MI ComputSolutions Incorporated

MI ComputSolutions Incorporated

Address: 47A Bellefields Road, LONDON, SW9 9UH Unique reference number (URN): 58370

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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 created a highly inclusive culture. They identify learners’ needs accurately at the start of and during their courses. They do this during the application and enrolment process when learners self-declare their needs and through assessment activities that identify additional learning needs such as dyslexia. Staff have received suitable training, review learners' progress frequently and use this information well to adjust the support for learners over time.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff provide learners with appropriate and effective support when learners experience an event that disrupts their learning. Staff do not reduce the expectations they have of learners, but set them suitable targets to help them make progress.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders provide learners with financial support and resources to help those who face financial hardship to participate fully in their learning activities. For example, leaders provide learners with funds for hair and beauty equipment, food and travel costs and access to computers and data allowances. Some of this support is provided as the result of leaders' effective work with external organisations.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders work well with employers to ensure that learners with barriers to their education benefit from external work placements. However, in a few cases employers are not fully informed about learners' needs to enable them to provide a consistently high-quality experience for learners.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a good understanding of the strengths and areas for development of their curriculums. They take quick and positive steps when improvements are needed. For example, they have taken effective actions to improve learners' attendance on courses in English for speakers of other languages.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors have considerable knowledge and expertise in the further education. They are highly ambitious to ensure the curriculum offer remains relevant to local needs and is of high quality. Through accessing performance reports and meeting with senior leaders, governors are well informed about the provider's strengths and areas for development. They provide suitable challenge and support to senior leaders. For example, they have worked with leaders to ensure that their actions based on the findings from teaching observations have a positive impact on the experience of learners.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders know their learners and their needs very well and make decisions that are in learners' best interests. These include offering courses with realistic prospects of jobs, reducing social isolation, providing free lunches and helping learners to develop essential digital skills.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are considerate of staff wellbeing and workload. Staff with parental responsibilities appreciate the fact that leaders adjust their working hours. Staff feel confident that leaders will take suitable actions if they raise concerns about their workload or wellbeing. Staff feel valued and supported by leaders.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders provide staff with suitable professional development opportunities. These include the use of artificial intelligence in teaching and subject-specific training, such as engaging with manufacturers to train hair and beauty teachers to use new colours and products.

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Achievement Expected standard

Learners, including those with barriers to their education, make good progress from their starting points and achieve their qualifications.

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Achievement Expected standard

Learners develop new knowledge, skills and behaviours which they can apply in vocational settings. For example, those studying care-related courses know the importance of building trust with clients when administering medication and caring for them in residential care settings. Those on the essential information technology courses are able to use word processing software, spreadsheets and presentation packages well.

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Achievement Expected standard

Learners produce work of the standard expected for the level of their course. For example, the work of learners on hair and beauty courses clearly shows that they can apply theoretical techniques that they have learned in relation to cutting hair to a good standard.

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Achievement Expected standard

Because of their new knowledge and skills, learners are well prepared for their next steps. A high proportion of learners progress to higher-level studies, self-employment and employment.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders’ analysis of the quality of teaching is rigorous. Leaders thoroughly evaluate strengths and key areas for development, which they agree with teachers. They form well- developed action plans for improvement.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders ensure that their adult funding is used in line with the needs of their communities. They offer Skills Bootcamps in health and social care and childcare, which are priority sectors in London. Staff teach their curriculum in a logical order to build learners’ knowledge and skills over time. In hairdressing, learners master basic cutting skills and proper use of equipment before shaping hair to various angles. They then use these skills to create more challenging hair styles for purposes like photography, modelling and theatre.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff ensure that learners from disadvantaged groups, including the long-term unemployed, benefit from adaptations based on their needs. Teachers support and check these learners' understanding frequently and effectively and provide one-to-one support, such as pre-lesson preparation and catch-up sessions.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teachers have relevant vocational expertise and many still work in their industry. They use their expertise well to build learners' understanding.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teachers use assessment effectively to help learners remember concepts and apply their learning. In health and social care, teachers skilfully question learners on topics such as following duty of care procedures when caring for elderly clients.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

In a minority of cases, particularly within vocational provision, teachers' feedback to learners is not developmental. For example, teachers do not correct learners' English mistakes, resulting in learners repeating them in subsequent work.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders ensure that their learning environments are safe, inclusive and welcoming for learners. They expect a culture of safety and respect, which starts on the first day of a course, and they reinforce this frequently. Learners' confidence and resilience at work and in their lives grow significantly as the result of what they learn on their courses.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Learners are motivated and look forward to attending their lessons Their rate of attendance is high.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Staff include topics related to learners' wider developmental needs well in their curriculums. Learners know how to keep themselves safe online, the importance of physical and mental health, healthy relationships and about topics such as domestic violence and social isolation.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Learners develop a good understanding of fundamental British values and dangers of radicalisation and extremist views. Teachers introduce these topics during the first few weeks of the course and then reinforce them effectively throughout.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders have developed a suitable programme of careers guidance. Most learners are aware of the opportunities available to them in education or employment. Staff provide suitable support to those who want to go into employment, including help with interview skills and job applications. However, a few learners would benefit from a broader awareness of apprenticeships as a possible progression route.

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

Many learners studying with MI ComputSolutions have been away from education and employment for long time, are newly arrived to the UK or come from disadvantaged backgrounds. They enjoy studying in an inclusive, diverse and welcoming environment. Learners describe the culture of the provider as an extended family in which they are very happy. Those on courses in English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) quickly make friends and improve their English.

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

Learners know and uphold the values of life in modern Britain. They highly value the diversity of staff and learners and enjoy the opportunity to learn about each other’s cultures. During their courses, staff introduce learners to the importance of keeping healthy and maintaining active lifestyles and good mental health.

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

Learners are satisfied and feel well supported by caring staff. They learn new knowledge and skills quickly after joining their courses. Those that have recently started ESOL courses now feel confident to carry out their normal activities in the community independently.

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

Learners are very well motivated to achieve their goals and qualifications. They see these as the gateway to fulfilling their aspirations to securing meaningful employment, going onto further training and higher levels of learning. They see great value in having improved employment prospects, growth in confidence and improvements to their health and wellbeing.

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

Learners who face financial hardship greatly appreciate the support they receive to have access to computers, data allowances and food banks.

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

Learners with barriers to their education, such as those with additional learning needs, feel valued and supported by teachers who provide them with the specific support they need. These include breaking tasks into smaller parts, one-to-one support and adjustments to examinations.

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Next steps

Leaders should further strengthen their systems and procedures to ensure that learners with barriers to their education receive high-quality support according to their needs when on work placements. Leaders should provide further training for teachers, particularly in vocational provision, so they are able to give learners developmental feedback on their work that includes correcting English mistakes, so learners know how their work can be improved. Leaders should provide learners with sufficient information and guidance about apprenticeships as a possible progression opportunity.

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Team inspectors:

Kanwaljit Dhillon, Ofsted Inspector Anne Moynihan, Ofsted Inspector Mark Hillman, His Majesty's 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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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 and managers, governors, teaching staff, learners, employers and other external 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

MI ComputSolutions Incorporated is an independent learning provider with a head office in the London Borough of Lambeth. It uses various funding sources such as adult skills funding, free courses for jobs, Skills Bootcamps and advanced learner loans to provide adult education.

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About this inspection

There were approximately 110 learners on courses funded by the Greater London Authority in subjects such as mathematics, English and adult care, around 40 learners on Skills Bootcamp courses in health care or childcare and approximately 30 learners using advanced learner loans to study courses in hair and beauty and access to nursing.

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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

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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