Coventry University

Coventry University Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead inspector: Stuart Collett, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Higher education institution

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Address:

Priory Street Coventry Warwickshire CV1 5FB Monitoring visit: Coventry University, 12 and 13 March 2025

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Context and focus of visit

Coventry University was inspected in February 2024. At that time, inspectors judged the overall effectiveness of the provision to require improvement.

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Context and focus of visit

The focus of this monitoring visit was to evaluate the progress that leaders and managers have made in resolving the main areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection.

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Context and focus of visit

Coventry University is one of two training providers owned and managed by the Coventry University Group. Prior to the previous inspection, leaders had permanently ceased enrolment of apprentices with this provider, instead focusing recruitment of apprentices with their other provider. Leaders continue to recruit new learners to their education programmes for young people, and adult learning programmes. Consequently, at the time of the visit, no new apprentices had been enrolled since the previous inspection. There were 1,278 apprentices studying across 29 apprenticeships, the largest being level 6 civil engineer, level 6 teacher, and level 6 occupational therapist. There were a further 74 adult learners studying access to higher education courses and 15 learners aged 16-18 studying art and design courses.

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Reasonable progress

Following the previous inspection, leaders undertook a thorough review of their apprenticeships to identify all areas of concern. They then devised an action plan from which they designed new quality improvement processes based on revised key performance indicators. Subsequently, leaders developed a structure for reporting the performance of apprenticeships to leaders, senior leaders and governors.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders arranged targeted training for staff involved in teaching and managing apprenticeships on a variety of aspects, such as the use of initial assessment and the use of data. Leaders provided helpful training to senior leaders on the use of data in apprenticeships to give them the tools to effectively question and challenge the progress of apprentices and the speed of improvement.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have provided staff with sufficient training to improve their understanding of the principles and requirements of an apprenticeship. Most staff are clear on how to support their apprentices and improve the quality of teaching. Course teams have Monitoring visit: Coventry University, 12 and 13 March 2025 implemented new schemes of work, improved the tracking of apprentices’ progress, and enhanced the progress review process to better record the skills apprentices are developing. Curriculum teams now have stronger links to the apprenticeship team and work more collaboratively as a result.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have developed new data dashboards, which provide insightful information from course to whole provider level. This information is frequently scrutinised by staff and used well to reduce the number of apprentices who leave their programmes early and to minimise the number of apprentices who take a break in their learning.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have implemented a new strategy for observations of teaching and learning, specifically for apprenticeships. They use the information from these to standardise best practice across the university’s apprenticeships. However, there is still work to do to ensure that all apprenticeships meet leaders’ high expectations.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous inspection, senior leaders have revised governance arrangements for their apprenticeships. Through the newly established education committee and the academic board, leaders of apprenticeships are more closely challenged and supported by governors to improve the quality of their apprenticeships.

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Reasonable progress

Governors now receive appropriately detailed information on the performance of apprenticeships. They scrutinise and challenge improvement plans, self-assessment, and the data they receive on performance. Governors are confident to ask for more detailed data when they need it, for example, to support scrutiny of a particular apprenticeship or group of apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

Governors articulate very well the changes that leaders have been made to improve apprenticeships since the previous inspection. They discuss the support they have provided, such as training, additional staff to support improvement and their work in building direct links between curriculum areas and governance. This has empowered curriculum leaders, by giving them increased autonomy, clearer accountability, and ownership of the quality and performance of their courses.

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Reasonable progress

Governors talk with confidence about the improvements made and how important these are to the university’s strategy to continue to grow their apprenticeships. This will allow the university to cater for a growing demographic of learners in the region and beyond who are opting to undertake degree apprenticeships as opposed to full- time higher education study. Monitoring visit: Coventry University, 12 and 13 March 2025

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous inspection, leaders have provided training for teaching staff and managers that helps them to understand the key requirements of an apprenticeship. Curriculum teams and teaching staff work closely with apprenticeship support staff to continue to develop their knowledge of apprenticeships and the implementation of standardised processes. This includes a more sophisticated use of starting points for newly enrolled learners. However, as leaders are not recruiting apprentices to this provider, the full impact of this process cannot be seen for the current cohort.

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Reasonable progress

Teachers now use information about what apprentices know at the start of each new topic and plan their teaching to ensure that apprentices make at least the progress expected of them. Teachers ensure that apprentices understand the skills they will need to demonstrate for their assessments. They also support apprentices to better understand how they will need to demonstrate these skills in their end-point assessment (EPA). For example, in a strategy topic in the senior leader apprenticeship, apprentices struggled with the concept of competitive strategies. Teachers adjusted their teaching to improve the apprentices’ understanding of comparative organisations to help them understand strategies to compete more effectively. However, where apprenticeships offer merit or distinction grades, teachers do not routinely use information of apprentices’ starting points to ensure that they achieve the grades of which they are capable in their EPA.

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Reasonable progress

Nursing associate tutors check the starting points of apprentices at the start of each teaching session. At the end of the session, apprentices reflect on their learning and complete learning logs to identify where they have increased their knowledge. As a result, both tutors and apprentices can see the progress they make from starting points. In occupational therapy, tutors have started this process but are not yet using starting points to individualise learning.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have put in place data review points and committees to review the data which underpins the performance of apprenticeships. They have trained tutors and course leaders to understand apprenticeship data and the requirements of an apprenticeship. Leaders have ensured that staff receive useful information about apprentices’ progress so that they can provide apprentices with effective support to achieve their qualification.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have redesigned the civil engineering and senior leader apprenticeship curriculums so that alongside learning new knowledge, apprentices now begin to Monitoring visit: Coventry University, 12 and 13 March 2025 develop specific skills and behaviours related to the EPA earlier in the course. This has contributed to a higher proportion of civil engineering and senior leader apprentices passing their EPA.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and staff now monitor accurately apprentices’ attendance and progress. They now frequently report and share data with governors and staff, focusing on those at risk of falling behind or leaving early. Teachers now give apprentices timely and effective support to remain on their course and make at least expected progress.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have revised their strategy to minimise breaks in learning, enforcing clearer rules which require tripartite approval from the university, the apprentice’s employer, and the apprentice. This has substantially reduced the number of apprentices on breaks in learning. Where apprentices need a break, leaders have put in place improved processes to ensure that apprentices are supported throughout and do not have to wait to rejoin the course at an appropriate point.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices returning from a break in learning are supported well by teaching staff to catch up with their learning. This is helping an increasing proportion of apprentices to return and complete their studies.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous inspection, leaders have been successful in improving the proportion of apprentices who achieve their qualification. Monitoring visit: Coventry University, 12 and 13 March 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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