Woodspeen Training Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Woodspeen Training Limited

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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Information about this provider

Woodspeen Training Limited is an independent training provider based in Huddersfield. It provides apprenticeships in business, care and health and a few adult learning programmes in beauty and fitness. It also offers Skills Bootcamps in pharmacy and in public service delivery.

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Information about this provider

At the time of the inspection, there were 1,832 apprentices in training on programmes from levels 2 to 5 in care, business services and health. Approximately a third of apprentices were aged 16 to 18. There were 72 learners on adult learning courses leading to qualifications in areas including beauty and fitness. There were 46 learners on Skills Bootcamps in pharmacy, funded through the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and public service delivery funded through the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

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Information about this provider

Most apprenticeship training is delivered online. Adult learning courses, including Skills Bootcamps, are taught in person at venues in the north west of England. 4 to 7 March 2025

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

Learners and apprentices work courteously and professionally with their skills tutors and peers. In online sessions, they adhere to the clear expectations set for them by their skills tutors. They keep their cameras on and take turns to speak so they do not talk over others. They attend these sessions well and arrive on time.

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

Learners and apprentices are enthusiastic about putting into practice the new knowledge and skills they learn. They take pride in their work. Junior estate agent apprentices discuss confidently how to value different property types and how they would explain defects in a property to a potential buyer.

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

Too many learners and apprentices leave their programmes early and do not achieve. Until recently, leaders did not place sufficient emphasis on the importance of learners’ and apprentices’ attendance at one-to-one meetings and reviews. This meant that leaders and skills tutors did not fully understand learners’ and apprentices’ progress and any barriers to achievement. Leaders have implemented actions to improve this. However, it is too early to see the full impact of these changes.

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

Learners and apprentices feel safe in training and at work. They receive accurate information about the risks inherent in their job roles, as well as on matters such as sexual harassment and the risks of radicalisation and extremism. Most learners and apprentices apply what they learn confidently in the workplace. For example, pharmacy technician and optical assistant apprentices know not to share information online that may compromise their safety or patient confidentiality.

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better?

Leaders and managers have a clear strategy to provide high-quality adult learning programmes and apprenticeship curriculums to meet the growing demand in the health, care and business services sectors. Apprentices who complete their programmes remain in work, and a few take on extra responsibility or gain promotion. Adult learners who complete their courses move on to training programmes to develop their skills further.

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better?

Most managers and skills tutors carefully sequence curriculums to ensure learners and apprentices gain important knowledge and skills early in their programmes. In pharmacy Skills Bootcamps, skills tutors introduce learners to chemical and biological principles early. This enables learners to understand how the body works before considering how to determine the appropriate medication.

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better?

Most skills tutors on apprenticeships and adult learning courses use the results of initial assessment well to plan learning and set targets. However, on Skills Bootcamps, the information staff record about learners’ prior knowledge and experience is not precise enough to enable skills tutors to plan specific learning activities ahead of their sessions. 4 to 7 March 2025

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Skills tutors use their expertise well to develop learners’ and apprentices’ knowledge and skills. They use workplace scenarios and live examples so learners and apprentices confidently apply what they learn in a practical context. Learners on level 4 sports massage courses repeat massage techniques of muscles to master their skills before moving on to include ligaments and tendons. Learners and apprentices improve their skills over time and can conduct more advanced procedures.

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Most skills tutors give feedback that helps learners and apprentices improve their written work and prepare for assessment. In optical apprenticeships, apprentices use the feedback they receive on the correct use of eye tolerance charts to improve their practice. However, skills tutors on adult learning programmes, including Skills Bootcamps, do not provide feedback that is sufficiently precise to help learners improve.

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Too many apprentices who require functional skills qualifications have not been supported early enough in their programmes to develop their knowledge and skills. Skills tutors do not use the results of diagnostic assessments well enough to target areas of learning for apprentices. Managers do not monitor apprentices’ progress in functional skills or attendance at sessions to identify those at risk of falling behind. They do not take swift action to help apprentices catch up.

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Managers and skills tutors do not work effectively enough with employers to plan and review apprentices’ training. Employers do not routinely participate in reviews of apprentices’ progress, and too many are not clear about the activities that apprentices complete in their off-the-job training. As a result, apprentices do not receive the opportunities they need to practise and develop their knowledge and skills in the workplace.

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Staff provide learners and apprentices with accurate information about matters such as healthy relationships and mental health and well-being. A few skills tutors take time to explore these matters with learners and apprentices in sessions and review meetings. For example, skills tutors use ‘stress buckets’ to help apprentices understand and manage stress when preparing for assessment. However, apprentices on a few programmes do not benefit from these discussions. Consequently, they do not understand fully the relevance of the information they receive to their own lives.

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Staff ensure learners and apprentices benefit from helpful careers advice and guidance throughout their programmes. Learners and apprentices understand the wide range of options available to them when they complete their course or apprenticeship, including progression to university, higher-level apprenticeships and future job roles in their sectors.

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Leaders do not ensure that managers and skills tutors have access to the information they need to analyse quickly the strengths and weaknesses of the programmes they teach, such as the attendance and progression of learners and 4 to 7 March 2025

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apprentices. As a result, managers and skills tutors are unable to take informed action quickly enough where improvement is required.

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Leaders have recently made appointments to their governance board to ensure that effective arrangements for oversight, support and challenge are in place. Board members recognise the aspects of provision that need to improve and are supporting leaders in addressing these.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Rapidly embed the processes that leaders have established to ensure that more learners and apprentices remain on their programmes and achieve.  Ensure that managers and skills tutors have access to the data they need to review effectively the impact of their curriculums and to make improvements where needed.  Improve how staff work with employers to plan and coordinate apprentices’ on- and off-the-job training and to monitor apprentices’ progress.  Ensure that learners and apprentices who require functional skills qualifications are supported to develop their skills quickly and that those at risk of falling behind are supported promptly to catch up.  Use information about the starting points of adult learners to plan learning that meets individual needs and ensure these learners receive feedback that helps them improve their work.  Ensure that all learners and apprentices are supported to understand fully the range

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

of personal development information available to them. 4 to 7 March 2025

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Provider details

Address Wellington Mills Heritage Exchange 70 Plover Rd Huddersfield HD3 3HR

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Ms Airam Neesa

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection 10 to 13 September 2019

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Provider details

Main subcontractors None 4 to 7 March 2025

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the operations director, 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

Alison Dennis, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Sarah Lonsdale His Majesty’s Inspector Tracey Baron Ofsted Inspector Bev Cross Ofsted Inspector Debra Forsythe-Conroy Ofsted Inspector Heather Ellison Ofsted Inspector Kathryn Townsley Ofsted Inspector 4 to 7 March 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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