Adalta Development Ltd

Adalta Development Ltd

Address: 9 Riverside, BL1 8TU Unique reference number (URN): 1276466

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, learners are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect providers for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The provider has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The provider has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders develop and design highly ambitious curriculums that meet the needs of apprentices and respond to employers' needs to increase leadership and management capacity, capability and quality across their organisations. They instil and sustain high standards through close collaboration with their expert staff team to help apprentices thrive.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders and advisory board members have a detailed insight into the strengths and areas for development of their provision. They know their curriculums, their staff, their employers and their apprentices very well. Leaders use highly effective processes to maintain accurate oversight of the provision, take timely improvement actions and ensure a sharp focus on providing a high-quality learning experience for apprentices. Leaders and advisory board members are relentless in the pursuit of continuous improvement.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders recruit highly qualified sector experts as associate teaching and coaching staff. Staff benefit from tailored professional development that aligns closely with and improves the training they provide. They take responsibility for their own development and training, completing extensive vocationally relevant training on teaching methods, coaching and mentoring. Leaders work in partnership with staff to ensure a consistently high quality of teaching and training across both apprenticeships.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders value their staff highly, creating a caring culture. They manage associate staff workload collaboratively and thoughtfully. Leaders flex the demands of work to facilitate a positive work–life balance for staff. Staff enjoy working for and are proud to work at the provider. They feel well supported and find leaders approachable and responsive to their needs.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have established a culture of inclusion that puts apprentices at the centre of everything they do and ensures that apprentices feel well supported. At the start of the apprenticeship, staff identify swiftly and accurately what apprentices already know and can do. Through discussions with apprentices, staff mostly create learning support plans that meet apprentices’ needs. They review and monitor these plans closely, and taper off support when appropriate.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Skills coaches know their apprentices very well. Their support makes a significant difference to apprentices’ progress and success. Apprentices appreciate this support and thrive as a consequence. When needed, skills coaches break topics down into more manageable chunks. They provide frequent and short one-to-one meetings to help apprentices whose circumstances prevent them from attending their training session in person. Skills coaches discuss approaches that work for apprentices with specific needs such as using different coloured pens or using a keyboard rather than handwriting their notes; apprentices find these strategies helpful when undertaking their studies. Those apprentices who require it receive electronic copies of presentation slides to support them during masterclasses.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders make sure that staff benefit from appropriate training to help them provide with confidence the support that apprentices need such as training on supporting apprentices with additional needs, wellbeing and inclusivity.

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Achievement Strong standard

Apprentices make significant progress from their starting points, achieve very well and attain high grades. A high proportion of apprentices achieve their qualification, and almost all who do so achieve distinction grades. All those who take additional management qualifications gain certification.

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Achievement Strong standard

Apprentices swiftly acquire the knowledge, skills and behaviours that they need, which has a demonstrable impact on their workplace roles. They exhibit insight and acumen, articulate ideas clearly and make informed decisions. Apprentices skilfully manage challenging behaviours and hold difficult conversations. They become highly valued at work.

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Achievement Strong standard

Apprentices gain promotions during and after their apprenticeship. Those who have barriers to their learning achieve in their final assessments and gain promotions at work at least in line with, and sometimes slightly better than, their peers.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders and advisory board members closely monitor the quality of training and apprentices' progress. They take highly effective actions to improve apprentices’ training to be of a consistently high standard.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders offer apprenticeships that are aligned closely with their areas of expertise and meet employers’ training priorities. They close skills gaps and provide structured development for apprentices who are frequently competent professionals on their first steps as managers.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders sequence curriculums astutely. They plan training to promote the principles of ethical leadership. Apprentices develop excellent professional behaviours and promote tolerance, inclusivity and identity.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Apprentices are taught by highly qualified, experienced skills coaches and masterclass teachers. Leaders ensure that skills coaches teach masterclasses aligned to their expertise. Apprentices benefit greatly from skills coaches’ insight and professional wisdom. Skills coaches use their assured knowledge of the subjects that they teach to explain concepts clearly. They use questioning and discussion adeptly to explore theoretical models and practical applications.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders and staff plan carefully considered assessment opportunities. Apprentices complete meaningful skills tasks that are explicitly linked to their employment and consolidate their learning. Skills coaches provide apprentices with feedback that is extremely helpful, personalised and contextual to apprentices’ roles.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Apprentices significantly improve their subject-related English and mathematical knowledge and skills through the work they complete during their apprenticeship. They accurately apply these at work.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Employers fully contribute to the coordination of training for apprentices. Apprentices use the training that they receive to improve communication, introduce new working practices and enhance services. They have a very positive impact on their employers’ businesses.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices discuss their career aspirations with their skills coaches and employers at the start of their apprenticeship. They benefit from access to high-quality, career-related resources. Apprentices know that they can apply for chartered manager status, and most achieve management qualifications that enhance their career prospects. However, they do not routinely develop detailed knowledge of potential future pathways beyond their immediate next steps.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Employers benefit from the knowledge and skills that apprentices hone during their apprenticeship. They value the apprenticeship as a key component of a talent pipeline, enabling apprentices to advance to senior leadership and management roles. Apprentices become competent, confident leaders and managers.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices are respectful and professional in their interactions with others. They adhere closely to leaders’ high expectations for attendance and behaviour. Apprentices feel safe online and in the workplace. They have a secure understanding of the risks associated with extremism and radicalisation. Leaders communicate information about these topics with sensitivity and insight.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Inclusivity permeates the curriculum. Apprentices learn about unconscious bias, equality, psychological safety and professional management conduct. They use their training to inform ethical practices in the workplace. Apprentices challenge actions that do not align with fundamental British values with professionalism and conviction.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Apprentices flourish and are very well prepared to work as leaders and managers in their industries. They are highly motivated and committed to their apprenticeships. Apprentices successfully balance the numerous demands of work and their apprenticeship.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Apprentices quickly evolve into competent leaders and managers at work. They empathetically manage their staff members' anxiety during major changes at work. Apprentices hold members of their team to account effectively for the work that they do.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Skills coaches empower apprentices to be successful at work. Apprentices develop the confidence to have challenging conversations with clients and members of their team. They challenge comments that do not align with fundamental British values with professionalism and conviction. Apprentices offer different approaches to team members such as changing questions to directives when working with service users in their homes. They provide training sessions to help their team to improve their verbal and written communication skills.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Apprentices with barriers to their learning or wellbeing receive effective support from skills coaches, who adapt teaching and learning considerably to meet apprentices’ specific needs. For instance, skills coaches provide transcripts from their learning sessions to make sure that apprentices do not miss vital theoretical content. Skills coaches ensure that attendees at online sessions follow courtesy protocols to ensure all have a voice. Many apprentices feel that without this high level of support, they may have left their apprenticeship before completing.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Most apprentices complete an industry-recognised management qualification in addition to their apprenticeship. Many, including those who have barriers to their learning or wellbeing, gain promotion either during or as a result of achieving their apprenticeship.

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Lead inspector:

Alastair Mollon, His Majesty's Inspector

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Team inspectors:

Kim Bleasdale, His Majesty's Inspector Zoe Ibbotson, His Majesty's Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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Next steps

• Leaders should consistently identify when additional learning support is no longer needed or can be reduced, and further strengthen and embed adaptations to secure a consistently positive impact on apprentices. • Leaders should further embed high-quality careers education and guidance throughout the apprenticeship so that apprentices develop detailed knowledge of their potential future pathways.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with advisory board members, leaders, skills coaches, masterclass deliverers, apprentices, line managers and employers during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the provider:

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About this inspection

Adalta Development Limited is an independent learning provider established in 2003 specialising in bespoke management training and leadership and management apprenticeships. The provider operates nationally, and teaching and training occur through face-to-face and online workshops.

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About this inspection

At the time of the inspection, there were 89 apprentices in learning. Apprentices were all over 19 years of age. Fewer than 5 apprentices were working towards achieving functional skills qualifications in mathematics and/or English. There were 49 apprentices studying level 3 team leader and 40 apprentices studying level 5 operations manager.

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About this inspection

Co-directors: Vicky Preece and Karen Young This data is from 18 November 2025

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other providers can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The provider reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standards expected of them.

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Expected standard

The provider is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standards set out in statutory and non-statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The provider needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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 .

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Urgent improvement

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 .

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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

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