Premier Fleet Solutions Ltd

Premier Fleet Solutions Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Philippa Firth, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection dates: 27 and 28 November 2024

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Fairfield Business Park Green Road Penistone Sheffield S36 6FQ Monitoring visit: Premier Fleet Solutions Limited, 27 and 28 November 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

Premier Fleet Solutions Limited is an independent learning provider based in Sheffield. Leaders offer a level 2 heavy goods vehicle (HGV) skills bootcamp, which they started delivering in February 2024. At the time of the monitoring visit, there were fewer than five learners enrolled. During the current academic year, 38 learners have completed the skills bootcamp.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have a clearly defined purpose for offering a skills bootcamp in driving HGVs. They recognised that there was a gap in the market for HGV drivers locally and regionally, and that the Yorkshire area has the highest number of HGV driver vacancies in the country. Leaders identified that the industry has an ageing workforce which, in the future, will leave the industry very short of drivers, unless new drivers are recruited.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders work closely with employers and have used both their extensive expertise and that of employers to develop an appropriate curriculum which enables learners to successfully gain the knowledge and practical skills that they need to pass their theory and practical test, and to gain employment as HGV drivers. Leaders have included content to enable learners to gain essential industry skills. For example, at the request of employers, they have added training on how to use tachographs and on-load restraint.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders recruit trainers who are highly experienced and qualified HGV trainers. Trainers who teach theory lessons have a level 3 teaching award. Leaders ensure that trainers keep their HGV driving skills current through highly relevant professional development activities. However, they do not provide training to develop trainers’ pedagogical skills.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders carefully monitor the progress that learners make and quickly identify those who are falling behind or are struggling with their work. Trainers provide useful Monitoring visit: Premier Fleet Solutions Limited, 27 and 28 November 2024 individual support to help the few learners who struggle with the online learning that they complete in relation to the theory test. As a result, these learners improve their theoretical knowledge and swiftly catch up.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders are starting to develop their quality assurance process to make sure that training is of a high standard. They have a quality improvement plan in place. However, this does not focus sufficiently on the quality of education. Leaders intend to formalise the process for the lesson visits that they conduct and provide constructive feedback to trainers.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and trainers sequence learning logically so that learners quickly gain the new knowledge and skills that they need to drive HGVs competently and confidently. Trainers start by teaching crucial information about hazard perceptions and health and safety procedures before they move on to demonstrate how to couple and uncouple trailers. They then teach learners how to drive proficiently and how to manoeuvre in restricted places, taking account of the size and load of the vehicle.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers frequently revisit and recap learners’ knowledge and skills, which helps learners to master the complexities of driving HGVs. Most learners pass their theory and practical test at the first attempt.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers provide useful feedback to learners about their practical driving skills and how they can improve. For example, they remind learners to check frequently for blind spots when driving and moving away from a starting point. Learners quickly develop their practical driving skills and are confident about gaining employment in the sector. Most learners gain employment as HGV drivers in large haulage companies.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers help learners to develop their mathematical skills well. They teach how to use tachographs so that learners can accurately record and comply with the driving hours rules. They teach methods of calculating the weight of the cab and vehicle before loading so that learners do not exceed the maximum load.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers help learners to follow relevant health and safety legislation and processes relating to HGV driving. Learners know that they have to wear high-visibility clothing when outside their vehicle. They know how to conduct safety checks, such as checking wheel nuts to make sure that they are not loose and checking that tyres are roadworthy. Learners are confident about how to keep themselves and others safe when driving HGVs. Monitoring visit: Premier Fleet Solutions Limited, 27 and 28 November 2024

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Insufficient progress

Leaders, including the designated safeguarding lead (DSL), and trainers have not had any training on safeguarding to ensure that they know how to keep their learners safe. The safeguarding policy does not have any information about what trainers should look for to ensure that learners are safe, such as the different types of abuse that learners may encounter. Leaders do not have a process in place for trainers to report concerns to the DSL.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have very recently drafted a ‘Prevent’ duty risk assessment. They have taken into account some of the risks that learners might face, but these are not contextualised to HGV driving. Leaders and staff have not had any ‘Prevent’ training to enable them to keep learners safe from radicalisation or extremism. As a result, learners have not had any information or training about the dangers of radicalisation and extremist behaviours and how they may be vulnerable when, for example, driving HGVs alone. Monitoring visit: Premier Fleet Solutions Limited, 27 and 28 November 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

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Insufficient progress

and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Insufficient progress

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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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