Evolve Your Future Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Evolve Your Future Limited

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Inspection dates: 19 to 21 February 2025

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Adult learning programmes Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Information about this provider

Evolve Your Future Limited is a small, independent learning provider, located in Rushden, Northamptonshire. It offers adult education courses at community venues and employers’ premises in Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire. At the time of the inspection, there were 142 adult learners. Fifty-four learners were studying functional skills English or mathematics, 31 were studying essential digital skills courses, 18 were undertaking an employability course, 13 were on a business start- up course and five were completing a certificate in information, advice and guidance. 19 to 21 February 2025

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

Most learners enjoy their courses and are highly satisfied with the education and training that they receive. They experience good-quality teaching in positive and respectful learning environments.

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

Learners come from diverse backgrounds. They have often had poor previous experiences of education. They benefit from exceptionally caring and nurturing staff. This helps them to develop their knowledge and skills in readiness for their next steps.

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

Learners benefit from the relationships that leaders have with stakeholders. Leaders work closely with their local job centres to develop courses such as ‘go get that job’, to help learners to get back into employment. Leaders have recently placed renewed emphasis on providing courses for local employers to support learners who aspire to become apprentices or gain promotion.

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

Staff understand that learners sometimes have complex home lives and relationships that make studying more challenging. Tutors pick up on signs that learners are struggling and quickly provide support. They create an environment in which learners feel comfortable, and this helps them to study.

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

Learners feel safe. They know that staff will support them if they have any concerns related to well-being and safety.

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better?

Leaders and managers focus much of their attention on learners who face considerable barriers to success. They pay close attention to learners’ needs and the local employment market when planning courses. They select topics that will help learners to prepare for their next steps. However, in a few instances they do not describe these topics precisely enough in curriculum plans. This occasionally leads to courses that focus too much on examination preparation rather than developing learners’ skills and knowledge.

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better?

Managers and tutors organise course content so that learners become able to learn increasingly complex content. In a few cases, such as in digital skills courses, tutors carefully tailor programmes to match the specific starting points of learners.

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better?

Leaders and managers place a high priority on supporting learners who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They have made suitable arrangements for learners to disclose any SEND they may have. Managers share this information with tutors, who adjust their planning in response. For example, tutors hold pre-lesson briefings with learners who have autism to ensure that they can participate fully in lessons. 19 to 21 February 2025

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Most tutors have good subject knowledge that they use to enhance their teaching. They provide clear explanations, illustrated with relevant examples. However, in a very few cases, tutors teach subjects outside of their main area of expertise. In these cases, their teaching is not as effective, and managers do not provide enough training and support for them to develop their knowledge and skills.

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Tutors use a range of suitable approaches to check that learners understand topics. These include mock tests, simulations, discussions and quizzes. Activities are usually suitably demanding, requiring learners to think hard about what they are studying. However, in a few instances tutors do not make effective use of learners’ responses to rectify misconceptions.

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Learners mostly make good progress and develop their knowledge and skills well. For example, employability learners become able to bring their CVs up to a high standard and write letters of application that respond to the specific requirements of job roles.

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The most recent two years of published achievement data shows that too few learners achieve their qualifications, particularly in functional skills. However, this showed some improvement in 2023/24 and the achievements in digital skills qualifications were high. Learners often face multiple barriers to success, and a significant factor in the low achievement rates has been the number of learners who left their course without completing their studies. Retention improved between 2022/23 and 2023/24 and, in the current year, has improved further, but it is too early to say what impact this will have on achievements.

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Managers have increased their focus on learners’ attendance. They now examine this as part of their monthly caseload reviews with tutors. Attendance in the current year has increased and is high. However, there remain pockets of persistently low attendance, particularly on courses for functional skills English and mathematics.

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Learners have access to a range of specialist careers advisers who support them throughout their studies. Careers advisers discuss learners’ aspirations with them at the start of their courses and follow this up with mid- and end-of-course reviews. When appropriate, they signpost learners to external organisations for further guidance.

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Leaders have strengthened arrangements for external scrutiny and support. Recent governance appointments have provided leaders with useful advice about improving the quality of provision, and this is having a positive impact.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 19 to 21 February 2025

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Specify precisely what learners should learn and ensure that teachers focus more on these themes and less on preparation for examinations.  Provide the few tutors who teach outside of their main area of expertise with the training that they need to teach effectively.  Help tutors to tackle learners’ misconceptions that they identify through assessments.  Continue to work with learners and employers to improve attendance for English and mathematics lessons. 19 to 21 February 2025

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Provider details

Address 25–27 Church Street Rushden NN10 9YU

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Provider details

Website https://www.evolveyourfuture.co.uk/

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Kay Brockall

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection 12 to 14 July 2022

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Provider details

Main subcontractors None 19 to 21 February 2025

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the business development manager, 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

Russ Henry, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Sarah Houghton His Majesty’s Inspector Janet Smith Ofsted Inspector 19 to 21 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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