Trade Techs (Northern) Ltd

Trade Techs (Northern) Limited Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead inspector: Hayley Lomas, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Unit 14F Queensway House Queensway Middlesbrough TS3 8TF Monitoring visit: Trade Tech (Northern) Limited, 2 and 3 July 2025

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Context and focus of visit

Trade Techs (Northern) Limited was inspected in October 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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Insufficient progress

Leaders have in place a useful self-assessment report and quality improvement plan. These documents identify the areas for development needed to improve the quality of education learners receive. However, progress towards improving these identified areas has been too slow, and there has been limited impact on the quality of education. Leaders do not take into consideration learners’ individual needs or prior learning at the start of the course. Learners study courses of different lengths without a reasonable explanation. There is no rationale for the different course lengths for each learner based on their starting points. As a result of the lack of consideration of learners’ starting points, too many learners do not achieve their qualifications within the set timescales. Leaders do not have high enough expectations for learners’ progress. They do not ensure that the quality of work learners produce is of a high enough standard.

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Insufficient progress

Learners produce work that shows limited knowledge as a result of the teaching provided. This has been identified through the provider’s quality assurance process, but leaders’ actions have not yet had a positive impact on improving learners’ work. Leaders do not ensure that learners progress towards achieving their level 3 NVQ diploma in accessing operations and rigging (scaffolding and offshore) qualification in a timely manner. At the time of the visit, a substantial number of learners were significantly past their planned end date. Leaders do not assure themselves that learners receive a high-quality training programme. The majority of teaching is carried out in the workplace by supervisors who are not subject to the provider’s quality assurance procedures. Leaders have appointed a dedicated quality manager with the responsibility to oversee the quality of teaching. They have very recently introduced a quality

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Insufficient progress

calendar that includes teaching observations, audits of learners’ work and feedback Monitoring visit: Trade Tech (Northern) Limited, 2 and 3 July 2025 received from tutors. Staff have started to benefit from classroom learning walks, which identify areas of strength and further development in their teaching, with the view to improving outcomes for learners. However, the impact of this is yet to be seen.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders have introduced an attendance policy which clearly outlines their expectation for learners to attend taught sessions. However, because leaders have indicated to employers that learners’ attendance can be flexible to accommodate business needs, too many employers do not support learners to attend well enough. As a result, attendance is too low. Leaders have recently appointed an attendance officer who works closely with tutors. They monitor learners’ attendance and, when learners cannot attend their planned sessions, the attendance officer liaises with learners and their tutors to arrange catch-up sessions. However, too many learners still do not attend sessions.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have recently appointed new members of staff whose role is to ensure that learners make positive progress through their course. When learners are behind or not engaging in learning, these staff contact them. Learners submit written work using an online portfolio, which tracks progress towards completion of the qualification. However, this tracking is not fully accurate, as there are sometimes delays in tutors marking work that learners submit. Leaders have recently improved their understanding of the progress that learners are making on their courses. They meet with staff weekly to discuss the progress of each learner. However, at the time of the inspection, too many learners were still behind their planned end date, and the completion date for each learner was the same, regardless of how much work they needed to complete. Tutors now conduct learning review meetings every two months with learners and

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Reasonable progress

their employers. Tutors discuss with employers how learners have applied new knowledge to their job roles. Although tutors have begun to discuss with learners the new knowledge, skills and behaviours that they have developed, in too many instances, tutors accept superficial answers from learners about the impact of their training. Tutors set targets for learners to work towards over the following two months. However, these targets are usually linked to completing units of the course, rather than developing new knowledge and skills. Leaders work well with employers who appreciate how flexibly the course is delivered. They have recently clarified their expectations of attendance with Monitoring visit: Trade Tech (Northern) Limited, 2 and 3 July 2025 workplace supervisors in order to balance this flexibility with the need for learners to attend taught sessions. It is too early to see the impact of this on learners’

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Reasonable progress

attendance. Employers are aware of the content of the curriculum and understand what learners need to learn. Employers support learners by delivering training on site. Workplace mentors provide appropriate support by helping learners to practise their skills in the workplace. Monitoring visit: Trade Tech (Northern) Limited, 2 and 3 July 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 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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Reasonable progress

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

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