Yorkshire Training Partnership Limited

Yorkshire Training Partnership Limited Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead inspector: Alison Dennis, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider Address: Unit 1, Enterprise Court Rotherham S63 5DB Monitoring visit: Yorkshire Training Partnership Limited, 24 and 25 April 2025

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Context and focus of visit

Yorkshire Training Partnership Limited was inspected in June 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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Reasonable progress

Leaders have taken effective action towards ensuring that all tutors are well qualified and experienced to teach their programmes effectively. They have recruited new tutors who have relevant industry experience matched to the vocational programmes that they teach. Leaders are supporting those tutors who do not hold teaching qualifications to work towards securing these. They have also recruited specialist functional skills tutors to teach apprentices who require or opt to take these qualifications. These tutors use their expertise well to develop apprentices’ understanding of key concepts and to prepare apprentices effectively for examinations.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders are supporting all tutors to develop their teaching expertise through a well- designed programme of training and development. This programme blends training to develop tutors’ teaching skills with strategies to support the attendance and engagement of learners and apprentices. A small number of tutors are working towards additional qualifications, including higher- and degree-level qualifications in the subjects that they teach to enhance further their knowledge and expertise. Tutors use their expertise well in taught sessions and demonstrate a sound understanding of their subjects. For example, tutors teaching level 3 adult care facilitate helpful professional discussions which enable learners to reflect on the barriers to communication that they encounter when working with service users and how to successfully manage conflict.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have developed helpful systems to improve their oversight of the programmes they offer. They now have access to a range of data, including live Monitoring visit: Yorkshire Training Partnership Limited, 24 and 25 April 2025 attendance and progress data, to inform them about the quality of provision. Leaders have added capacity to their leadership team to ensure that new systems are managed well and utilised effectively. For example, recently appointed managers meet frequently with tutors to review the performance of learners and apprentices. Together, they discuss and implement strategies designed to support those learners and apprentices who are not making expected progress. As a result of leaders’ actions, the number of learners and apprentices who are past their planned end dates is reducing and more remain on track to achieve in the planned timescale. However, in a few instances, the targets that a few tutors set for learners and

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Reasonable progress

apprentices are not met within the timescales agreed. This slows the progress of these learners and apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders now use more effective measures to gain an understanding of the quality of teaching and support on the programmes they offer. They use feedback from lesson visits and performance data to identify strengths and areas where improvements are required. Leaders are using this information to inform well-designed development plans and training to support course and tutor improvement. Tutors and staff value the investment that leaders have made in their ongoing development. This is contributing to a strong sense of shared purpose within the organisation.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have developed their reporting systems so that board members now have access to timely and accurate data to enable them to understand the quality of provision. This has enabled members to challenge leaders more effectively and support ongoing improvements.

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Reasonable progress

Learners’ attendance has continued to improve since the previous inspection. Leaders have introduced a well-designed risk register, which they use to identify earlier those learners who are not attending and those most at risk of falling behind. Once identified, most tutors put in place appropriate actions to stem any further decline and to support re-engagement. Leaders recognise that, for a few learners, supportive interventions have not been implemented rapidly enough, and targets, on occasion, lack precision. They have appropriate plans in place to ensure that all learners are well supported towards achieving their qualifications.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors consider carefully the needs of their learners so that they can understand and mitigate any potential barriers to attendance. They take time to understand learners’ needs and future goals at the start of programmes. Tutors schedule teaching sessions flexibly around learners’ wider commitments, such as work rotas and childcare, and provide them with the resources they need to be able to complete work at home. They revisit learners’ future goals in learning sessions. This motivates learners and reinforces their commitment to their studies. Monitoring visit: Yorkshire Training Partnership Limited, 24 and 25 April 2025 Leaders have provided helpful training and development so that tutors understand the likely barriers to learners’ attendance. Tutors use their expertise well to develop and maintain supportive relationships with their learners. Learners appreciate the ease of communication and individualised support that they receive from their tutors,

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Reasonable progress

which motivates them to attend and commit towards achieving their goals.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have strengthened their recruitment and onboarding procedures so that apprentices are placed on the most appropriate programmes. They have formalised their processes so that apprentices cannot be enrolled on to the course until all steps of initial advice and guidance and initial assessment have been completed fully. They carry out effective discussions with apprentices and employers prior to the commencement of programmes. This is ensuring that all parties understand clearly the commitment and requirements of the apprenticeship. Tutors revisit these requirements in quarterly review meetings with apprentices and employers, so that expectations are reinforced.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have modified their approach to initial assessment to ensure that results reflect more accurately apprentices’ prior knowledge and skills. Prospective apprentices now undertake an initial assessment with tutors in controlled conditions. Tutors use this information to discuss and agree on the most appropriate level of programme matched to apprentices’ prior knowledge and skills.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have made appropriate changes to improve the delivery of functional skills courses. They have recruited designated functional skills tutors to provide specialist teaching and support to those learners who require or opt to take these qualifications. They have ensured that these tutors have additional specialisms matched to the needs of their cohort, such as apprentices with English as a second language. Employers value the positive progress that apprentices are making in using their English and mathematics skills in their job roles. For example, adult care apprentices use appropriate language more readily when recording handover notes between shifts in residential settings.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that apprentices are taught English and mathematics earlier in their programmes and over a longer duration. They have prioritised support for those apprentices who are past their planned end dates, which for many is due to delays with the achievement of functional skills qualifications. Tutors’ support has resulted Monitoring visit: Yorkshire Training Partnership Limited, 24 and 25 April 2025 in an increased proportion of apprentices passing their English qualifications in comparison with the previous year, and the number of apprentices past their planned end dates is starting to reduce. Monitoring visit: Yorkshire Training Partnership Limited, 24 and 25 April 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

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Reasonable progress

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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Reasonable progress

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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