The Square Metre Limited

The Square Metre Limited Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead inspector: Sharon Dowling, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: The Former County Court 13 Church Road Redditch B97 4AB Monitoring visit: The Square Metre Limited, 21 and 22 May 2025

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Context and focus of visit

The Square Metre Limited was inspected in March 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

The Square Metre Limited is an independent learning provider located in Redditch. At the time of the inspection, there were 15 apprentices, all on the operations or departmental manager apprenticeship at level 5. All apprentices work in the crowd safety management sector.

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Significant progress

Apprentices develop substantial new knowledge, skills, and behaviours, which they apply to challenging situations in their workplace. Apprentices in football stadiums use the skills they have developed from the managing self and others module to take the ‘hot seat’ where they are responsible for 800 stewards and the safety of the crowds they manage.

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Significant progress

Since the previous inspection, leaders have quickly adapted the curriculum to focus teaching on the leadership skills which apprentices will use in the workplace. Employers value this change of focus and state that apprentices are quickly growing in ability. Apprentices understand the difference between leadership and management, using management skills during a match day and leadership skills to develop and prepare the team for their role.

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Significant progress

Leaders have appointed a head of apprenticeships who works closely with apprentices, providing academic and pastoral support. The head of apprenticeships diligently works with apprentices who need extra support or adaptations to their work and study patterns, which helps apprentices to stay on track to achieve their apprenticeship. Monitoring visit: The Square Metre Limited, 21 and 22 May 2025 Managers have further developed the use of the information about apprentices’ existing skills when they start their apprenticeship. Learning coaches review apprentices’ progress from starting points in progress review meetings. They work closely with apprentices and employers to identify projects which help apprentices improve, including writing effective reports for management colleagues.

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Significant progress

Teachers assess apprentices’ initial understanding at the beginning of each subject and adjust the content accordingly. For example, they may provide more challenge or revisit the basics of the topics they are teaching. This helps apprentices quickly understand and apply leadership theory in the workplace.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have reviewed the training that apprentices receive through online sessions. They have ensured that apprentices develop broader leadership skills rather than focusing too closely on crowd safety management. Learning coaches work well with apprentices to help them contextualise these leadership skills in their workplace, allowing them to apply management theories, including the project life cycle, when they plan their work.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have worked closely with employers to improve their attendance and participation in progress reviews. In these meetings, learning coaches support employers to find opportunities at work for apprentices to practise the skills and knowledge they are developing in the classroom.

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Reasonable progress

Learning coaches encourage apprentices to reflect carefully on their classroom learning and how it links to their workplace. They have introduced formal reflection activities for each assessment. They encourage apprentices to be more reflective and consider how to use the skills and behaviours they have developed in different roles or sectors.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices develop skills that allow them to extend their experience beyond their current roles. Their new skills help them lead projects outside their usual roles, such as developing fan zone areas and organising concerts, extending their skills beyond crowd management.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices are aware of their next steps and how they can use the training they have received to develop themselves and gain promotion, including the importance Monitoring visit: The Square Metre Limited, 21 and 22 May 2025 of networking. Leaders have introduced careers sessions, and they support apprentices when applying for jobs and preparing for interviews. However, these sessions are new, and the full impact on apprentices’ understanding cannot yet be seen.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have improved the quality of online sessions. They have implemented a thorough observation process to carefully monitor the quality of teaching that apprentices receive. Managers’ findings from their observations of teaching sessions inform developmental discussions with the trainer to improve teaching. For example, trainers now involve apprentices in classroom discussions, encouraging them to share their experiences with their peers to help them apply these to leadership theories.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices recognise and appreciate the improvements in teaching and skills development. They learn about and develop wider leadership skills that they can apply in their specialist roles.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have begun improving the feedback that tutors give to apprentices. Recently, they have introduced a clear structure to do this, which helps coaches focus on the apprentice’s strengths, development points, and next steps. Coaches provide feedback on the grade the apprentice is currently working at, but too often they do not give clear guidance on how apprentices can raise their grade to a distinction.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers encourage apprentices to try different management styles. They support apprentices to reflect on whether they are adopting the best approach for the circumstances and to ask for constructive feedback from workplace colleagues. Apprentices use this feedback and reflections to make improvements to their work as they progress through the apprenticeship. This helps apprentices to become competent and confident in their leadership practice.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices understand the requirements of their end-point assessment. Coaches now refer to work that could supplement and expand apprentices’ answers in their assessments and discussions, encouraging apprentices to reflect carefully on how the skills they are developing contribute to the workplace, and supporting preparation for the final professional discussion assessment. Monitoring visit: The Square Metre Limited, 21 and 22 May 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

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Reasonable progress

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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