Northwest Education and Training Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Northwest Education And Training Limited

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Information about this provider

Northwest Education and Training Limited is an independent learning provider based in Sefton, Merseyside. It offers a range of adult learning courses and apprenticeships, mainly to people in the North West. At the time of the inspection, there were 103 adult learners on courses in engineering and manufacturing, administration, heavy goods vehicle (HGV) driving and taxi driving. There were 82 apprentices on apprenticeships ranging from levels 2 to 5. Most were on level 3 business administrator and level 5 operations manager apprenticeships. The remaining apprentices were on level 2 customer service practitioner, level 3 team leader, retail team leader, customer service specialist and content creator and level 4 retail manager. There were 37 apprentices aged 16-18 years old.

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Information about this provider

All of the training takes place in community venues or on employers’ premises. 22 to 25 July 2025

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

Learners and apprentices benefit from and enjoy a high standard of training. Their attendance and punctuality to training are high. Most adult learners achieve their qualifications. Around one third of apprentices left their apprenticeship before completing. Of those apprentices who remain, just under half achieve a distinction grade in their final assessments.

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

Learners benefit from and greatly value the trusting relationship they have with their tutors and skills coaches, who go out of their way to help them. For example, tutors provide evening sessions for HGV learners to help them practise their skills in reversing.

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

Learners and apprentices routinely apply in training and at work what they learn about fundamental British values. They take pride in being professional and respectful to customers and colleagues. Learners and apprentices quickly develop a range of sector-relevant knowledge, skills and behaviours. Learners on the taxi driver course safely transfer wheelchair users into their taxi using a ramp with break straps.

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

Learners and apprentices improve their confidence. Learners on the HGV course drive heavy loads confidently and carefully along a range of routes. Apprentices on the level 3 business administrator apprenticeship confidently discuss aspects of insurance with colleagues, clients and insurance companies.

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

A few learners and apprentices take part in community and charity events. They donate to local food banks and provide presents for vulnerable children at Christmas.

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

Learners and apprentices feel safe and know how to report any concerns they may have about themselves or others. Learners and most apprentices have a clear understanding of local risks near to where they live or work, for instance, county lines, knife crime and drink spiking.

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better?

Leaders are ambitious for their learners and apprentices. They develop the curriculum offer with local employers in order to meet each sectors’ skills needs. Leaders work closely with local taxi operators to design the taxi driver curriculum. They include aspects of self-employment, such as the importance of saving a proportion of earnings to pay tax charges. After completing their course or apprenticeship, most learners gain employment or self-employment. All apprentices remain with their employer. Many learners and apprentices receive additional duties, promotion, or move on to further study. 22 to 25 July 2025

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Leaders ensure that tutors and skills coaches are appropriately qualified and experienced. They provide training to help staff improve their online teaching skills. This includes the effective use of breakout rooms and managing chat comments. Most staff benefit from training in providing useful feedback and applying effective questioning techniques. This contributes to most tutors and skills coaches improving their teaching skills further.

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Tutors and skills coaches teach in a way that helps learners and apprentices to build their knowledge and skills over time. Warehousing tutors explain effectively the theory behind the Kaizen culture of continuous improvement and how this relates to the workplace. Level 3 business administrator skills coaches explain clearly about time management tools, such as the Eisenhower Matrix. Most learners and apprentices retain this knowledge in their long-term memories.

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Most tutors and skills coaches use assessment effectively to identify gaps in learning and inform teaching. They routinely ask learners and apprentices probing questions, facilitate group discussions and give helpful practical demonstrations. HGV tutors demonstrate skilfully how to check hoses, leads and auxiliary cables prior to coupling and uncoupling the cab to the trailer. Most learners and apprentices make good progress .

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Adult learners receive useful feedback that helps them to improve their work. Conversely, not enough apprentices know what they specifically need to do to improve their work because the quality of tutors’ feedback is variable.

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Skills coaches ensure that on- and off-the-job training are coordinated appropriately for most apprentices. They routinely meet with apprentices’ managers to review apprentices’ progress and agree opportunities at work for apprentices to practise and hone their skills.

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Most learners and apprentices develop new knowledge, skills and behaviours as a result of what they learn on their course or apprenticeship. Level 3 business administrator apprentices who work in estate agencies learn how to complete anti- money laundering checks to verify the identity of individuals buying a property and then apply this effectively at work.

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Tutors and skills coaches provide appropriate careers information, advice and guidance to learners and most apprentices. Learners routinely practise interview and job searching skills. Most apprentices know the wider opportunities available in the industries for which they are training to work in.

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Leaders are realistic in their evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of their provision. Their quality assurance of the curriculums is effective. Leaders’ actions are steadily improving the quality of education for learners and apprentices. For instance, leaders have improved the proportion of apprentices who remain on, and achieve, their apprenticeship. 22 to 25 July 2025

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Board members receive a range of appropriate information from leaders. This helps them to understand the strengths and areas that need to improve. Board members closely monitor these areas. They hold leaders to account to make the necessary changes to improve the quality of learners’ and apprentices’ training.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Increase the proportion of apprentices who remain on, and achieve, their apprenticeship.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Improve the quality and precision of feedback to learners and apprentices. 22 to 25 July 2025

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Provider details

Address Unit 9, 100 Sefton Lane Liverpool L31 8BT

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Thomas Woolf

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection 24 to 27 September 2019

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Provider details

Main subcontractors None 22 to 25 July 2025

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the managing 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.

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Inspection team

Kim Bleasdale, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Philippa Firth His Majesty’s Inspector Ian Frear His Majesty’s Inspector Joanne Stork His Majesty’s Inspector Zoe Ibbotson His Majesty’s Inspector 22 to 25 July 2025

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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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