularly the high demand for skilled hairdressers and beauty technicians in the St Helens area.

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better?

Teachers who teach young people and those with high needs have appropriate expert knowledge and experience. In class, they mostly present information and draw on appropriate resources in ways which help these learners develop new skills, knowledge and behaviours and retain key learning. However, in a minority of learning sessions, teachers are not ensuring that all learners make the progress expected. Young learners are not able to build on their existing knowledge well enough. This is because teachers are not capturing what learners already know and can do from the start of their programmes and planning learning accordingly.

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better?

Teachers’ written feedback on young learners’ work is too often congratulatory and does not identify what areas they need to improve. Similarly, teachers do not always check that these learners are clear about what they need to do to improve following verbal feedback. In a very few instances, tutors on adult programmes do not use questioning effectively to check learners’ understanding. However, in most cases, tutors’ feedback to adult learners is constructive and includes clearly defined and time-bound targets. 5 to 8 November 2024

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Teachers’ planning of programmes for learners with high needs does not reflect their EHC plan outcomes to ensure that learners make consistent progress towards their individually agreed targets. Learners with high needs benefit from pastoral mentors who provide them with targeted support such as strategies for managing stress. This helps the learners to improve their attendance and cope more effectively with incidents and interruptions in their lives.

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Teachers encourage learners with high needs to aim for high grades in assignments and extend their learning. Teachers plan lessons so that learners can gain the behaviours and skills expected by employers. Teachers ensure that these learners develop their practical understanding of how to organise themselves using calendars, alarms and by identifying priorities.

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Tutors on adult programmes use their expertise effectively to support and deepen adult learners’ knowledge. Most determine learners’ starting points well and plan learning accordingly. They work closely with local industry specialists to ensure they are teaching learners the latest hair designs and using appropriate products for the styles taught. Tutors ensure that up-to-date sector-relevant knowledge is woven into the adult curriculum, which improves their chances of gaining employment. They ensure that learners use professional and technical vocabulary successfully. Adult learners are well-prepared for their future studies and work. A very high proportion are now using their new skills in full-time or self-employment.

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Specialist advisors provide all young learners and those with high needs with useful impartial careers advice and guidance so they can make informed choices about their future career options. Staff help these learners prepare for their next steps, for example through CV building.

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Tutors ensure that adult learners deepen their understanding of personal safety and understand the importance of maintaining their physical and mental well-being. Most young learners are taught to understand what it means to be a British citizen. They know about their right to vote, freedom of speech, tolerance, mutual respect and living compatibly in communities.

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All young learners understand the dangers of extremism and radicalisation and are aware of local risks. Most of these learners can recall their training about the characteristics of toxic relationships, peer-on-peer abuse, gaslighting, and consent.

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Directors maintain a strong focus on, and are kept well-informed about, the company’s performance. Directors have considered appointing an external member to provide leaders with additional challenge and hold directors to account. This is currently an aspiration.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 5 to 8 November 2024

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Implement a fully individualised programme of work experience and work-related activity to ensure that young learners and those with high needs build their skills for, and gain a good understanding of, the world of work.  Personalise all young learners’ programmes by capturing what they already know and can do so their learning can build on that existing knowledge.  Substantially improve the achievement of qualifications by young learners and learners with high needs.  Further improve the consistency and quality of teaching practice.  Plan learning for learners with high needs so that it supports their achievement of the specific outcomes in their EHC plan. 5 to 8 November 2024

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Provider details

Address 1 Milton Road Swindon Wiltshire SN1 5JE

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Stephanie Davis

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Provider details

Provider type Independent Training Provider

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection 8 to 10 June 2022

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Provider details

Main subcontractors Not applicable 5 to 8 November 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the operations 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

Nick Crombie, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Paul James His Majesty’s Inspector Mark Parton His Majesty’s Inspector Rachel Clark His Majesty’s Inspector Lyn Bourne Ofsted Inspector Lowenna Bradley His Majesty’s Inspector 5 to 8 November 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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