St Mary's University, Twickenham

Further education and skills inspection report

p.1

Inspection of St Mary’s University, Twickenham

p.1

Inspection dates: 20 to 22 November 2024

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Apprenticeships Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

p.1

Information about this provider

St Mary’s University, Twickenham, started providing apprenticeships in 2021 when they introduced the level 4 children, young people and families practitioner apprenticeship for people working as lay chaplains in schools and youth settings. Leaders began providing a level 7 senior leader apprenticeship in 2023. They have recently secured approval to offer degree apprenticeships to start in 2025.

p.1

Information about this provider

At the time of the inspection, there were 14 apprentices enrolled on the level 4 apprenticeship, in three different cohorts. Apprentices in the first cohort were waiting for their final assessments to be arranged. In addition, 13 apprentices were studying the level 7 senior leader apprenticeship. Apprentices are all aged over 18 and work for schools and dioceses across the country. 20 to 22 November 2024

p.1

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

Through their training, apprentices develop valuable collegiate relationships with those working in similar roles in other organisations. They benefit from working together in critical friendship groups, where they check with peers their understanding of complex educational concepts and develop their critical thinking skills. Apprentices are highly motivated to learn and do well in their apprenticeship. They very rarely miss lessons. They contribute eagerly to discussions and give thoughtful responses to questions.

p.2

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

Apprentices use the new skills, knowledge, and behaviours that they learn at work. As a result of their training, apprentices gradually develop their confidence and take on increasingly challenging tasks. For example, apprentices on the children, young people, and families practitioner apprenticeship, who started leading small prayer groups, now hold full-school assemblies. Employers recognise the value that apprentices add to their organisations.

p.2

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

Apprentices receive useful guidance from staff about career choices. They are aware of the opportunities for further education and training available to them when they finish their apprenticeship, such as doctorates and teacher training. Apprentices hold useful discussions about their career goals with their tutors, which prepare them well for their next steps.

p.2

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

Apprentices have access to the university’s wide offer of services and personal development opportunities. They benefit from talks by tutors and external speakers, and networking opportunities. Apprentices develop their understanding of topics, such as mutual respect, inclusivity, and openness, and how these relate to their work with young people.

p.2

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

Apprentices value highly the effective support that they receive from leaders, managers, and tutors, who know them extremely well. Staff quickly approach apprentices when they identify changes in apprentices’ behaviour, such as unexpectedly turning their camera off in remote lessons and put in place adequate support if needed. Apprentices know how to report any concerns that they have. They welcome the helpful conversations that staff have with them around mental health and well-being, and the support that staff give them when they are affected by changes at work, such as by a new line manager.

p.2

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

Apprentices in the first cohort of those studying the level 4 children, young people and families practitioner apprenticeship have experienced a significant delay in being able to take their final assessments. They are now almost a year beyond their planned end date. 20 to 22 November 2024

p.2

better?

Leaders and managers work well with external partners, such as catholic schools and dioceses, to plan curriculums that meet the staff training needs of catholic schools across the country. For the level 4 apprenticeship, leaders and managers provide a specially designed curriculum through which they develop the chaplaincy skills of pastoral staff working in schools and youth centres. Through the level 7 senior leader apprenticeship, leaders aim to increase the proportion of school middle managers who aspire to future senior leadership roles.

p.3

better?

Leaders and managers work very well with employers and workplace mentors. They ensure that employers and workplace mentors understand their responsibilities towards apprentices. They train and support mentors well, including in their role in meetings to review apprentices’ progress. In these meetings, mentors, tutors, and apprentices agree relevant and well-planned activities for apprentices to carry out at work, such as shadowing, secondments to other schools and leading staff training activities. These activities relate well to what apprentices learn and help them to put their learning into practice. However, a few apprentices have not consistently had a mentor in place. This has reduced the frequency of review meetings and hindered these apprentices’ ability to arrange suitable activities at work to support the development of the knowledge, skills, and behaviours that they learn through their training.

p.3

better?

Tutors have the knowledge, skills, and qualifications that they need to support apprentices well. They use their expertise effectively when teaching and conducting progress reviews. Tutors use a range of suitable teaching methods and resources to help apprentices explore topics and reflect on these through their workplace practice. For example, tutors on the senior leader apprenticeship use discussions in breakout rooms effectively. These discussions help apprentices to explore theoretical elements of leadership, such as organisational culture in educational settings, through the lens of leaders and managers in settings different to theirs. As a result, apprentices develop an understanding of theoretical education concepts from different points of view. 20 to 22 November 2024

p.3

4

Leaders and managers monitor the progress that apprentices make towards achieving their qualifications, but they do not have a good enough understanding of the progress that apprentices make towards gaining the knowledge, skills, and behaviours of the standard they study or of their readiness for their final assessments. As a result, they do not report an accurate view to their senior leaders who, in turn, do not provide them with appropriate support and challenge.

p.4

4

Leaders and managers were too slow to understand the assessments that apprentices need to complete to achieve their apprenticeships. This meant that they did not train tutors, employers, or apprentices quickly enough in relation to those assessments. This delay, compounded by other issues outside leaders’ control, has resulted in the first cohort of apprentices on the children, young people and families practitioner apprenticeship not having taken their final assessments almost a year after they should have done so. Leaders have taken appropriate action to make sure that future cohorts do not experience the same delay.

p.4

4

Tutors support apprentices with special educational needs and/or disabilities well. Specialist staff put in place tailored support and suitable adjustments, such as additional time to write assessments and proofreading of essays, which meet the needs of these apprentices well.

p.4

4

Tutors give apprentices helpful developmental feedback on their work. They comment on how well the standard of apprentices’ work reflects their understanding and the development of their skills and behaviours. They highlight any areas for improvement and give apprentices guidance on researching and referencing. As a result, apprentices understand what they need to do to improve the quality of their work and develop their academic writing and referencing skills.

p.4

4

Leaders, managers and those responsible for governance do not have sufficient oversight of the apprenticeship provision. Leaders and managers visit teaching sessions and have professional discussions with staff, but they do not use the outcomes of these activities to identify actions and training that would help tutors to improve their teaching practice, for example in preparing apprentices for their final assessments.

p.4

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.4

What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Have appropriate arrangements in place for apprentices’ final assessments, so that apprentices complete their apprenticeship in a timely manner.  Maintain effective oversight of the quality of training that apprentices receive and the progress that they make, and take effective action where improvements are needed. 20 to 22 November 2024

p.4

5

 Make sure that all apprentices have workplace mentors who attend review meetings and arrange suitable activities at work for apprentices to put into practice what they learn through their training. 20 to 22 November 2024

p.5

Provider details

Address Waldegrave Road Strawberry Hill Twickenham London TW1 4SX

p.6

Provider details

Provider type Higher education institution

p.6

Provider details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

p.6

Provider details

Main subcontractors None 20 to 22 November 2024

p.6

Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the interim head of apprenticeships, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the new provider monitoring visit 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.

p.7

Inspection team

Montserrat Pérez-Parent, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Angela Twelvetree Ofsted Inspector Daisy Agathine-Louise Ofsted Inspector 20 to 22 November 2024

p.7

8

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 tutor 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.

p.8

8

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 .

p.8

8

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 .

p.8

8

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

8

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8