Tendean Limited

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 Apprenticeships Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Information about this provider

Tendean Limited is an independent learning provider based in St Albans, Hertfordshire. It provides apprenticeships in the construction sector, specialising in highway maintenance training. At the time of the inspection, there were fewer than five apprentices in learning, all studying the level 2 highways maintenance skilled operative apprenticeship. Most apprentices work for employers in London. 4 to 6 December 2024

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

Apprentices are confident and highly motivated to learn. They describe the environment where they learn and work as having a family feel, where they are valued and respected.

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

Apprentices work in highly professional, high-risk environments under the supervision of qualified specialist team leaders. Team leaders set high standards of behaviour at work and apprentices adhere to these professional standards diligently.

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

Apprentices have a very good understanding of how to stay healthy for their jobs. They understand the need to eat a healthy diet and to exercise to stay fit. They are aware of the impact that alcohol and drug misuse have on their ability to do their job and the negative effect on their personal lives.

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

Apprentices receive the effective careers advice and guidance that they need to plan their next steps. They have a good understanding of the career progression opportunities available to them. They are very clear about the actions they need to take to progress to roles such as team leader and heavy goods vehicle driver.

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

Apprentices feel safe in the workplace. They know who to report any safeguarding concerns to. They are aware of how to keep themselves, their peers and the public safe when working on site. They wear appropriate protective clothing and footwear.

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better?

Leaders have a clear and ambitious vision to develop highly skilled apprentices. Their focus is to train and develop the highways maintenance workforce in response to a significant skills shortage nationally. Leaders work effectively with leading employers to design and adapt the curriculum to meet the sector’s requirements. At employers’ request, they have added a broad range of additional qualifications such as specialist construction cards that enable apprentices to work with water, electricity and gas on site to ensure that apprentices make sustained progress when they enter the industry.

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better?

Specialist trainers work closely with workplace managers to plan and order apprentices’ learning. They teach the curriculum in a way that makes sense. Apprentices first learn to use the tools required in the workplace and how to mix cement to the correct ratios. They then progress on to more complex tasks, such as laying bricks in specific patterns such as stretcher bond, basket weave and herringbone. Apprentices, as a result, build their learning sequentially.

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better?

In practical lessons, trainers break learning down into small steps that apprentices can understand. Trainers demonstrate complex tasks that apprentices then practise and repeat. When working with black top, for example, apprentices know how to lay the binder course under the surface and then compact appropriately. Trainers 4 to 6 December 2024

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provide apprentices with feedback that helps them to hone their skills. Consequently, apprentices perform tasks to a high industry standard.

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Leaders and trainers identify what apprentices know and can do at the start of their training. They use a skill scan to assess knowledge, skills and behaviours, as well as to identify their English and mathematics competence. However, trainers do not always use this information well enough to plan learning that is sufficiently individualised. In a few cases, they do not support apprentices well enough to improve the identified gaps in their English writing skills. Consequently, these apprentices continue to make the same mistakes in their written work.

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Most apprentices achieve their apprenticeships. However, too many apprentices have not achieved their apprenticeship on time. A high proportion of these apprentices were based on one site where issues with a training facility made the apprenticeship challenging to teach. As a result, timely achievement rates were poor. Apprentices currently on apprenticeships make at least the expected progress.

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Leaders now review the quality of their apprenticeship provision frequently. Historically, management information focused on compliance and not enough on the quality of education. More recently, leaders have placed a clear focus on the quality of the apprenticeship provision. For example, monthly quality reports identify apprentices at risk of not completing their apprenticeship and identify strategies to help them to stay on track with their studies. Leaders have a good understanding of their strengths and areas for improvement.

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Leaders’ quality assurance processes include observations of teaching and reviews of apprentices’ work. In a few cases, lesson observations are overly descriptive. Observations focus too much on what trainers do and not enough on the impact that teaching and assessment have on apprentices or on their progress over time. Leaders have recognised this and have recently made changes to the observation process. It is too soon to see the impact of these changes.

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Governors provide appropriate challenge to senior leaders. Governors meet frequently with leaders and staff to review the quality of education that apprentices receive. They have recently identified some key areas for improvement. In response, leaders have implemented more robust processes to track and monitor apprentices’ progress and achievement. These actions are having a positive impact on the quality of apprentices’ training.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Develop apprentices’ English writing skills.  Support apprentices to achieve on time. 4 to 6 December 2024

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 Improve observations of teaching and learning to evaluate the quality of teaching and what apprentices learn more precisely. 4 to 6 December 2024

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Provider details

Address Censeo House 6 St Peter’s Street St Albans AL1 3LF

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Dave Tabernacle

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Dates of previous inspection 20 to 22 July 2022

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Provider details

Main subcontractors None 4 to 6 December 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the 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 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

Maggie Fobister, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Lynda Brown Ofsted Inspector 4 to 6 December 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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