University of Gloucestershire

University of Gloucestershire

Address: The Park, The Park Campus, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 2RH Unique reference number (URN): 133818

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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 positive environment in which disadvantaged apprentices are well supported through a wide range of services delivered both digitally and in person.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff are effective in identifying, assessing and meeting the needs of apprentices, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They identify apprentices’ support needs at the start of training and revisit these throughout the apprenticeship. However, although staff monitor the support that apprentices receive, they do not review it in a sufficiently timely or well structured way to ensure it remains sharply focused and helps apprentices make the best possible progress.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff use effective assessments to identify apprentices’ support needs, and specialist teams swiftly create personalised support plans. This helps to ensure that apprentices have access to helpful support, such as additional tutoring, early access to course content and resources and adjustments to assessments where needed.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff put effective support in place for apprentices, who are known or were previously known, to social care. Well-qualified staff provide personalised support, including helping apprentices to access appropriate help, such as financial support and guiding them to overcome barriers to learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders generally understand the strengths and areas for improvement of the training they provide. They gather and share information through a range of formal and informal activities, including review meetings and feedback from staff and partners. Leaders draw appropriately on internal and external expertise to inform their decisions. This enables them to set priorities and monitor performance effectively at provider and programme level. However, leaders’ oversight is not consistently sharp across all aspects of the provision They have only recently identified weaknesses in the consistency and recording of apprenticeship progress reviews.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Senior leaders and those with governance roles provide effective challenge and scrutiny through well-established committee arrangements. They review relevant performance information, recognise emerging issues and take timely action, where needed, including making changes to academic regulations. This helps to ensure the provider meets its statutory responsibilities, and leaders make decisions in a coordinated and transparent way.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders collaborate well with employers, apprentices and key partners, including NHS trusts, to plan and teach the curriculums. This work ensures that the training meets workforce needs and supports apprentices to progress into professional roles. The small amount of subcontracted provision is well managed. Leaders carry out thorough checks before appointing subcontractors and keep thorough oversight through frequent monitoring and review. Leaders prioritise apprentices’ experiences through well-targeted investment in learning resources and staff development. Digital simulation environments provide real-world scenarios when learning, while ongoing subject specific and pedagogical training helps staff keep their knowledge and skills up to date. Together, these investments help to ensure that apprentices receive training that is relevant and taught well.

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Achievement Expected standard

Most apprentices, including those with barriers to learning, complete their apprenticeship and achieve within their expected timeframe. Apprentices with barriers to learning achieve at least in line with their peers. All apprentices who take the final assessment pass. Apprentices produce work that meets the expected standard for their level of study. They go on to positive destinations, with most progressing into more senior roles, or taking on greater responsibility or further training.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices develop their knowledge, skills and behaviours through structured training that builds in complexity over time. This enables them to make clear progress, as they apply new learning in the workplace and deepen their understanding through practise and reflection. For example, on the level 7 senior leader apprenticeship, apprentices learn to use financial performance measures to manage budgets, apply sustainability principles during secondments and use structured reflection to improve decision-making when responding to operational challenges.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders and managers use a range of formal and informal processes to understand the quality of apprentices’ experiences. This includes course enhancement and monitoring meetings, where staff evaluate provision, identify areas for improvement and agree clear actions. These arrangements help leaders maintain effective oversight and make improvements.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders plan the curriculum carefully so that apprentices develop their knowledge and skills in a clear and logical order. They work closely with employers and professional bodies to ensure content reflects current industry practice. For example, apprentices on the level 6 Chartered Manager Degree apprenticeship in Hospitality, start by learning how hospitality businesses run on a day-to-day basis. This includes understanding how customer experience affects the way services are delivered and helps apprentices build a strong foundation in frontline work. Leaders then introduce broader areas, such as leading staff, managing money and understanding business performance. This approach helps apprentices connect their practical experience with management responsibilities, supporting them to succeed in their current roles and to move into more senior positions.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teaching is generally of a high quality. Lecturers explain key concepts clearly and use questioning effectively to check apprentices' understanding and address any misunderstandings. This helps apprentices secure new learning before moving on. On the level 5 nursing associates apprenticeship, lecturers use real workplace situations to help apprentices apply theory to practice, enabling them to use their learning confidently at work.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have not ensured that reviews with apprentices, employers and skills coaches are used effectively and routinely enough to support apprentices in the progress they make. At times, skills coaches miss opportunities to reinforce wider learning or agree useful targets with apprentices to support them in their development.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders maintain clear strategic oversight of apprentices’ participation and personal development. Staff have created a well-organised support structure that helps apprentices engage positively with their learning and wider university life. Lecturers actively promote wider opportunities and provide apprentices with information about enrichment activities, safeguarding and healthy living. Staff support apprentices to understand how to stay mentally healthy and safe. However, staff do not sufficiently contextualise learning about radicalisation and extremist views to apprentices’ workplace settings, meaning that a small proportion of apprentices lack a deep understanding of how these risks may present in their workplaces.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Staff set and consistently reinforce high expectations of behaviour, attendance and participation. Lecturers model professional standards and address any concerns promptly. This encourages apprentices to behave well, participate confidently and show respect towards staff and peers. Attendance is high in both face to face and online sessions. Staff monitor attendance closely, report absences to employers quickly and follow up any concerns to prevent apprentices from falling behind.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders and staff prepare apprentices well for their next steps by actively promoting a wide range of careers and employability services. Staff provide guidance on CV writing, support apprentices with job applications and use targeted training to help apprentices understand employer expectations.

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

Apprentices value the supportive, inclusive and well-planned learning experience they receive. This helps them achieve well, grow in confidence and use their learning directly in their jobs. Staff design programmes to meet the needs of different sectors, including healthcare, hospitality, leadership and children and families. This ensures apprentices gain the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need both now and for future progression. Apprentices speak positively about lecturers, describing them as calm, well organised and approachable. As a result, apprentices feel comfortable asking questions, identifying gaps in their knowledge and discussing different ideas, which promotes their confidence and personal development over time.

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

Apprentices gain new knowledge quickly and use it effectively at work. Those in healthcare develop strong clinical, academic and digital skills related to patient care and safe practice. Apprentices on leadership programmes apply their learning to making decisions, managing people and resources and leading change in complex settings. Across all programmes, apprentices increase their competence, take on greater responsibility at work and have a clear understanding of how learning supports their career goals. Staff provide effective support for apprentices with barriers to learning, which helps them overcome their challenges and make positive progress from their starting points, achieving at least in line with their peers.

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

Apprentices feel a strong sense of belonging. They value the support they get from tutors, coaches and university services, which helps them stay motivated and engaged. Staff make reasonable adjustments, offer flexible arrangements and provide access to recorded learning, helping to ensure that all apprentices can participate fully.

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

Apprentices thrive as a result of their education and training. Their attendance is high and they feel confident about their next steps, including gaining promotion, taking on extra responsibility or doing further study.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that apprentices routinely receive high-quality reviews that support them in their progress and achievement. Leaders should ensure that any adaptions or learning support for apprentices is reviewed effectively so that it has the greatest possible positive impact. Leaders should ensure that wider themes, such as the dangers and signs of radicalisation, are taught in a way that helps apprentices understand how they apply at work.

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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 senior leaders, leaders, managers, lecturers, staff, employers, apprentices and other key stakeholders during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The University of Gloucestershire is a provider of higher education and apprenticeship training. The university operates across 3 main campuses at The Park and Francis Close Hall in Cheltenham and Oxstalls in Gloucester. Off-the-job training is delivered on campus,

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Team inspectors:

Steve Battersby, His Majesty's Inspector Lucinda Sanders, Ofsted Inspector Caroline Williams, Ofsted Inspector Daisy Louisa Agathine-Louise, Ofsted Inspector Ann Minton, 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.

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Apprenticeships

while apprentices are primarily based at employer workplaces across Gloucestershire and the wider region.

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Apprenticeships

The university offers higher and degree apprenticeships at levels 4 to 7.

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Apprenticeships

There are currently around 860 apprentices enrolled across the provision. The largest strands of apprenticeship delivery are in health, business and leadership, social work and digital. The largest individual standards include the level 7 senior leader with 176 apprentices, the level 6 chartered manager degree with 106 apprentices, the level 6 registered nurse degree with 100 apprentices and the level 6 social worker with 88 apprentices. Smaller cohorts are delivered across cyber security, academic professional and manufacturing standards.

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Apprenticeships

The university subcontracts a very small proportion of its apprenticeship provision to Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and Gloucestershire County Council.

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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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