University of Staffordshire

University of Staffordshire

Address: College Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 2DE Unique reference number (URN): 133882

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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

Leaders capture information on potential barriers to learning during enrolment, including information about special educational needs and/or disabilities, care leavers and carer responsibilities. They share this information with support teams to ensure that support staff discuss needs with apprentices during induction and reviews. In some instances, this includes making referrals for diagnostic assessments with specialist staff. These assessments give staff and apprentices useful insights into the support strategies that will help apprentices with their studies.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff closely monitor apprentices’ attendance and engagement. When staff identify a decline in engagement in studies, they swiftly investigate any potential barriers to learning. Apprentices have access to a broad range of support services for temporary or longer-term barriers, including counselling and therapy sessions, chaplaincy support and financial advice. This helps them to continue with their studies.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff with responsibility for planning and reviewing support for apprentices are suitably experienced and trained. They have received training on neurodiversity, which has helped to broaden their understanding of barriers to learning and how to identify additional needs. Staff take a graduated approach to support, which meets apprentices' needs well. They regularly review the effectiveness of support strategies and, where necessary, either increase or reduce the support they provide.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a clear vision for apprenticeships to meet employer needs in sectors such as the health and digital sectors. They have implemented strategies to embed apprenticeships fully within the university structure. The new model ensures that the teams which deliver and support apprenticeships have a clear understanding of the requirements of apprenticeships, which are given the same priority as the broader university curriculum.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders ensure that apprenticeships meet local and regional needs through a thorough validation process. They carefully involve employers, potential apprentices and experts from awarding bodies to ensure that the design and implementation of apprenticeships meet the specific training needs of apprentices and employers.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

University leaders have a clear line of sight into the quality of apprenticeships through a comprehensive governance structure. Leaders have strengthened their reporting so that the main governance board receives full and clear information. This enables governors responsible for oversight to have a thorough understanding of the apprenticeship strategy, performance and the challenges facing the sector.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders understand the challenges of managing staff workloads and are committed to maintaining flexibility to support staff wellbeing. For example, they support staff from the Ministry of Defence working with apprentices who need to work outside normal working hours, giving them the autonomy to manage their workload. Leaders have strong relationships with subcontractors. Subcontractors are fully involved in the university's processes and, as a result, their provision meets the university's curriculum standards.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders closely align the curriculum to local and regional priorities and employers’ needs. For example, their curriculums for policing, paramedic and nursing directly support public sector workforce plans. Leaders work effectively with employers to tailor the curriculum to the employers' and apprentices' needs. This enables apprentices to apply and practise their new knowledge, skills and behaviours, and to achieve their learning goals.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have clear and very effective strategies for continual reflection and improvement. The recently introduced apprenticeship committee provides an opportunity to discuss quality improvement measures, review data and share good practice.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Lecturers successfully teach challenging, complex topics, including through the use of simulation activities. Leaders have invested significantly in physical resources and staff training to incorporate simulation scenarios into their curriculum, giving apprentices more confidence in approaching complex situations, such as working in accident and emergency settings.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Lecturers support apprentices very well to think critically about different situations and processes and encourage them to adopt a professional, problem-solving approach to their studies. For example, paramedic apprentices use a 360-degree immersive space that recreates a road traffic collision, and nursing apprentices work in simulated accident and emergency situations.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Lecturers enable apprentices to acquire mastery of their industry practices and broaden their understanding of the sector in which they work. Lecturers of level 7 digital and technology solutions purposefully promote expert-led, peer-to-peer learning, with apprentices regularly leading discussions to clarify concepts and resolve misconceptions.

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Expected standard

Consequently, apprentices develop skills to support movement across technical disciplines more effectively.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Staff provide a rich, thoughtfully tailored programme of wider learning that develops apprentices’ confidence and independence. This enables apprentices to undertake challenging work roles and contribute positively to their profession. Police constable degree apprentices can opt to study additional qualifications and competencies to enhance their role, such as officer safety training and driving competence, enabling them to drive with blue lights and in pursuit.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Leaders and staff embed effective careers guidance throughout the curriculum and, as a result, apprentices are confident about their next steps and can access opportunities to progress to more challenging roles with greater responsibility. Level 7 digital and technology solutions apprentices benefit from structured and embedded career development. Purposeful employer engagement and industry-endorsed activities, such as Tech Industry Gold accreditation and hackathons, expose apprentices to sector innovation and wider career pathways, broadening their aspirations and strengthening their readiness for senior digital roles.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Staff embed fundamental British values expertly in the curriculum. As a result, apprentices understand their relevance to professional standards and can apply these principles in their studies and workplace settings.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Attendance is high. All staff work cohesively to create a culture of high expectations, where apprentices’ participation is valued and celebrated.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices typically make appropriate progress from their starting points and achieve their qualifications. There has been a notable improvement in achievement on the level 6 apprenticeship in embedded electronic systems design and development. However, there are some small parts of the provision, such as manufacturing engineering, where apprentices achieve less well.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices develop a thorough and secure understanding of new concepts. They apply their academic and technical knowledge, skills and behaviours expertly, fluently and automatically. They demonstrate these in their workplace confidently and produce work of a high standard. For example, police apprentices learn about psychology and behavioural theories, and analyse how they underpin behaviours related to public order. Apprentices are mostly ready for the next stage of their employment, training or education. Most apprentices who complete their apprenticeship go on to destinations that meet their career goals and aspirations.

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

Apprentices demonstrate high levels of motivation and a strong commitment to their studies. They take pride in their work and collaborate respectfully with peers at the provider and in the workplace, demonstrating a high level of professionalism. Apprentices on the level 6 police constable degree apprenticeship highly value their learning experience. They thrive on the support provided by university staff and their employers. They enjoy and gain confidence from simulation activities, which help them prepare for and make decisions about complex and challenging situations that they are likely to face in the workplace.

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

Leaders foster an inclusive culture in which diversity is celebrated, and equality of opportunity is promoted. They have created a range of opportunities, for example, for female roles in traditionally male-dominated fields, such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics ambassadors working with school pupils to design and build drones for national competitions.

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

Leaders have a consistent focus on increasing awareness of neurodiversity. Staff support apprentices to offer workshops to employers on making recruitment more inclusive. As a result, apprentices feel valued and respected at the provider, irrespective of their background.

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

Apprentices have participated in community projects, supporting people who want to gain employment by building CVs and having practice interviews.

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

Apprentices feel highly supported to participate in learning. Staff on the level 6 chartered management diploma provide a wraparound support service to ensure that apprentices employed by the Ministry of Defence on deployment are not disadvantaged if they cannot attend scheduled sessions. Tutors work and manage their time flexibly to ensure that apprentices receive assessment support, can access all the resources to help them progress and, in most cases, remain in the same cohort with their peers.

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

Apprentices feel safe. They feel confident that any incidents of bullying or discrimination would be dealt with consistently and effectively.

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Next steps

Leaders should be proactive in using data on the progress of disadvantaged apprentices to make and implement evidence-informed adaptations to the inclusion strategy, so they consistently improve apprentices' education.

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Team inspectors:

Rachel Clark, His Majesty's Inspector Helen Kinghorn, Ofsted Inspector Debbie Whiston, Ofsted Inspector Ravinder Jhite, Ofsted Inspector Patricia Rogers, 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. Leaders and governors should continue to monitor accurately the quality of apprenticeship provision to improve apprenticeship achievement rates.

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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 apprentices, employers, leaders, lecturers, work-based education officers and governors during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The University of Staffordshire is a higher education provider with campuses in Stoke-on- Trent and Stafford. At the time of the inspection, 2,109 apprentices were active; of these, 23 were 18 years old. There were 484 apprentices on the level 6 police constable apprenticeship, 393 on level 6 chartered manager, 270 on level 7 senior leader, 186 on level 6 paramedic, 163 on level 6 digital and technology solutions specialist, 145 on level 6 social work, 79 on level 6 embedded electronic systems design and development engineer and 23 on level 7 digital and technology solutions specialist. The remaining apprentices were studying a range of apprenticeships, including nursing and biomedical science.

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About this inspection

The provider works with 4 subcontractors: Chief Constable of West Mercia, Chief Constable of West Midlands, Chief Constable of Warwickshire, and Chief Constable of Staffordshire.

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About this inspection

There are no apprentices working towards achieving mathematics and/or English qualifications.

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About this inspection

Vice-Chancellor: Professor Martin Jones This data is from 24 February 2026

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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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