Monks Training Services Limited

Monks Training Services Limited Monitoring visit report

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

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Avant Gardens Wigan Road Leyland PR25 5XW Monitoring visit: Monks Training Services Limited, 18 and 19 June 2025

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Context and focus of visit

Ofsted undertakes to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of apprenticeship training provision funded by Education and Skills Funding Agency and/or the apprenticeship levy. This monitoring visit was undertaken as part of those arrangements and as outlined in the ‘Further education and skills inspection handbook’, especially the sections entitled ‘Monitoring visits’ and ‘Monitoring visits to providers that are newly directly publicly funded’. The focus of these visits is on the themes set out below.

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Context and focus of visit

Monks Training Services Limited is an independent learning provider located in Leyland, Lancashire. It provides a range of commercial training programmes and apprenticeships for the construction sector. At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 10 level 2 groundworker apprentices, all employed with one large employer. Monks Training Services Limited work with one subcontractor that provides functional skills training to fewer than five apprentices.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have a clear rationale for the apprenticeship that they offer. They work with one large employer to co-create a curriculum designed to equip apprentices with the industry-specific skills required to be successful groundworkers. Leaders provide additional industry qualifications such as dumper and ride-on roller, plant marshalling and excavation safety. This provides apprentices with the wider knowledge and skills they need to be groundworkers.

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Insufficient progress

However, leaders’ quality improvement systems and processes are underdeveloped. They do not check the quality of training that apprentices receive at Monks Training or at the subcontractor. Leaders carry out a range of activities that focus on compliance such as checking for completion of reviews and marking of work but do not assess its quality. This means that leaders do not identify all the areas of weakness or put actions in place to improve.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders recruit trainers who have extensive experience in the construction industry. They use this industry expertise to bring learning to life. Leaders support trainers to achieve their introductory teaching qualification. However, leaders have not put in place training to further develop trainers’ teaching skills. They do not check the learning that takes place in sessions to provide trainers with targeted actions and Monitoring visit: Monks Training Services Limited, 18 and 19 June 2025 support. This means that trainers do not know how to develop their teaching skills further.

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Insufficient progress

Trainers do not receive training or guidance to support apprentices with special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively. During practical activities, these apprentices struggle with written instructions and are unclear on how to complete the tasks set. This means that they make slower progress than their peers.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders are not held to account for the effectiveness of the training they provide. The current director is new to post and is in the process of formalising governance arrangements to ensure that there is effective scrutiny and challenge.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders recruit apprentices carefully. They identify apprentices’ previous experience and suitability for the apprenticeship to ensure they develop substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours. Apprentices develop their knowledge of slinger signalling and using a laser level accurately. They appreciate practising their new skills at the provider before honing these in the workplace. Apprentices are keen to achieve well in their apprenticeship and progress their careers in the construction sector.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers teach topics in an order that helps apprentices incrementally build their knowledge and skills. Apprentices are first taught health and safety so that they understand the risks of working on site and how to protect themselves. This includes working in confined spaces and the importance of wearing personal protective equipment. Apprentices move on to learn how to level, set out, complete ground preparation and install membranes. They apply these skills when completing complex projects on concreting, flagging and kerbing.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers use assessments effectively to reinforce key concepts and help apprentices recall key information. They use questioning and set practical and written tasks to ensure apprentices develop a secure understanding. Apprentices demonstrate how to use equipment correctly before completing groundworks. They use a cable avoidance tool and signal generator to check if there are services underneath the ground before laying cables.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers do not provide developmental feedback to apprentices on their written work. They do not identify what apprentices need to do further to improve. Where apprentices make spelling and grammatical errors, including incorrectly spelling technical terms, these errors are not corrected by trainers. This slows down the progress that apprentices make, and they continue to make the same errors in their written work. Monitoring visit: Monks Training Services Limited, 18 and 19 June 2025 Trainers prepare apprentices well for their final assessments. Apprentices complete practice presentations in front of their peers. They present on the differences between traditional and modern construction methods, explaining the impact of cost, efficiency and pollution with these methods. Apprentices develop their confidence in speaking in front of their peers and answering questions.

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Reasonable progress

The designated safeguarding lead and officers receive appropriate training to carry out their roles. They use this training to provide apprentices with learning on a range of topics such as the risks of radicalisation and extremism, consent and online safety. Apprentices feel safe and know who they should speak to if they have any concerns.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have a strong focus on health and safety. Apprentices gain a secure understanding of a range of topics in the first few months of their training such as asbestos awareness and the risks of drug and alcohol use when using machinery. This prepares them well for working in the construction sector. Monitoring visit: Monks Training Services Limited, 18 and 19 June 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

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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

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