Coding Black Females Limited

Coding Black Females Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Ramin Narimani, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection dates: 26 and 27 February 2025

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Unit 70 Containerville 38–40 The Oval London E2 9DT Monitoring visit: Coding Black Females Limited, 26 and 27 February 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

Coding Black Females Limited is an independent learning provider with its main office in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The provider teaches Skills Bootcamps to adults in digital technology. At the time of inspection there were fewer than 10 adult learners on the entry to technology software development course. The provider teaches its lessons online.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have a clear purpose to their curriculum to help improve the diversity of skilled staff in the digital technology sector. Leaders are aware that the proportion of women in the digital technology industry, and particularly Black females, is low. Leaders take positive steps to increase the proportion of Black females in the industry. They run a large of number of networking events and work closely with a wide range of employers to promote training and participation of Black females in the technology sector.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers work effectively with employers in digital technology industries to ensure courses are aligned with their needs. For example, in their cloud computing course most technical resources have been developed by employers. In the software development course, instructors teach the programming languages that are widely used by employers in the finance and insurance industries. Therefore, students learn the technical knowledge that is relevant and up to date with the industry needs.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers know the strengths and areas for development of their curriculum well. For example, they recognise the need to increase the number of learners who have a job interview at the end of their course. To help learners with this, leaders provide good support to learners so they can develop their employability skills. For example, staff teach learners how to set up their own business and offer Monitoring visit: Coding Black Females Limited, 26 and 27 February 2025 them additional courses, on topics that are in high demand, such as cyber security, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to increase learners’ employment chances. However, it is too early to see the full impact of these actions.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers promote equal opportunities well and support their learners effectively to take part in their training. For example, they offer online courses in the evening so those who are in employment are able to attend. Leaders support learners with childcare costs, so parents of younger children are also able to access their lessons.

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Reasonable progress

Instructors are industry experts, knowledgeable in their subjects and proficient in the tools, techniques and coding languages they teach. For example, they work as senior software developers in the industry. They include useful tips and insights in their lessons, such as teaching learners well how spaces and ampersand symbols are represented in URL code.

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Reasonable progress

Instructors teach the curriculum in an appropriate order. They first teach learners how to use a code development environment and then introduce topics such as code hygiene and storage, so learners can manage their projects effectively. They then teach about the building blocks of codes, before moving on to how objects relate to each other. Towards the end of the course, instructors teach learners to apply all of this knowledge when they build a web application or an application programming interface. This helps learners to build their knowledge over time as they make progress within their course.

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Reasonable progress

Instructors assess what learners know and can do at the start of their courses accurately. They use the results of these assessments well to place learners on the right course and to adjust their teaching accordingly. For example, learners with previous knowledge of programming complete more-advanced tasks. Learners feel the course content is at the right level for them.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers provide effective support to learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders identify these learners’ needs at the start of their course and put suitable support and adjustments in place. For example, leaders ensure that learners with SEND have access to suitable IT equipment, adapt the teaching materials and give these learners extra time to complete their assessments when needed. Learners with SEND fully participate in their training, complete their course and gain employment or continue to higher level training. Monitoring visit: Coding Black Females Limited, 26 and 27 February 2025

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have put in place suitable safeguarding arrangements. Staff complete relevant safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ duty training and know how to report any concerns about learners’ well-being.

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Reasonable progress

Learners feel safe in their training sessions and know who to contact if they need any support or have concerns. When needed, leaders refer learners to external agencies for additional support. For example, learners who face significant issues in their life because of housing difficulties or bereavements are referred to external mental health support.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders do not routinely include information about the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism in the curriculum. Therefore, although learners know how to keep themselves safe, their knowledge of these risks is not fully developed. Monitoring visit: Coding Black Females Limited, 26 and 27 February 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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