Ideal Boilers Limited (Groupe Atlantic)

Ideal Boilers Limited (Groupe Atlantic)

Address: Ideal Heating Expert Academy, Meadow Road, Hessle, HU13 0DG Unique reference number (URN): 2748173

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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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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a clear and coherent vision for their Skills Bootcamps curriculums that aligns well with national priorities to increase the number of skilled heating and air conditioning engineers in the renewables sector. Leaders design training that includes the accreditation required for installers to contribute to the net zero agenda and the warm homes strategy.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have an accurate understanding of their strengths and areas for development. They consider a range of evidence, including learner surveys and standardisation activities, to identify where they need to make improvements. Leaders carry out useful quality assurance activities, including lesson visits, to check the effectiveness of teaching. However, leaders do not use the findings from lesson visits to identify the specific training staff need to improve their teaching practice. Their quality assurance processes focus too much on compliance, such as checking documentation and assessment decisions.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders ensure that staff maintain their industry expertise and necessary safety certifications are up to date. Staff benefit from attending manufacturer-led training. Those new to teaching are supported to gain relevant teacher and assessor qualifications.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have recently established a governance board. Although newly formed, governors have sufficient understanding of the provider’s strengths and weaknesses. They provide appropriate levels of challenge, which has already contributed to improvements, including strengthened safeguarding arrangements.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders ensure staff workloads are manageable. Staff value teaching small class sizes and appreciate the accommodation leaders put them up in when they need to work away from home. When staff identify the need to update learning materials, such as refrigeration guides, leaders allocate dedicated time for them to complete this work.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders do not provide staff with enough training on how to fully and accurately identify and support learners’ individual needs. Tutors’ knowledge of the learning support strategies they could use to support their learners is not sufficiently well developed. Leaders do not fully evaluate whether the support or interventions they provide for learners are having the intended impact. This means that leaders cannot be assured that the actions they take improve outcomes for learners.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Tutors mostly provide learners with effective support, such as providing learners with dyslexia additional time in their examinations. Tutors know their learners well and understand their general study needs. However, tutors rely too much on learners disclosing their barriers to learning, rather than checking with learners how they can best meet their individual needs.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Governors actively help leaders strengthen inclusive teaching practices across their Skills Bootcamps. Through recent constructive discussions, governors have given guidance on how staff could record and plan learning to meet individual needs. This includes considering learners’ wider circumstances, such as their work and parental responsibilities.

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Achievement Expected standard

During their training, tutors help learners develop valuable new technical knowledge and skills related to the installation, maintenance and repair of heat pumps. For example, learners develop a secure understanding of the environmental impact of escaped refrigerants and the importance of handling hydrocarbons safely. A very high proportion of learners achieve the qualification that is included in the Skills Bootcamp at their first attempt.

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Achievement Expected standard

Learners develop their mathematical skills well. Tutors train learners on how to perform complex calculations accurately when planning heating systems, including calculating the rate of heat loss and ventilation required. This contributes to learners readiness to install heat pumps safely and correctly to manufacturer's guidelines.

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Achievement Expected standard

On completion of the Skills Bootcamp, learners have developed the ability to install heat pumps that they need to apply for accreditation for to the national body for renewables, a requirement when bidding for heat pump installation contracts on new housing developments.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have designed Skills Bootcamps in response to the need to upskill engineers in the renewables sector so they can install heat pumps. Their training aligns with government environmental targets to reduce carbon emissions. Leaders have developed a well- sequenced curriculum that builds on learners’ existing industry experience, enabling them to install heat pumps competently by the end of the Skills Bootcamp.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Tutors are highly skilled and have significant industry experience. They teach effectively, using a blend of theoretical and practical learning activities. Tutors incorporate interactive learning resources well. For example, they use a thermodynamic rig to demonstrate how ice changes from a solid to a liquid and to a gas. Tutors complement these resources using professionally produced learner workbooks. These include the complex calculations learners need to fully understand so they can test the thermal efficiency of heat pumps effectively.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Tutors use demonstrations competently. For example, they show learners how to replace condensers and then use skilful questioning to check learners’ understanding of the importance of conducting strength and tightness tests. Tutors also arrange useful fault- finding activities, which enable learners to identify faults on cylinders and heat pumps. However, in a few instances, tutors allow learners to talk over one another during theory lessons.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Tutors create a welcoming environment, fostering a culture where learners from different backgrounds, experiences and ages work together constructively. Learners thrive working together during breaks, where they discuss how their new learning enhances their professional expertise.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Learners have high rates of attendance and absence from training is rare. Leaders make suitable arrangements for any learners, who are unable to attend lessons, so they can join a future Skills Bootcamp or catch-up session. Staff have prepared a series of informative online videos and individual training lessons should learners need to access them at home.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Learners become confident working with heat pump technology during the Skills Bootcamp. Learners recognise that their newly acquired knowledge and skills further builds their professional competence and ability.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Tutors provide learners with helpful careers advice and guidance prior to, and during, their training. Learners are clear about the significant opportunities in the renewables sector and the increasing demand for heat pump installers, and the other related areas of the industry they can work in, such as air conditioning and refrigeration.

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

Learners attend Skills Bootcamps in training centres equipped with very high-quality resources and facilities. Learners are typically already skilled and experienced heating engineers, plumbers or electricians. They enjoy developing new knowledge and skills related to heat pump technology and installation that enhance their career prospects and earning potential. For example, self-employed learners learn how to advertise as heat pump installers and bid for air conditioning contracts. Employed learners learn how to manage, design and install heating systems without having to buy in additional, specialist technical support.

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

Learners are highly motivated and keen to attend lessons. Absence from lessons is rare. Learners socialise well with each other during breaks, where they confidently discuss their learning and work activities. They share ideas about how they can continue to develop their business. Staff manage informal conversations skilfully with learners to further develop their understanding of renewable technologies.

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

Learners have an appropriate understanding of radicalisation and extremism. They complete a useful online course before they start training and can now recognise that an unexpected change in a person’s behaviour is a potential indication that somebody has been radicalised. Learners have an appropriate understanding of fundamental British values. They are taught a set of ‘core values’ by their tutors, who particularly emphasise the importance of treating customers with fairness and respect.

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

Learners enjoy studying in small class sizes. Most have not attended formal education for many years but value the opportunity to complete specialist training. They complete homework tasks routinely as they know it is a helpful way for teachers to check what they have learned.

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

Tutors mostly provider learners with effective support to meet their learning needs. However, tutors' knowledge of the full range of learning support strategies they could use to support learners is not sufficiently well developed.

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Next steps

Leaders should train staff on the full range of additional learning needs and barriers faced by learners and the strategies to use to meet these adequately and consistently. Leaders should use the findings from their quality assurance activities to identify the specific training staff need to improve their teaching practice.

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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 leaders, staff, learners and governors.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the provider:

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About this inspection

Leaders at Ideal Boilers Limited offer training in domestic and commercial heating engineering. They offer 3 Skills Bootcamps: heat pump installer, heat pump and F-gas installer and advanced service technician. Learners attend at one of 3 main sites in Hull, Leeds or Luton.

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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. At the time of the inspection, there were 22 adult learners on Skills Bootcamps. Thirteen learners studied on the heat pump installer bootcamp and 9 were on the advanced installer bootcamp. Fourteen learners were based at the Hessle site in Hull, with the remainder at the Luton training academy.

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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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