Trailfinders Limited

Trailfinders Limited

Address: 23 Abingdon Road, London, W8 6AH Unique reference number (URN): 2765330

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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 a clearly defined culture in which apprentices, including those who are disadvantaged, are welcomed and supported effectively to achieve.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders use a range of thorough assessments and interviews to identify apprentices' support needs. They use the outcomes of these effectively to support the very few apprentices with identified needs or barriers to learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders adapt support plans to reduce barriers when apprentices' circumstances change. For example, for apprentices who are absent from work because of medical conditions, they maintain regular contact and plan structured phased returns to work. Leaders review rotas and adjust them to help apprentices transition back to work. Normal work patterns are gradually introduced once their return has been sustained.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders provide appropriate training and support to the small number of staff that support apprentices who face barriers to learning. For example, managers have completed training on how to support apprentices with dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Leaders recognise that they need to develop this training further to make sure all staff are trained to support future cohorts of apprentices.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a clear strategy for the apprenticeship training they offer. They aim to provide high-quality training so apprentices can provide excellent customer service. They recruit experienced, well-travelled individuals as apprentices. They provide clear career pathways that align with their company values of promoting from within the organisation.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders work well with their stakeholders. The training team provides effective guidance to travel centre leadership teams to ensure that apprentices receive the support and direction they need during their training.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders and governors have a clear understanding of their strengths and areas for improvement. They use appropriate quality assurance processes to monitor the quality of the training they offer. They respond quickly to feedback that they receive. For example, leaders introduced additional training on international rail holidays following requests from apprentices. Leaders recognise that too many apprentices find the workload challenging and leave before they complete their apprenticeship.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governance is effective. Members of the newly implemented board understand their roles and responsibilities. They are knowledgeable and experienced in education and travel. They provide effective oversight of the quality of training and safeguarding of apprentices.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders provide a range of appropriate professional learning opportunities for staff. Those new to training have mentors, reduced timetables and ongoing support to develop their skills. Experienced trainers return to travel centres to upskill. Leaders care about their staff. Staff benefits include free travel insurance and heavily discounted travel opportunities. Staff say they feel valued and well supported by their managers. Staff report that workloads are manageable.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have developed a high-quality, well-structured and ambitious training programme for apprentices. Expert trainers provide apprentices with highly relevant and engaging teaching and assessment. The skilfully planned off-the-job training is provided at the head office. This provides apprentices with the essential knowledge and skills needed in travel centres. High-quality resources provide apprentices with insightful, up-to-date information on trending destinations.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders collaborate effectively with travel centre managers. They regularly review programme content to reflect industry trends. They recently introduced new material on destinations such as Japan and Norway, responding to increased customer interest prompted by popular television shows.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Trainers have extensive travel industry expertise. They introduce and teach new content skilfully. They use a range of well-considered and industry-relevant activities to teach with clarity. They use role play very effectively to develop communication skills and build rapport and trust with customers. Booking flight and hotel reservations on live booking systems prepares apprentices very well for next phase of their training. Tasks become increasingly challenging, such as adding upgrades to flights and working to strict budgets.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Coaches' assessment of apprentices’ progress is well considered and frequent. Weekly tests and practical tasks prepare apprentices thoroughly for the workplace and final assessments. Coaches provide highly effective feedback to apprentices. For example, they listen to recordings of apprentices responding to initial inquiry calls and identify strengths and areas for improvement in the responses.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices quickly develop essential new knowledge and skills that they need for careers in the travel industry. They understand the importance of booking visas and having valid passport dates based on a customer's travel plans. They develop their knowledge and understanding of popular destinations such as Thailand and Australia. They plan increasingly complex trips, add stopovers and sell tours and upgrades when talking to customers.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices who remain on their programme achieve their qualification, and most achieve distinction grades. Leaders have made positive progress to reduce the proportion of apprentices who leave early. However, the full impact of this is yet to be reflected in achievement rates.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices develop their English and mathematics skills while on their apprenticeship. They communicate well with clients both orally and in writing. They work to budgets and work out currency conversion rates and distances between destinations.

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Achievement Expected standard

Almost all apprentices who complete their training stay with Trailfinders.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders provide apprentices with a varied range of opportunities to develop their wider skills and to contribute to society, such as at charities that encourage outdoor activities among the young and evenings out with different tourist boards. Leaders encourage all staff to raise funds for charities and encourage participation. They match any funds raised.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders make sure that apprentices understand well the career options available to them. All job opportunities are advertised internally across all locations. Heads of departments, such as cruise, premium and marketing, provide helpful talks to apprentices about the job roles in their teams. Managers support and encourage apprentices to progress into roles in these departments.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders have high expectations for apprentices. Throughout the training, company values, including attendance and timekeeping, are reinforced. Apprentices are focused, respectful and have high attendance. At work, they understand well the importance of maintaining high standards because they are representing the company.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices broadly understand the risk associated with extremist views, British values and topics associated with mental health. However, leaders do not plan enough time to allow apprentices to discuss these topics sufficiently.

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

Apprentices describe their apprenticeship as exciting, fast paced and rewarding. They quickly gain the skills and the knowledge to plan complex international trips, such as safari tours to Botswana, that require complex itineraries, multiple hotel bookings, daily safari tours and the coordination of internal flights.

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

Apprentices enjoy a range of exciting experiences during their apprenticeship. Some take part in familiarisation trips and tours, such as visiting a giant tortoise sanctuary in Mauritius and food tours in New York City. They describe these trips as amazing life experiences. These activities enhance apprentices' training and knowledge of popular travel destinations.

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

Apprentices feel safe, including when they are online. They pick up practical solo travel skills, including not sharing personal details with strangers, using reputable suppliers when planning tours and staying in regular contact with friends and family. As they grow in confidence, apprentices share their solo experiences and helpful tips to customers booking their trips.

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

From the moment apprentices start their training, they feel valued and cared for. They benefit from high-quality face-to-face training and support that enables them to thrive in busy pressurised travel centres. Most apprentices achieve their apprenticeship and remain with Trailfinders.

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Next steps

• Leaders should further strengthen professional development to deepen staff expertise so that staff can support apprentices with special educational needs and/or disabilities. • Leaders should further increase personal development opportunities for apprentices and plan sufficient time to revisit topics such as mental health advice and British values. • Leaders should continue to reduce the proportion of apprentice who leave before they complete their apprenticeship.

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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 the apprenticeship lead, apprentices, trainers and managers during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the provider:

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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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national average

2023/24 S 61 S Trailfinders Limited specialises in tailor-made holidays. Its head office is in central London with a further 47 travel centres across the country. Trailfinders Limited became an employer provider in May 2023. Leaders recruited the first cohort of apprentices in June 2023.

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national average

All apprentices study the level 3 travel consultant apprenticeship. Off-the-job training takes place at the head office in Kensington, London.

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national average

CEO: Toby Kelly 'This provider' and 'national average' figures are taken from the publicly available DfE achievement rates. Where the DfE have supressed the figures, usually due to small cohorts, this has been mirrored in the Report Card and will be shown by an 'S'.

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Year This provider National average

'This provider' and 'national average' figures are taken from the publicly available DfE achievement rates. Where the DfE have supressed the figures, usually due to small cohorts, this has been mirrored in the Report Card and will be shown by an 'S'.

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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. 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

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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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