First Avenue Training Limited

First Avenue Training Limited

Address: Raise Business Centre, DN14 6BS Unique reference number (URN): 2654209

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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 have developed an effective culture where they identify apprentices’ needs swiftly. They carry out thorough initial assessments and hold frequent meetings throughout the course with assessors and apprentices to identify any barriers to learning. This leads to helpful individual support plans being developed with the apprentices and shared with assessors and employers. Leaders put in place additional actions should an apprentice fall behind.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have appointed staff with significant expertise in supporting apprentices who have additional needs to oversee the support provided. They have identified the most common barriers to learning as dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and poor mental health. Leaders have ensured that assessors receive training on strategies to use with apprentices with these needs.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders monitor the support that apprentices receive to ensure it is effective. They work with assessors to adapt or reduce any support where appropriate, such as when apprentices move to the next level course. However apprentices would benefit from more frequent reviews and adaptations to their support plan to ensure they fully meet current learning needs.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders ensure that apprentices are well supported in their workplace. They work with employers to develop strategies to help apprentices succeed at work and achieve their qualifications.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a clear vision to improve the lives of children through high-quality training in early years. They recognise their strength and expertise in the sector. Leaders made the strategic decision to stop providing apprenticeships in other sectors so they could focus on apprenticeships in their area of specialism across Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and Humber regions.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders work effectively with employers to design curriculums that meet local and regional needs. They co-design programmes with employers to take account of, and adapt the curriculums to suit, the uniqueness of each setting. Employers appreciate the frequent contact they have with staff and the face-to-face delivery model. Leaders mostly maintain an effective oversight of the provision, including of apprentices’ progress. They have recently established an advisory board to strengthen challenge and drive further improvements. The panel has assisted leaders to implement more structured systems to monitor the progress of individual apprentices and provide support. They hold assessors accountable for keeping apprentices on track to achieve their qualifications in the planned timescales.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders provide staff with various training and professional updating opportunities. Assessors are supported to achieve appropriate training and assessor qualifications. Leaders support new assessors well with reduced caseloads, providing shadowing opportunities and peer support. Assessors reflect on the activities and identify how they can be used in their roles.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders, through their quality assurance activities, do not sufficiently identify improvements needed in individual assessors’ practice. Therefore, they do not plan specific activities that match individual needs to further develop assessors' practice.

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Achievement Expected standard

A high proportion of apprentices pass their qualification, and approximately a quarter achieve a distinction grade. Apprentices who need to complete functional skills qualifications are supported effectively to achieve, and most pass first time.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices, including those with barriers to learning, make at least the expected progress from their starting points and produce work of an appropriate standard. Apprentices complete and revisit knowledge checks every three months to identify where they excel and where they need further development.

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Achievement Expected standard

Over time, apprentices gain independence and develop into valued, permanent staff members. They are supported to study additional qualifications. For example, they undertake training in topics such as paediatric first aid, accredited safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty. This prepares them well for their next steps in work.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders understand the curriculums well. They ensure that apprentices develop the required attributes they need for their jobs. Leaders adapt the curriculums to meet individual needs and ensure that the training aligns with early years curriculum and employer requirements.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Assessors plan curriculums logically to build learning over time. On the level 2 early years practitioner apprenticeship, assessors explore child development stages before helping apprentices to plan age-appropriate play activities.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Assessors use a range of effective strategies to support and manage the needs of those apprentices with identified learning needs or barriers. Employers are complimentary about the support staff provide for the few apprentices who fall behind to help them catch up.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Assessors are well-qualified, experienced childcare practitioners. They use their expertise to support apprentices to learn and apply new knowledge at work. Assessors provide training to apprentices working in areas of deprivation, where familial abuse is commonplace, to help identify and deal with any concerns.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Apprentices generally receive high-quality teaching. Assessors coach apprentices during nursery activities. For example, they watch apprentices plan outdoor play activities and make recommendations about how to better risk assess such activities. Assessors use a range of assessment strategies to provide helpful feedback for apprentices. Apprentices use feedback from assessors to improve the quality of their academic and practical work.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Tutors ensure that mathematics and English skills development is embedded into the curriculums. However, leaders recognise this as an area they need to continue to enhance, particularly for those apprentices who do not study functional skills qualifications.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders create a safe, respectful study and work environment where apprentices’ wellbeing and individual needs are met, including for those with additional learning needs or barriers to learning. Assessors visit the workplace frequently, which helps build positive relationships with apprentices and employers. Apprentices feel valued and are enthusiastic in their studies and work.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Assessors establish high expectations for apprentices' attendance, behaviour and professional attitudes. Apprentices attend well and understand the expected workplace standards, which they demonstrate consistently. Bullying, harassment and discrimination are not tolerated, and apprentices feel confident that any concerns they raise would be dealt with swiftly.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Assessors support apprentices’ wider personal development effectively, including mental and physical health, online safety, fundamental British values and community engagement. For example, apprentices participate in charity events and sustainability activities that help them to develop their responsibilities as citizens. However, a few younger apprentices have not yet received planned teaching on healthy relationships. Apprentices receive useful ongoing careers advice and guidance that help them understand their potential progression opportunities in the sector. Where apprentices aspire to progress to other roles in the sector, they receive guidance on the training they would need to undertake to realise such ambitions.

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

Apprentices appreciate the one-to-one teaching they receive from their assessors. They experience positive communication with assessors and feel listened to. Apprentices engage enthusiastically in their studies and develop their understanding of the early years curriculum.

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

Apprentices are supported well through assessors’ frequent visits and effective mentoring in the workplace. They are supported in reducing any barriers to learning they may have. Apprentices benefit from well-taught lessons in which they build their skills and knowledge. Apprentices develop confidence and feel well prepared for their next steps.

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

Apprentices are motivated to learn and develop their career in the sector. Many have aspirations to progress into roles such as special educational needs coordinators or working with deaf children. They understand the steps they need to take to realise their ambitions on completion of training.

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

Apprentices learn about the communities in which they live, including the risks and dangers associated with these areas. They develop their understanding of online safety and maintaining positive relationships in the workplace, including with parents of the children they care for. This helps them when liaising with parents, carers and external partners. Apprentices learn about the wider challenges of living in modern Britain, such as drug and alcohol misuse and gang-related crime.

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

Apprentices achieve their qualifications. They gain new knowledge of the theories that underpin the development of young children in early years settings. For example, level 5 apprentices learn how children self-regulate and develop resilience. They use this knowledge to design activities that help children settle into the nursery quickly.

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Team inspectors:

Ian Frear, His Majesty's Inspector Pauline Hughes, Ofsted Inspector David Sykes, Ofsted Inspector

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Next steps

• Leaders should improve their oversight of the quality of teaching and training to ensure that they plan highly effective staff development so that teaching is of consistent high quality. • Leaders should ensure those apprentices who are under 19 are taught an age-appropriate curriculum that includes healthy relationships. • Leaders should ensure that those apprentices who are not studying functional skills qualifications continue to develop their English and mathematics.

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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

Inspection activities: Inspectors spoke with leaders, staff, tutors, apprentices and stakeholders 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

First Avenue Training Limited provides apprenticeship training in the childcare sector. The provider operates in the Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Humber regions. Teaching and training are delivered face to face in the workplace settings.

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About this inspection

At the time of the inspection, there were 227 apprentices. Of those, 86 apprentices were under 19 years of age. A total of 173 apprentices were studying level 3 early years educator, 32 apprentices were studying level 2 early years practitioner with a further 22 studying level 5 early years lead practitioner. A total of 47 apprentices were working towards achieving mathematics and/or English functional skills.

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About this inspection

Managing director: Kerry Lewis-Smith 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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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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