NEAT Training and Education Ltd

NEAT Training and Education Limited Business First Office, Amy Johnson Way, Blackpool FY4 2RP

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report:

At the most recent full inspection, the following areas were identified as needing to improve:

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 Work with employers to coordinate on- and off-the-job training so that apprentices benefit from well-planned training

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 Implement a well-planned and varied personal development curriculum that develops apprentices’ broader interests and talents

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 Fully embed quality systems and processes so that leaders have oversight of the progress that apprentices make from their starting points

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 Put in place governance arrangements so that leaders and managers are held to account effectively for the quality of the apprenticeship provision

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During the monitoring inspection, inspectors focused on the following themes:

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 How much progress have leaders and managers made in ensuring that staff work effectively with apprentices’ employers so that on- and off-the-job training are coordinated well and apprentices can apply and practise newly taught knowledge, skills and behaviours at work?

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 How much progress have leaders and managers made in understanding apprentices’ wider development needs and implementing a personal development curriculum that develops apprentices’ broader interests and talents and helps them to prepare well for the future?

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 How much progress have leaders made in fully embedding quality systems that ensure they have an accurate understanding of the curriculum and the progress that apprentices make?

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 How much progress have leaders and managers made in establishing appropriate governance arrangements, ensuring that governors are suitably informed about the quality of curriculum, teaching and training and that they support and Monitoring inspection report: NEAT Training and Education Limited 25 and 26 March 2026

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challenge leaders to implement improvement actions that improve the experiences of apprentices?

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training)

Leaders have improved the ways in which they work with employers so that most apprentices benefit from greater opportunities to practise in the workplace the knowledge and skills that they gain in their off-the-job training. Leaders share an overall curriculum plan with employers that helps them to identify workplace activities that link to taught topics. Tutors speak frequently with employers to offer further guidance about what apprentices have studied most recently and how they can support them to further develop their skills and understanding in the workplace. This helps employers to provide their apprentices with suitable tasks to practise their skills.

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training)

For a few apprentices, tutors do not work closely enough with employers to ensure that their plans for on-the-job activity are suitable. This means that apprentices’ on-the-job training activity is only planned informally. During tripartite reviews, tutors and employers do not explore thoroughly enough the work that apprentices complete at work. Occasionally, tutors do not communicate frequently enough with employers, who rely on information from apprentices to plan workplace activities. This means that they are unable to support apprentices’ development as effectively. Too often, proposed on- the-job activity focuses on producing assessment evidence rather than helping apprentices to develop their expertise.

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development)

Following the previous inspection, leaders devised a series of lessons on topics such as equality and diversity, mental health awareness and safeguarding. They liaised with employers to agree times when apprentices could be released to attend these lessons. However, apprentices’ uptake was low. Leaders took the decision to replace these lessons with a series of online courses, which they launched recently. It is too early to judge whether this approach will be more successful.

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development)

Leaders have also designed a plan of topics for tutors to integrate into their lessons. These include mental and physical wellbeing, preparation for future success, emotional intelligence, leadership and initiative. However, this has had limited impact so far. Monitoring inspection report: NEAT Training and Education Limited 25 and 26 March 2026

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Leaders have revised the progress review template so that personal development themes now feature prominently. Skills tutors select a theme to discuss in each review. Leaders rightly recognise that they need to train skills tutors to make these discussions meaningful.

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progress that apprentices make? (Leadership and governance)

Since the previous inspection, leaders have recruited a quality manager and have put actions in place to provide them with clearer oversight of the quality of their provision. They now use a range of appropriate quality assurance activities to understand the quality of their training. These include lesson observations and scrutiny of apprentices’ work. Where they identify weaknesses in teachers’ practice, leaders provide suitable training and subsequently check that teachers have made the required improvements.

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progress that apprentices make? (Leadership and governance)

Leaders have strengthened their monitoring of apprentices’ performance and attendance, and the quality of their work. They risk assess apprentices individually and intervene swiftly to support those who are not making enough progress. Where necessary, managers meet with apprentices and their employers to agree rapid improvement plans. Apprentices on these plans attend weekly meetings or have agreed weekly submissions of work, and this helps them to catch up.

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progress that apprentices make? (Leadership and governance)

When leaders identify specific concerns with a course, they take sensible remedial actions. For example, attendance and retention was too low for the children, young people and families practitioner apprenticeship. They now hold monthly meetings with specific employers to bring about improvements.

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improve the experiences of apprentices? (Leadership and governance)

Since the previous inspection, leaders have established a board of governors. Governors bring extensive experience in apprenticeships, early years provision and human resources in residential childcare. Their varied expertise enables them to offer leaders clear and helpful guidance. The board has met formally 3 times and members have also contributed informally to leaders’ work.

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improve the experiences of apprentices? (Leadership and governance)

Governors challenge leaders rigorously, and this has driven improvements. Leaders now monitor apprentices’ performance more closely and are reducing the number who exceed their planned end dates. Governors and leaders act in learners’ best interests. For example, they supported a group of apprentices who transferred from a failed provider, despite the financial cost. Monitoring inspection report: NEAT Training and Education Limited 25 and 26 March 2026

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Leaders provide governors with a range of information to support effective challenge and oversight. However, governors recognise that the format of this information is not always helpful, which sometimes limits the impact of their scrutiny. They have rightly asked leaders to improve the quality and presentation of these reports.

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Additional next steps

Leaders should continue to work to address the areas identified as needing improvement in the full inspection report.

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About this inspection

This is the first monitoring inspection following publication of the inspection report on 9 May 2025 which found the provider to be requires improvement overall.

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About this inspection

The provider’s previous full inspection was carried out under the Education Inspection Framework (EIF) at that time. The renewed EIF took effect from 10 November 2025. The areas for improvement identified at the provider’s full inspection have been cross- referenced to relevant evaluation areas in the inspection toolkit for consideration on this monitoring inspection.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this monitoring inspection was not to determine grades for any of the evaluation areas set out in the further education and skills inspection toolkit. The purpose was to identify and report on the provider’s progress in addressing the areas identified as needing to improve since the provider’s previous inspection.

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About this inspection

Since the full inspection, the provider has substantially increased the number of apprentices studying children, young people and families, and early years qualifications. There are now very few apprentices studying dog-grooming qualifications.

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inspection

Monitoring inspection report: NEAT Training and Education Limited 25 and 26 March 2026

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funding at time of inspection

Monitoring inspection report: NEAT Training and Education Limited 25 and 26 March 2026

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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