Azesta Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Apprenticeships Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

p.1

Information about this provider

Azesta Limited is an independent learning provider based in Pateley Bridge, near Harrogate. It is owned by one director and led by two. It has been operating for over 25 years and started apprenticeship delivery in 2017. It provides apprenticeships in leadership and management. At the time of inspection, there were 74 apprentices, all of whom were over 19 years of age. There were 21 level 3 team leader apprentices, 25 level 5 coaching professional apprentices, 17 level 5 operations manager apprentices and 11 level 4 learning and skills mentor apprentices.

p.1

Information about this provider

Azesta Limited works with employers including housing associations, councils and food industry companies. It currently works with one subcontractor, Interventions Consulting Limited, to deliver level 3 team leading apprenticeships. 21 to 23 May 2025

p.1

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

Apprentices are highly motivated and committed to their apprenticeships. They enjoy the face-to-face workshops in leadership and management skills taught by knowledgeable coaches. Coaches encourage apprentices to reflect on their current skills and identify how they can further improve in their professional roles.

p.2

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

Apprentices learn in very supportive and inclusive learning environments. Team leader apprentices enjoy learning alongside different colleagues in their organisation, such as night shift workers, warehouse staff and engineers. Apprentices appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with their peers and this helps them to understand their role in the organisation better.

p.2

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

Apprentices develop significantly in their professional behaviours, such as learning how to give balanced and constructive feedback to team members. Coaches facilitate useful discussions to help apprentices to consider their behaviours and mindset and to explore any unconscious bias that they may hold. Coaching professional apprentices use their new knowledge and skills to refine their professional conduct in meetings.

p.2

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

Most coaches provide helpful careers guidance to apprentices to enable them to consider how they can develop their careers. However, in a few cases, apprentices have not had sufficient input on possible career pathways and are less clear about their next steps.

p.2

better?

Leaders have carefully selected a range of apprenticeships that match well to their expertise in leadership and management. They work closely with employers and their subcontractor to design training that supports the development and retention of a skilled workforce. At the request of employers, leaders embed additional qualifications in leadership and management into the apprenticeships.

p.2

better?

Leaders integrate specialist content beyond the requirements of each standard. Apprentices attend high-quality masterclasses in areas, such as neuro-linguistic programming and transactional analysis in coaching. Team leader apprentices learn about modern slavery in the food and hospitality sector and go on to promote awareness of this issue as their organisation’s modern slavery champion. Consequently, apprentices widen their knowledge and skills in leadership and coaching.

p.2

better?

Coaches sequence curriculums logically, so that apprentices can build the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to be successful. Team leader apprentices first learn about their own qualities and those of their team members before moving on to learn key skills, such as active listening and questioning. They then apply these skills to build relationships and solve problems. 21 to 23 May 2025

p.2

3

Coaches use teaching and learning strategies successfully to help apprentices to practise and develop their skills. They facilitate group discussions and breakout activities skilfully to help apprentices understand the benefits and challenges of different coaching models and apply what they have learned to real-life scenarios about conflict in the workplace.

p.3

3

Coaches use assessment well to understand what apprentices know and can do. They use practical activities, including role plays, to observe apprentices’ coaching skills and provide helpful feedback to apprentices. This helps apprentices to improve how they manage team members at work.

p.3

3

Coaches are attentive to apprentices’ personal health and well-being. They provide helpful webinars on a range of topics, including healthy eating and the menopause, and interesting monthly ‘hot topic’ newsletters covering topics, such as the cost of living and stress in the workplace. Apprentices appreciate the focus that coaches place on both their professional and personal development.

p.3

3

Most coaches support well the development of apprentices’ knowledge of English and mathematics. They embed opportunities in practical tasks for apprentices to practise what they have learned, such as by calculating costs and profit when leading a project. Apprentices engage with academic texts, podcasts and relevant legislation, which they reference appropriately in their written assignments. However, apprentices who have been out of formal education for some time initially struggle to construct their written work to the required standard as they do not receive help early enough to develop their academic writing skills.

p.3

3

Coaches are well qualified and experienced. They have coaching qualifications and senior leadership experience, which they use to share valuable insights with apprentices in workshops and one-to-one meetings. They complete a range of useful training on topics, such as neuro-inclusion and the use of artificial intelligence, which develops their teaching skills by ensuring that they have very up-to-date knowledge and skills.

p.3

3

Leaders use quality assurance strategies well to monitor and improve the quality of the education that they provide. Staff attend useful standardisation meetings to review the quality of apprentices’ work and to review apprentices’ progress. This has enabled them to work much more quickly with managers if any apprentices fall behind. Leaders frequently observe the teaching of coaches. However, they do not consistently identify in these observations how improvements can be made.

p.3

3

Apprentices who complete their programme achieve, and a high proportion achieve distinction grades. In the previous year, too many apprentices who transferred from another provider that ceased operating, and who were towards the end of their programme, were not successful, despite the efforts that leaders made to support them. Leaders have taken appropriate action in response to this, such as ensuring that employers and apprentices receive accurate information about the requirements and expectations of apprenticeships. They have also improved the monitoring of 21 to 23 May 2025

p.3

4

apprentices’ progress. This has contributed to a much higher proportion of apprentices remaining on programme in the current year.

p.4

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.4

What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Provide apprentices with high-quality careers guidance and support, so they can consider how they can develop their careers.  Introduce academic writing skills earlier in apprenticeships, so that apprentices have the necessary skills to produce more quickly work of the required standard.  Identify clear actions for coaches following evaluations of their teaching, so that leaders can use this information to inform plans to improve further the quality of teaching. 21 to 23 May 2025

p.4

Provider details

Address 7 Kings Court Pateley Bridge Harrogate North Yorkshire HG3 5JW

p.5

Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Shirley Gaston

p.5

Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

p.5

Provider details

Date of previous inspection 4 to 6 March 2020

p.5

Provider details

Main subcontractors Interventions Consulting Limited 21 to 23 May 2025

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the 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.

p.6

Inspection team

Mark Keen, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Alison Dennis His Majesty’s Inspector 21 to 23 May 2025

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

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

p.7