Castle & Co Training Limited

Castle and Co Training Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Mark Care, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 February 2025

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Dickens House Guithavon Street Witham Essex CM8 1BJ Monitoring visit: Castle and Co Training Limited, 13 and 14 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 apprenticeship training provision funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency and/or the apprenticeship levy. 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

Castle & Co Training Limited (trading as, ‘Career Crafters’) is an independent learning provider in the East of England. It provides apprenticeships from level 2 to level 7. Most apprentices were adults, with fewer than five aged under 18 years old. Apprentices work in the East of England and London. Most of the learning for apprentices is provided online.

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Context and focus of visit

At the time of the monitoring visit there were 45 apprentices in learning. At level 3, there were 12 apprentices studying early years educator, eight apprentices on business administrator, seven apprentices on housing and property management, and five were studying multi-channel marketing. Five apprentices were studying level 2 early years practitioner, level 5 operations/departmental manager, and level 5 audio-visual technician. Nine apprentices were studying level 7 senior leader.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders work effectively with local and regional businesses to understand their skills and recruitment needs. Leaders use this knowledge appropriately to develop and plan apprenticeship curriculums. Leaders work with employers in the childcare sector to understand their specific needs. Consequently, apprentices learn about child development and behaviours so they can look after children effectively and safely in settings.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that employers understand their responsibilities for successful apprenticeship training. Leaders are thorough in checking that apprenticeships match the aspirations of apprentices and the skills needs of their employers. Employers provide apprentices with the time to study and put their new learning into practice at work. Apprentices therefore develop quickly in their roles. Childcare apprentices learn Monitoring visit: Castle and Co Training Limited, 13 and 14 February 2025 a range of strategies to deal with undesirable behaviour of children. Apprentices are taught to be patient and use positive reinforcement to distract from and deter any negative behaviours they see in the children they care for.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors are experts in what they teach. Most tutors remain practitioners in their field, so they have up-to-date knowledge of what they teach. Apprentices benefit from this expertise in lessons. In management, tutors make skilful use of workplace scenarios to compare the effectiveness of different management styles. Apprentices discuss the way they have been managed in the past and reflect on how that has impacted their approach to leadership.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders know well their strengths and areas for improvement. Leaders review the quality of education regularly by visiting lessons. Leaders know what their tutors do well and what they need to do to improve their teaching. The feedback and training tutors receive from managers helps them improve their practice. A few tutors new to teaching are not working towards recognised teaching qualifications. Leaders plan that all tutors will soon be qualified to teach their apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders do not yet have external governance arrangements in place. Leaders have plans to strengthen arrangements with representatives who have appropriate experience of education, skills, and industry.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders check what apprentices already know and what they can do effectively before they start their apprenticeship. They use this information logically to plan apprentices’ training. Apprentices build on what they already know, and they develop new skills quickly. Apprentices learn about health and safety and safeguarding so that they provide a safe environment for children. In child development, they learn about attachment theories, so that they better understand how young children need to form trust and relationships with parents and carers.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors skilfully use discussion and questioning to check and support apprentices’ learning. In multi-channel marketing, apprentices develop a good understanding of social media advertising, learning how to attract more online activity from consumers. They discuss and share ways of reaching different consumer profiles using various online and social media functions. Before online lessons, tutors set useful research tasks that prepare apprentices effectively for the lesson.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors provide additional individual learning to help apprentices with their studies. Apprentices appreciate this flexible approach as it fits in with their professional roles and personal lives. Most apprentices are making effective progress with their studies. Monitoring visit: Castle and Co Training Limited, 13 and 14 February 2025 A few apprentices identified with learning difficulties and disabilities do not receive support quickly enough.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have developed a positive safeguarding culture. Leaders have implemented effective procedures to safeguard young and adult apprentices. Leaders ensure that staff are qualified and trained in safeguarding.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices know how to keep themselves safe and they know what to do if they have any concerns. Leaders have not yet developed strategies to ensure that apprentices are aware of local safeguarding risks where they live and work. A few apprentices do not fully understand the different types of extremism and the signs of radicalisation. Monitoring visit: Castle and Co Training Limited, 13 and 14 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

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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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