Envisage

Further education and skills inspection report

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Outcome

Envisage continues to be a good provider.

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Information about this provider

Envisage is a small independent learning provider based in Sheffield. It provides training courses for adult learners that are funded through advanced learner loans. Learners follow courses leading to exercise and fitness qualifications. These include level 3 gym instruction and personal training, level 3 sports massage therapy and level 4 strength and conditioning. At the time of the inspection, there were 26 learners on these courses. Most provision is taught at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield. Envisage was previously inspected in March 2019 when it was graded ‘good’ for overall effectiveness.

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

Learners are enthusiastic and enjoy their studies. They are taught in high-quality, stimulating and professional sports environments, and benefit from industry- standard fitness equipment and resources. Most courses are based at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield, where learners are inspired by mixing with elite athletes.

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

Learners are very motivated by the expertise and professionalism of their tutors. Tutors bring learning to life by using their extensive industry experience when teaching. Learners value the trusting and respectful working relationships that they have with staff, who treat them as equals. Learners quickly learn to collaborate with their peers, such as working together to practise their coaching skills.

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

Learners gain valuable new skills and knowledge in subjects, such as anatomy and physiology and business planning, which is especially beneficial to the many learners who wish to work in a self-employed capacity. Many learners use the level 3 gym instructor and personal trainer course as a stepping stone to further qualifications to broaden their knowledge and skills. They can then provide their clients with additional services, such as sports massage and nutrition advice.

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

Learners feel safe as a result of the very supportive and welcoming environment that tutors create. Learners know who to contact should any issues arise. Tutors provide useful information on how to recognise radicalisation and extremist 5 and 6 February 2025

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behaviour. They ensure that learners do not take breaks outside when there is potential for unrest caused by football games at the local stadium.

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better?

Leaders offer a high-quality range of exercise and fitness qualifications to meet the skills needs in the industry. They offer the level 3 gym instruction and personal training course so that learners can gain employment in gyms. Many learners progress on to more specialist courses, where they further develop their skills, enabling them to offer more specialist services to clients, such as sport massage or strength and conditioning. Learners who wish to change careers or further develop their skills in the exercise and fitness industry gain valuable knowledge through these additional courses.

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better?

Tutors ensure that courses are well designed and sequenced appropriately. They use a helpful mixture of short practical and theory tasks through well-taught sessions, referring to industry practice and their own personal experiences to contextualise learning. Tutors introduce coaching techniques in the classroom before they demonstrate these techniques in the gym. They then teach learners about appropriate cooling-down techniques. This ensures that learners apply the theory successfully in practice.

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better?

Tutors teach interesting sessions in anatomy and physiology that help learners become much more knowledgeable about the skeletal and muscular systems. Learners develop their knowledge and understanding of how the body is related to exercise and fitness. Learners become confident in using technical language, such as gastrocnemius and soleus. They build up their knowledge over time and apply their newly gained knowledge and skills with clients.

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better?

Learners produce work of an appropriate standard. Most tutors provide learners with helpful feedback. Tutors carefully monitor learners’ progress in practical sessions to help learners improve their practice, such as in coaching sessions. Tutors provide feedback on written work to identify spelling and grammatical errors. However, in a few cases the feedback is not sufficiently developmental. Tutors provide feedback which does not go beyond the requirements of the qualification and, as a result, learners are not clear how they can further improve.

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better?

Staff provide learners with good-quality careers information, advice and guidance to support the development of their careers. Learners benefit from guest sessions with local and national employers who talk about working in the sector. Staff provide learners with details of job opportunities and give ongoing support after learners have completed their courses to develop their careers further, including support with writing business plans.

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better?

Leaders ensure that tutors’ subject knowledge is further developed through appropriate professional programmes. However, leaders have placed much less emphasis on developing the teaching skills of tutors. Leaders acknowledge that 5 and 6 February 2025

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there are opportunities to share good practice between tutors to improve further the quality of teaching.

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Leaders have appropriate quality assurance processes in place, such as self- assessment and visits to lessons. They collect and analyse learner feedback at the end of the course. However, in a few instances, leaders do not highlight or evaluate areas for development clearly enough. For example, they have not identified the reasons why too many learners on the level 3 diploma in gym instruction and personal training left their programmes early in the previous year.

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Leaders have recently established a helpful non-executive board. Members of the boards use their experience and skills in the exercise and fitness industry and in education to provide helpful support and challenge to leaders and to steer the strategic direction of the provider. Alongside the board, leaders carefully consider how to develop the curriculum, while ensuring that any new developments are well managed.

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Most learners achieve their qualifications. Leaders have successfully addressed the issue of young adults leaving their courses early by improving information, advice and guidance. Most learners have positive destinations after completing their courses, moving into employment or self-employment in the exercise and fitness sector.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Precisely identify strengths and areas for improvement so that improvements can be made where necessary.  Provide teachers with high-quality training to develop their teaching skills further.  Provide high-quality feedback to learners, so that they know what they do well and what they need to do to improve their knowledge and skills. 5 and 6 February 2025

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Provider details

Address English Institute of Sport Coleridge Road Sheffield S9 5DA

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent David Ireson

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection 6 to 8 March 2019

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Provider details

Main subcontractors None 5 and 6 February 2025

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Information about this inspection

The inspection was the first short inspection carried out since Envisage was judged to be good in March 2019.

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the owner, 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

Mark Keen, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Joanne Stork His Majesty’s Inspector 5 and 6 February 2025

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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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