Fearless Adventures Academy Limited

Fearless Adventures Academy Limited

Address: Grove Chambers, Basecamp, 36 Green Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 1LD Unique reference number (URN): 2761339

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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 learnerss for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

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

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Inclusion Expected standard

Learners are taught in an inclusive learning environment where they feel welcome and valued. Staff provide effective support for learners who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are disadvantaged or have barriers to learning. Mentors complete a wide range of SEND training that helps them to plan appropriate teaching strategies so that learners can participate fully in training sessions where mentors meet learners' individual needs.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders identify learners who face barriers to learning or who have SEND early in the course. They use information about learners' starting points to adapt their training, including one-to-one sessions and frequent reviews of progress. Leaders monitor support carefully, reducing or increasing support where necessary so that learners achieve their individual goals. Learners who have SEND are disadvantaged or have barriers to their learning achieve in line with their peers.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders support effectively those learners who need to leave their Skills Bootcamp to receive external help with their barriers to learning. Where possible, leaders offer these learners a place on the following cohort so that they can complete their course and go on to their next steps.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a detailed understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision. Where governors challenge leaders about areas for improvement they identify, such as the retention of learners on early cohorts of the Skills Bootcamps, leaders take appropriate action to rectify them. Leaders' quality assurance processes are effective and their self- assessment is accurate.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders plan and offer Skills Bootcamps that meet the growing need for skilled staff in the digital media sector, including areas such as content creation, digital marketing and business fundamentals. They work closely with employers and stakeholders to identify the skills that learners need to find employment, become self-employed or gain promotion in a wide range of digital roles.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders carefully consider staff's workload and wellbeing. Staff receive an allowance to spend on wellbeing activities, such as meditation sessions, gym memberships or massages. Leaders support staff through personal problems, including paid time off to attend appointments.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Members of the governing board are well qualified and experienced in further education, finance and marketing. They receive detailed reports that allow them to evaluate the quality of training that learners receive, the progress that they make and their next steps after completing their course. This enables them to challenge leaders effectively and to hold them to account for their actions. Mentors have significant experience and expertise in the digital sector. Leaders recently introduced a comprehensive training programme to develop new mentors' teaching skills. However, it is too soon to measure the impact of this.

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Achievement Expected standard

Most learners, including those with barriers to learning and special educational needs and/or disabilities who enrol on a Skills Bootcamp, complete their course and achieve their personal objectives. Leaders prepare learners well for their next steps. The vast majority of learners find employment, gain promotion or become self-employed.

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Achievement Expected standard

Learners typically develop new skills and knowledge from their starting points. Learners apply their new skills to their final projects and take pride in their work. Learners produce practical and written work to a high standard.

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Achievement Expected standard

Learners develop and apply their new skills as they use colour palettes and fonts that have maximum impact in encouraging customers to select websites during online branding campaigns.

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Achievement Expected standard

Mentors support learners in improving their English and digital skills. Specialist English for speakers of other languages mentors skilfully support learners who speak English as an additional language.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have a good understanding of the quality of the training they offer. They frequently visit training sessions to assess the quality of training and to seek learners' views about how the courses are helping them to develop the skills they need for jobs in the digital sector. Leaders provide mentors with detailed feedback about their teaching and set clear, time- bound targets for improvement. They support mentors to implement changes that enhance their teaching practice.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders design and sequence curriculums appropriately. This ensures that learners have a secure understanding of key business concepts and models before they work on their projects. Mentors use effective teaching strategies, including their own experiences of working in the digital sector. They help learners grasp, for example, the process of online purchasing to maximise revenue through pay-per-click campaigns, so they understand how customer behaviour influences purchases.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Mentors have significant industry experience and are motivated to share their expertise. Leaders recognise that some mentors who are new to teaching need support to further develop their teaching practice, particularly when teaching online. Sometimes, mentors move on too quickly for learners to fully understand information and instructions. On these occasions, the lack of time to process information results in learners being unclear about how to complete tasks.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Mentors use assessment and feedback well to ensure learners make good progress. Mentors provide skilful advice and guidance to help learners to improve their practical work. They praise learners' achievements and provide helpful feedback on their written work.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders typically create a respectful learning environment for learners from different backgrounds and experiences of the digital sector. Learners thrive in this inclusive learning culture. They enjoy being part of a learning community and sharing ideas with learners from different cohorts.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Staff set high expectations for learners, including for attendance, professional behaviours, ethical standards and academic integrity. Attendance at training sessions is high and learners mostly adopt professional behaviours, such as leaving their cameras on during online sessions.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders place high priority on learners' wellbeing. Mentors help learners to understand how to recognise signs of stress and anxiety at work. They encourage learners to take time away from computer screens to avoid fatigue and eye strain.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Learners benefit from effective careers advice and guidance to help them plan for their next steps. They attend informal coffee and careers sessions to discuss careers in the digital sector and receive individual support to write CVs, apply for jobs and attend mock interviews.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Although learners discuss the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism during induction, they are not readily able to relate this to work in the digital sector, such as hacking computer systems to promote extremist ideology.

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

Learners who, prior to starting the course, have very little experience of the digital sector or have exceptionally low confidence in their own skills and abilities quickly develop the knowledge and skills they need to achieve their personal and career objectives. Learners feel confident to apply for jobs that use their newfound skills in the digital sector after many years working in unrelated sectors. Learners appreciate the advice and guidance they receive from their mentors, who have significant experience and expertise across digital marketing, content creation and business fundamentals. They value learning about the vast range of job roles in the digital sector and receiving guidance that is tailored to their specific goals and career plans.

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

Learners benefit from a broad range of online resources and training sessions that help them to stay safe and improve or maintain their mental health and wellbeing. They attend sessions on mental health, wellbeing and developing confidence and resilience. Learners develop entrepreneurial and leadership skills through meetings with employers and entrepreneurs from the digital sector, where they discuss topics such as performing under pressure and entrepreneurial wellbeing.

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

Learners feel well supported by staff and mentors. They appreciate their efforts to remove barriers to their learning, such as the loan of laptops to participate in online training sessions. Learners value the additional individual training sessions that help them to apply their learning in practical situations.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that mentors who are new to teaching receive training to further develop their teaching skills, particularly for teaching online sessions. Leaders should ensure that learners understand the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism and how these apply to the digital sector.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed 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 leaders and managers, learners, mentors, employers and governors during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the provider: Fearless Adventures Limited, trading as Another Avenue, is an independent learning provider based in Wilmslow, Cheshire. Leaders specialise in Skills Bootcamps for the digital skills sector. They offer Skills Bootcamps in business fundamentals, digital marketing and content creation. Training is mainly online with some face-to-face lessons.

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About this inspection

At the time of the inspection, there were 86 learners studying the digital marketing Skills Bootcamp, 41 studying the business fundamentals Skills Bootcamp and 20 studying the content creation Skills Bootcamp.

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Lead inspector:

Anita Pyrkotsch-Jones, His Majesty's Inspector

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Team inspectors:

Steve Kelly, His Majesty's Inspector Elaine Price, Ofsted 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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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

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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