1st 2 Achieve Training Limited

1st 2 Achieve Training Limited

Address: 4 Paddock Road, Skelmersdale, West Lancashire, WN8 9PL Unique reference number (URN): 2625245

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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 an accurate oversight of their strengths and priority areas for improvement. They have in place a concise improvement plan, which demonstrates that they take swift and effective actions to improve their provision. Leaders have increased substantially the proportion of apprentices who complete their apprenticeship by making adaptations to their onboarding process, employer partnerships and curriculum content.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a clear strategy to provide ambitious apprenticeship curriculums that align to the skills needs of employers and the region. They respond quickly to plan apprenticeships to meet new and emerging demands. For example, leaders have imminent plans to offer apprenticeships in artificial intelligence (AI) to meet the increasing need for agentic AI processes in employers' businesses.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Board members provide effective scrutiny and challenge to leaders. They consistently strive to make improvements in achievement, apprentices' progress and data analysis. This has resulted in considerable improvements to the progress and achievement of apprentices.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders carefully select qualified and experienced tutors to teach apprentices. They place a high importance on providing helpful training to support the continuing development of tutors' teaching skills. Tutors attend regional network meetings and webinars to gain increased awareness of special educational needs and/or disabilities, inclusion and AI.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders place considerable importance on the workload and wellbeing of staff. They ensure that tutors have manageable caseloads and sufficient time to plan and prepare for their teaching. Leaders provide staff with extended holidays, counselling and flexible time for personal circumstances.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders have created a welcoming and inclusive environment for apprentices. Tutors know their apprentices well and quickly establish positive relationships. This allows apprentices to feel confident about disclosing their support needs and any temporary barriers to their learning. Governors work closely with leaders to review and implement the new inclusion strategy. Leaders identify that they must further develop their reporting systems for apprentices with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with barriers to their learning. This will enable them to have a clear oversight of the progress that these apprentices make in line with their peers.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Tutors accurately identify apprentices' needs and, in most instances, create effective learning support plans for apprentices. They review these plans through monthly welfare checks and progress reviews. Tutors mostly adapt apprentices training in accordance with their support plans. They work with employers and apprentices to adjust working spaces for mobility impaired apprentices and provide assistive technology for apprentices with dyslexia visual disturbance.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders rightly recognise that they have not yet provided training for tutors in the graduated approach. This means that tutors do not have sufficiently detailed knowledge or confidence to adapt their teaching strategies consistently to align with apprentices' support plans.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices' complete and achieve their apprenticeships. Achievement rates have improved substantially since the previous full inspection. Around two thirds of apprentices achieve a distinction grade. Apprentices take pride in their work and produce work to a high standard.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices develop new knowledge and skills because of their apprenticeship. Business administrator apprentices manage sensitive situations empathetically, such as issuing eviction notices to tenants. Multi-channel marketer (MCM) apprentices apply marketing communications to influence the internal and external markets of their business.

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Achievement Expected standard

Most apprentices progress to positive destinations. They secure permanent employment with current and new employers. In a very few instances, apprentices, following redundancy, are supported by tutors to secure employment.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices continue to develop their English and mathematical skills. They write professional emails and communicate effectively with colleagues and patients. Apprentices use mathematics to complete detailed analyses of engagement data across multiple media channels to optimise the performance of marketing campaigns.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders accurately identify areas for improvement in their curriculums, teaching and assessment. Actions for improvement are swift and effective. Leaders work closely with employers and apprentices to design curriculums to meet their needs. Tutors work with employers to coordinate carefully apprentices learning with the tasks and activities that they complete at work. Consequently, apprentices become valued members of their teams and make positive contributions to their employers' businesses.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Tutors assess what apprentices already know and can do thoroughly at the start of their apprenticeship. They use this information effectively in order to plan individualised and well- sequenced curriculums for all apprentices. For example, apprentices studying the level 3 multi-channel marketer (MCM) apprenticeship learn about marketing technologies, email campaigns and pay for click marketing before applying them to real business contexts at work.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Tutors are subject specialists. They are successful in developing apprentices' knowledge and skills. Apprentices on the level 3 MCM apprenticeship use artificial intelligence tools to create representative imagery and articulate how marketing amplification can rapidly extend, reach and influence the purchasing decisions of consumers.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Tutors skilfully use teaching and assessment strategies. They provide personalised one-to- one sessions for apprentices and relate their industry experience to topics. Tutors use effective retrieval techniques and ask probing questions to check apprentices' understanding of content. This supports apprentices to retain their new knowledge, which they adeptly apply at work. Most tutors provide helpful, developmental feedback on apprentices' written work. This identifies what apprentices have done well and what they need to do to improve their work.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Tutors provide effective careers information, advice and guidance for apprentices. Apprentices complete workplace trials at employers’ businesses and practise their interview skills with tutors. They explore future opportunities at work through shadowing colleagues in different departments or in associated companies, such as solicitors and public sector organisations. Apprentices are supported by tutors to complete research on wider careers such as accountancy, project management and facilities management.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Attendance is high, and apprentices are punctual for their training sessions. They demonstrate positive behaviours towards their peers and tutors and at work.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices feel safe. They know how to report any concerns that they may have. Tutors complete frequent wellbeing checks with apprentices. This makes sure that apprentices' emerging needs and concerns are identified quickly. Most apprentices confidently articulate the content of their training on online safety, extremism and radicalisation.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices are supported by tutors to develop their wider personal and professional skills. They complete training in spreadsheets, presentation skills and fire marshal training. Apprentices participate in community and charitable activities in their organisations, and these experiences help them build confidence, resilience and positive workplace behaviours.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Most apprentices can articulate how they apply fundamental British values in their personal lives and at work. They describe how democracy is used at work to make decisions and that respect of others' opinions should be encouraged so that colleagues feel confident to contribute ideas for improvement.

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

Apprentices speak highly of their learning experience. They enjoy their training and feel welcomed by their tutors. Apprentices appreciate the positive and respectful culture where tutors prioritise their wellbeing and consider their contributions.

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

Apprentices value the support that tutors provide. Tutors are understanding, flexible and considerate of apprentices' work–life balance. Apprentices learn to manage their time and develop techniques to deal with workplace stress. However, they do not consistently receive training that is adapted to their support needs.

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

Apprentices grow in confidence because of their apprenticeship. They engage confidently in their learning sessions and contribute to group discussions. Apprentices studying the business administrator apprenticeship work independently, use their initiative and adeptly use problem-solving skills at work.

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

Apprentices develop new knowledge, skills and professional behaviours. Level 3 business administrator apprentices relate what they learn about legislation to the importance of legal compliance when issuing eviction notices to tenants and increasing rental costs. In multi- channel marketing, apprentices learn how artificial intelligence supports brand identity, customer engagement and the creation of immersive stories for their businesses.

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

Apprentices feel safe when learning and at work, including online. Most apprentices can recognise the signs of radicalisation in others and know how to report their concerns. Apprentices know to be vigilant of the risks that city centre protests create and to be mindful of their personal safety when travelling on public transport.

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

Tutors provide apprentices with age-appropriate information regarding mental and physical health. They encourage apprentices to participate in their sporting interests, such as football. Most apprentices use the high-quality online resources to widen their learning. They complete modules on autism awareness, finance, general data protection regulations and equality and diversity. Apprentices use this learning at work in order to calculate accurately, for example costings for new housing schemes.

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Team inspectors:

Suzanne Wainwright, His Majesty's Inspector Robert Marshall-Slater, Ofsted Inspector Alex Lang, Ofsted Inspector

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Next steps

Leaders should provide training for tutors on the graduated approach so that tutors adapt their teaching strategies to align with apprentices' support needs. Leaders should develop their reporting processes so that they can accurately measure the progress of apprentices with special educational needs and/or disabilities and other barriers to learning. Leaders should make sure that tutors consistently review and adapt apprentices' support plans to meet their changing needs. Leaders should continue to develop tailored programmes of wider learning opportunities for apprentices. Leaders should continue to develop the teaching skills of tutors to make sure that tutors consistently provide developmental feedback on apprentices' written work so that apprentices know how to improve.

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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, managers, tutors, apprentices and employers.

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About this inspection

1st 2 Achieve Training Limited is an independent learning provider based in Skelmersdale, Lancashire. It provides apprenticeships at levels 3 and 5 in North West England. The provider works with a broad range of employers in the region, including solicitors, property agents, chemical manufacturing and medical organisations.

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About this inspection

At the time of the inspection, there were 59 apprentices in learning. Most apprentices are aged 19 or over. There were 37 apprentices on the level 3 business administrator and 8 on the level 3 multi-channel marketer apprenticeships. Three apprenticeships had fewer than 5 apprentices enrolled: level 3 team leader or supervisor, level 3 customer service specialist, and level 5 operational departmental manager apprenticeships.

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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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national average

'This provider' and 'national average' figures are taken from the publicly available DfE achievement rates. Where the DfE have supressed the figures, usually due to small cohorts, this has been mirrored in the Report Card and will be shown by an 'S'.

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Year This provider National average

2021/22 S 98 'This provider' and 'national average' figures are taken from the publicly available DfE achievement rates. Where the DfE have supressed the figures, usually due to small cohorts, this has been mirrored in the Report Card and will be shown by an 'S'.

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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 . Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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