Apricot Centre CIC

Apricot Centre CIC

Address: Huxhams Cross Farm, TQ9 6AA Unique reference number (URN): 2748190

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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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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff have established a culture of inclusion in which learners’ academic and personal needs are met in a relaxed and purposeful learning environment. Leaders and managers accurately identify learners’ learning and support needs at the start of their course and implement adjustments to help overcome barriers to learning. For example, teachers adjust teaching materials to meet learners’ needs relating to neurodiversity and visual impairment. Teachers adjust teaching timetables so that learners with childcare responsibilities can attend. While teaching, staff monitor most learners’ progress closely and implement any adaptations needed, they do not do so consistently well for every learner.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have secured additional funding from a variety of sources and used it wisely to increase staffing substantially and build a new accessible classroom and teaching facility for learners. They have introduced bursaries and incidental financial support so that any learner can afford to participate in the learning programmes.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders ensure that staff are trained to support learners who need extra help, including learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are very clear about the aims and objectives of their short and long courses in regenerative agriculture, agroecology and sustainability. They frequently review how well they meet the courses’ aims and adjust the curriculum content accordingly. Leaders use their close links with public sector organisations, agricultural sector bodies and employers to ensure that the content of the curriculums meets current skills needs in the farming sector, regionally and nationally. Leaders have recently expanded the range of short courses, which include holistic livestock management, water management and farming-related business skills. They have been successful in managing major organisational challenges while maintaining effective teaching and positive outcomes for learners.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are reflective practitioners, highly focused on further improving those aspects that are done well and resolutely tackling those aspects they need to do better. They are currently implementing a programme of professional development to refine a few aspects of teachers’ teaching skills. This is starting to have a positive impact.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The governing body of non-executive directors has appropriate farming and charity sector experience. Leaders provide directors with accurate and well-informed reports on progress, performance and sector analysis. Consequently, the governing body provides leaders with appropriate support and challenge. Leaders are increasing the number of non-executive directors in line with the growth in the range and content of the curriculums.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders’ culture of safeguarding permeates teaching, training and support for learners. This culture includes supporting staff wellbeing.

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Achievement Strong standard

Learners, including those with barriers to their learning, make substantial progress from their starting points and rapidly develop the skills needed to implement regenerative farming strategies. Almost all learners achieve their qualifications, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Achievement Strong standard

Learners produce work of a high standard. Their planning, design and implementation of permaculture and agroecological proposals are frequently at a level much higher than that required by the qualification specifications. Learners’ proposals are being implemented effectively, typically in agricultural settings.

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Achievement Strong standard

Teachers prepare learners well for their next steps. The large majority of learners apply their new skills in their existing agricultural employment, while others move into related employment or enter further and higher education. Many learners return to the provider to complete higher-level or additional short regenerative land-based systems and agroecological courses to further develop their knowledge and skills and extend their careers.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have paid close attention to ensuring that the curriculum content of Skills Bootcamps is relevant to farmers' needs. They have designed the curriculums in collaboration with industry partners to build learners’ new knowledge and skills from basic principles, such as plant and soil ecology, through to eco-systems and ultimately permaculture design and planning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teachers are highly experienced industry experts in regenerative agriculture. They are passionate about the subject and bring their enthusiasm and expertise effectively to the classroom. Teachers use the on-site farm resources frequently so learners can see their learning applied in a real-world setting. Teachers explain new concepts to learners clearly and use extensive practical work so learners can put their new learning rapidly into practice. They encourage learners to ask questions and share their own experiences, which builds each learners’ confidence quickly. Learners bond with their peers and build a useful mutual support network. Teachers generally provide learners with feedback that helps deepen their understanding. However, on field trips teachers do not consistently ensure that the focus remains tightly on the planned topic of the visit and, occasionally, a few activities lack relevance. Teachers provide useful post-course mentoring for learners, who develop

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

business plans to diversify their farm operations.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders and teachers adapt curriculums to meet learners’ specific needs, such as special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with health concerns or parenting and caring responsibilities. Teachers provide additional catch-up sessions for learners who miss a lesson so they do not fall behind with their learning.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Learners participate very well in lessons and generally attend lessons as expected.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Learners understand the importance of fundamental British values in an agricultural context because teachers explain clearly the laws governing how food is produced, processed and transported, with special attention to the health and safety of workers and the welfare of animals. They learn about risk factors relevant to the sector, such as modern slavery and how to ensure that seasonal agricultural workers are protected. Learners are taught how to keep themselves safe through developing an understanding of risks associated with political extremism and animal activism movements within farming.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders provide a programme of additional learning for learners, which extends their learning. These include short courses in water management, biodynamics and fencing for livestock. Leaders actively promote learners’ wellbeing. Leaders provide access to counselling on site, where learners can discuss any concerns.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Most learners experience careers mentoring from staff, who are highly knowledgeable and passionate about their industry. This helps develop learners’ careers, business ideas and proposals and allows learners to consider additional opportunities for study. However, this mentoring is not yet offered consistently for learners from the start of their studies.

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

Learners experience a welcoming, supportive and inclusive learning environment at Apricot's working farm, where they are taught. They value their studies and the positive impact it has on their work and careers. They enjoy and are motivated by their learning because the curriculums are rich in content and vocational.

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

Learners enjoy the balance of theory and practical learning and gain quickly in confidence. Learners on the higher-level courses value their visits to other farms and specialist growers to see first hand how their learning is applied in the real world. Learners regard the training that they are receiving as highly relevant and like how it is accessible to all.

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

Learners appreciate the quality, specialist experience and deep knowledge of their teachers. Teachers are approachable, encouraging debate and discussion that extends learning. Guest lecturers teach practical and thought-provoking sessions, combining classroom- based learning, knowledge sharing and practical learning opportunities.

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

Learners attend additional thematic courses. They extend their understanding of life in modern Britain in a farming context very well. Learners become part of a distinctive and growing learning community within which they network and have a sense of belonging.

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

Leaders identify learners’ needs accurately through initial assessment, advice and guidance. This ensures that learners are on the right course and level. Learners respect that high- quality wellbeing support is available to them during learning, including on short courses.

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Next steps

• Leaders should ensure that teachers continue to refine aspects of teaching skills, such as maintaining the focus on the topics being taught during field trips. • Leaders should ensure that all learners receive tailored careers advice and guidance from the start of their programmes. • Leaders should ensure that teachers monitor each learner's progress systematically.

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Team inspectors:

Roger Pilgrim, Ofsted Inspector Helen Morgan, 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

Inspectors met with leaders, governors, managers and teaching staff during the inspection. Inspectors talked with learners in the classroom and outside on the farm. Inspectors scrutinised documentation and data relating to the Skills Bootcamp provision.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the provider:

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About this inspection

The Apricot Centre is a not-for-profit community interest company based at Huxhams Cross Farm in south Devon. It offers a Skills Bootcamp for adults in regenerative land-based systems at level 2, and Skills Bootcamps at levels 3 and 4 in agroecological system design. During the inspection, there were 45 learners across the 3 programmes.

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About this inspection

Each Skills Bootcamp is taught one day per week over 12 successive weeks at the Apricot Centre. Additional learning takes place at nearby agricultural locations.

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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.

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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

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Urgent improvement

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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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