Apprenticeship Learning Solutions Ltd

Apprenticeship Learning Solutions Ltd

Address: ALS Training, CF24 5ET Unique reference number (URN): 50081

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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 and directors have a detailed knowledge of the provision's strengths and aspects they need to improve. For example, they identified the need to improve examination preparation, and the actions that they have taken have resulted in improved first-time pass rates. Leaders take strategic decisions that are always in apprentices' best interests. For example, when the employer suggested shortening the programme, leaders trialled doing this but quickly reversed the change after discovering that it had a negative impact on progress, particularly for disadvantaged apprentices.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Directors provide excellent support and challenge to leaders through structured meetings that focus on curriculum quality and improvement. They comprehensively scrutinise actions that leaders take to ensure that high standards are consistently met.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders invest heavily in professional development to enable staff to maintain their industry expertise and improve their teaching. Staff undertake teacher training and development on a range of topics such as artificial intelligence. The training that teachers carry out enables them to use effective teaching techniques. Leaders require teachers to complete extensive ongoing industry professional learning to guarantee currency on this highly regulated aerospace apprenticeship.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders prioritise the wellbeing and workload of their staff. They provide access to an assistance programme, where staff can discuss both personal and workplace challenges. Leaders and directors discuss workload regularly and have reduced assessors’ caseloads to allow for travel time to and from the apprentice’s workplace. Leaders recognise the achievements of their staff and have weekly meetings, which staff value.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have established an inclusive approach through which they identify apprentices’ needs well. They provide access to learning devices and free transport, so all apprentices can participate in training. Staff know their apprentices well and work closely with the employer to promote high expectations of what apprentices can achieve. Apprentices feel valued, regardless of their background or circumstances. Leaders rightly recognise that recent positive developments to create a consistently inclusive culture are not yet having an impact on all apprentices.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders follow effective processes to assess apprentices’ needs. They use learning preference forms and induction checks well to identify apprentices’ needs and swiftly put support in place. Staff respond promptly as needs emerge, making adaptations such as additional equipment or alternative workspaces to help apprentices remain engaged. Where apprentices face challenges, staff provide timely assistance that enables apprentices to stay on programme and sustain progress.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders ensure that specialist staff provide appropriate personal and professional support to apprentices such as a 24-hour helpline staffed by health care professionals. Leaders provide highly effective training to enable staff to apply a graduated approach. Managers use effective methods to review progress through reviews and quality meetings, ensuring support remains appropriate over time.

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Achievement Strong standard

Apprentices make excellent progress from their starting points and achieve very well. They also achieve additional qualifications, such as those that enable them to gain a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) A-licence, which extends their skills to work on large commercial aircraft.

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Achievement Strong standard

The standard of apprentices' practical work is consistently high. It is almost always well above the demanding thresholds expected by the CAA.

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Achievement Strong standard

Apprentices develop new knowledge and skills thoroughly and securely. For example, they can take apart and rebuild engines repeatedly and fluently. Apprentices become highly competent and are prepared effectively for working with precision and to very tight tolerances.

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Achievement Strong standard

Apprentices acquire key engineering mathematical understanding and consistently strengthen their literacy skills through writing reports in line with workplace practices.

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Achievement Strong standard

Almost all apprentices progress to further training and remain in employment or secure new roles with other employers. Those who stay with their employer gain promotions and additional responsibilities.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders provide apprentices with a consistently high-quality and ambitious curriculum, which is very carefully sequenced and responsive to current and future skills needs. They teach apprentices using very high-quality resources and equipment, including helicopters, jet engines and precision tools, so that apprentices are able to work to industry standards and become ready for the workplace.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders, staff and apprentices' line managers plan learning very effectively, with the employer fully participating from the start of the programme. The close partnership with the single employer enables leaders and staff to coordinate on- and off-the-job training highly effectively. Leaders and teachers make sure that apprentices have enough time to practise their engineering skills, enabling them to maintain a high standard of work. Leaders and teachers match learning very closely to the work that apprentices do in their jobs. Because of this, by the end of their training, apprentices have gained the additional expertise they need to qualify as licensed aircraft technicians.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teachers are highly experienced, expert aviation engineers. They use their extensive knowledge of aircraft to teach apprentices complex engineering concepts successfully, making sure that apprentices follow engineering principles fully and correctly. They provide apprentices, including those with barriers to learning, with highly effective individual support.

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Expected standard

Staff use assessment expertly. They give apprentices clear and focused feedback, which enables them to improve their work to a very high standard. Staff use coaching effectively to help apprentices develop the techniques needed to solve complex problems .

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Participation and development Expected standard

Staff create a safe, respectful environment that fosters equality and inclusion. They screen apprentices’ health to ensure compliance with Civil Aviation Authority regulations. Apprentices learn to work safely in hazardous environments. They demonstrate exemplary behaviour, have very high attendance, maintain professional standards and wear the employer’s uniform with pride.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders, staff and the employer set high expectations aligned with British and corporate company values. Leaders teach a wider curriculum that builds apprentices’ awareness of physical and mental health and healthy relationships. Apprentices learn to protect themselves from extremism risks and know how to uphold the employer’s reputation. They confidently apply this understanding in lessons and workplaces.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices feel safe and know who to contact if needed. They do not experience bullying, harassment or discrimination. They trust staff to act rapidly to challenge any such behaviours.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Staff provide tailored opportunities to build apprentices’ confidence and independence. For example, apprentices compete in 'LEAN' projects to improve company processes and present their ideas to the global CEO on completion.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders inform apprentices about relevant careers and advise them on next steps. However, leaders rightly recognise that more work needs to be done, so all apprentices have a secure understanding of future opportunities.

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

Apprentices achieve very well and apply their new knowledge both when training and in the workplace. From their first year, they develop aviation and technical skills, working practices and professional behaviours that prepare them successfully for the workplace. They demonstrate precision and independence when solving engineering problems, maintaining equipment and applying safety protocols. Apprentices value the expertise of the specialist staff and the access they have to industry-standard aircraft, equipment and environments. The curriculum meets apprentices' needs well and prepares them for future roles at work.

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

Apprentices experience a culture in which their safety, professional development and wellbeing are prioritised. They grow in confidence and talk positively about the high level of support they receive. Staff have created an environment where female apprentices feel safe, respected and included. Leaders and staff place significant emphasis on welfare and safeguarding, including providing accommodation officers and significant training for home- stay hosts for apprentices. Staff help apprentices settle into living and working away from home. Because of this, apprentices successfully develop skills for independent living.

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

Leaders are successful in removing barriers to learning. Apprentices receive laptops and free transport to and from their accommodation. They appreciate the frequent contact from company managers, the pastoral support they receive and opportunities for wider development such as enrichment and wellbeing initiatives. Apprentices understand and adhere to the expectations of professional conduct and safety in the workplace. Their behaviour around the training centre is consistently excellent. Apprentices are always polite and articulate.

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

Apprentices describe themselves as part of the Boeing family and are ambitious for their next steps. They enjoy their training, speak enthusiastically about their progress and show pride in their achievements. Many say that their apprenticeship has exceeded their expectations and is preparing them well for a long-term engineering career.

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Next steps

• Leaders should ensure that the strategy for inclusion is fully embedded in organisational culture and practice. • Leaders should embed high-quality careers education and guidance throughout the curriculum.

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Lead inspector:

Steve Battersby, His Majesty's Inspector

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Team inspectors:

Paul James, His Majesty's Inspector Mark Hillman, 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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About this inspection

Inspection activities: Inspectors spoke with apprentices, director of delivery, head of quality, safeguarding leads, assessors, teaching staff, those responsible for oversight and the employer during the inspection.

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About this inspection

Apprenticeship Learning Solutions Limited is an independent learning provider based in Cardiff. It is owned by Associated Community Training Limited (trading as ACT Training), which is part of the Cardiff and Vale College Group. At the time of the inspection, there were 105 apprentices studying at level 3 on an aerospace engineering technician apprenticeship. All apprentices work for one major employer, Boeing Defence UK, that specialises in defence aerospace.

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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 standard 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 standard 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. 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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