North & Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce

North & Western Chamber of Commerce Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Elaine Price, Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection dates: 30 and 31 January 2025

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Unit 90-10 Eastway Business Village Olivers Place Fulwood Preston PR2 9WT Monitoring visit: North & Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, 30 and 31 January 2025

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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

North & Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce (N&WCC) is a small independent learning provider based in Preston. N&WCC was awarded a contract to deliver Skills Bootcamp training in international trade in May 2024 and began delivering courses in July 2024.

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Context and focus of visit

At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 20 adult learners enrolled on the international trade programme which consists of a level 2 award in international trade accredited by the British Chambers of Commerce and a non-accredited level 3 certificate in international trade. N&WCC work in partnership with East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce (ELCC) to deliver courses one day a week for 10 weeks at N&WCC and ELCC premises.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have a clear rationale for the curriculum offer. The qualification has been chosen to meet the needs of local businesses who trade internationally.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have effective working relationships with a range of stakeholders. They work closely with the local skills partnership to understand the skills needs of local employers. Due to the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union (EU) many local businesses have had to adapt to the regulations and documentation for trading outside of the EU. As a result, employers have identified a skills gap in the workforce who trade globally.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have used the feedback from employers they work with to develop the content of the programme to meet employer needs such as the specific procedures and documentation for trading with Northern Ireland. Monitoring visit: North & Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, 30 and 31 January 2025 Trainers are highly knowledgeable and have extensive experience of working in international trade. Leaders provide them with frequent continuous professional development to ensure they remain up to date with their subject knowledge. However, they do not provide development for trainers to continuously improve their teaching practice.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers seek feedback from learners and employers on the content and delivery of the programme and adapt the programme accordingly. For example, more challenging topics such as incoterms and customs procedures and documentation are threaded throughout the programme. This is to help learners acquire their knowledge incrementally and not become overwhelmed with significant volumes of complex information being taught in a short space of time. However, further development and the recording of the outcomes from quality assurance processes are required to ensure that actions are swiftly put in place to identify and improve the quality of the training for learners.

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Reasonable progress

Information provided to senior leaders and the governance board on the quality of training that learners receive is limited. As a result, leaders and managers are not challenged to continuously improve the provision.

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Reasonable progress

Managers and trainers use their extensive knowledge well to plan learning so that learners gain new knowledge and skills incrementally. Topics are revisited as the course progresses to help learners recall previous learning. Trainers begin each session with a recap from the previous session to help learners embed knowledge into their long-term memory before introducing new topics.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have effective arrangements in place at the start of the programme to ensure that learners will be successful. Learners complete skills scans so that trainers know that learners will gain new knowledge and skills that will enhance their current and future job roles.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers use a variety of learning activities to engage learners which include presentation slides and quizzes. They make effective use of discussion in which learners debate and share current international trade practices in their workplaces. This makes sessions relevant and informative to learners. For example, they learn how export documentation is completed and the use of commodity codes for import and export taxation and customs duty purposes. Monitoring visit: North & Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, 30 and 31 January 2025 Leaders and managers place a high priority on attendance. They have put in place arrangements to ensure that learners who are not able to attend a session can catch up quickly either through one-to-one sessions or by attending sessions with a different group. This ensures that all learners make strong progress in gaining new knowledge and skills.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers do not provide learners with developmental feedback on their work. Feedback does not inform learners on how they can improve further.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers do not use assessment effectively to check for gaps in individual learners’ knowledge. They do not set individual targets for learners based on the outcome of their initial skills scan. As a result, they do not ensure that all learners make the progress they are capable of.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have put in place appropriate policies, procedures and training to ensure that the designated safeguarding lead and staff know how to identify and report any safeguarding or welfare concerns for learners.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers provide relevant training to ensure that learners know how to keep themselves safe. They use real-life case studies to highlight the dangers of online scamming when working with clients abroad and the risks of potential fraudulent payment methods.

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Reasonable progress

Learners feel safe. They know how to report any concerns they may have. However, not all learners have a deep understanding of the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism to keep themselves and others safe. Monitoring visit: North & Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, 30 and 31 January 2025 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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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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

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