Semester Learning and Development Limited

Semester Learning and Development Limited

Address: Santis House, Curriers Close, Coventry, West Midlands, CV4 8AW Unique reference number (URN): 2526607

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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 Needs attention

Staff create a welcoming and inclusive environment for apprentices. Tutors and trainers know their cohort well and offer additional support readily to help apprentices to be successful in their studies. Where apprentices disclose support needs, tutors work with apprentices and employers to ensure that these are met.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders have recently implemented inclusion policies and practices, including investing in tools that determine learning support needs and support strategies. Tutors and trainers have been trained to use these tools effectively with apprentices but have not yet experienced wider training to help them to identify support needs and strategies for those with neurodiversity, physical disabilities or dyslexia.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders have not yet adequately considered other disadvantages that apprentices may face, including those who are care experienced or have personal, emotional or financial difficulties. Leaders are aware of this and have altered the enrolment process to capture more information to allow them to provide appropriate support. However, they have not captured this information for those apprentices currently in learning to ensure that they provide and track the impact of support and prevent gaps in attainment.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders are keenly aware of the provider’s strengths and areas for improvement. They recognise both where the issues prior to the purchase of the provider have created problems, such as the longstanding issue of high numbers of apprentices leaving their course early, and where they have struggled to resolve issues with the quality of teaching. The quality of the provision and the achievement of apprentices have improved substantially since the last inspection. However, while improvements, particularly to processes, are sustainable and scalable, leaders have not been swift enough to ensure that apprentices consistently experience the quality of teaching that they deserve.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Governors work with leaders to ensure they are supported and have the necessary resources to improve the provision. Governors have expert knowledge of business management and of working with the automotive sector. They challenge leaders to drive improvements in achievement rates.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders have a comprehensive programme of professional development planned to ensure that trainers and tutors have training in barriers to learning, resilience, mental health, learning strategies and pedagogy in the future. These accurately meet the needs of staff.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders ensure that trainers and tutors feel valued. They are considerate of the workload and wellbeing of staff and regularly check in with remote workers to ensure that they feel supported.

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Achievement Needs attention

In the last 2 years, leaders have substantially increased the proportion of apprentices who remain in study and complete their apprenticeship. More than half of apprentices who pass achieve the highest grade possible. Those with learning support needs achieve at the same rate as their peers. However, apprenticeship achievement rates remain too low as a result of the history of high numbers of apprentices leaving their course early.

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Achievement Needs attention

Apprentices complete written work at an appropriate standard. They replicate the standards of industry, completing job sheets as they hone their new skills. In professional discussions, apprentices are articulate and well informed and are able to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and behaviours effectively. They value the skills they have learned that enable them to work in their chosen industry.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality of curriculum, teaching and training. They are aware that improvements are needed, but their actions to address concerns have not yet had the required impact on apprentices’ experience. Too many apprentices receive infrequent or poorly planned teaching.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

While leaders have planned a logical curriculum for apprentices, this is not consistently implemented by trainers. For example, level 3 compressed air and vacuum technician apprentices are not taught enough compressed air content for them to enable them to apply their knowledge in the workplace fluently. Too often, apprentices rely solely on their employers to help them to develop the knowledge and skills that they need to complete their qualification.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders ensure that the curriculum is accessible to apprentices, regardless of additional support needs. Apprentices with dyslexia are provided with additional language and writing support, while employers, tutors and trainers work collaboratively to establish the most appropriate support for those with more complex needs.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Trainers largely use assessment well to provide constructive feedback to apprentices. They use a variety of assessment tasks to evaluate how well apprentices apply theoretical concepts such as safely installing fire detection systems in practice. This provides trainers with the information that they need to identify gaps in knowledge and skills so that they can help apprentices fill these gaps and improve their work.

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Participation and development Needs attention

Apprentices benefit from working with staff who know and care about them. They feel they can approach staff that any time with personal or professional issues. Staff foster a positive, welcoming and inclusive environment particularly through the review process, where apprentices' and employers' views are listened to an acted on.

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Participation and development Needs attention

Apprentices attend well and develop their confidence as a result of the support given by tutors and trainers. Where apprentices have difficulties in attending, trainers and tutors are proactive in providing extra tuition or flexible learning opportunities, so that apprentices remain on track to succeed.

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Participation and development Needs attention

Leaders have created additional learning resources that broaden apprentices’ knowledge beyond their vocational learning. However, they have not made sure that apprentices can recall this content or understand its value to their lives and work. As a result, apprentices do not deepen or develop enough of an understanding of topics such as the dangers of radicalisation and extremist views, building healthy relationships or life in modern Britain.

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Participation and development Needs attention

Trainers and tutors talk to apprentices about their career aspirations, when the opportunity arises. However, leaders have not planned careers education, information, advice and guidance into the curriculum. Too many apprentices do not understand their career pathways or opportunities after their study.

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

Apprentices experience high levels of support, from committed tutors, who help them to achieve their apprenticeship. Where apprentices have additional learning support needs, tutors and trainers make adaptations to learning and put support in place, and apprentices grow in confidence as a result. Tutors arrange additional support sessions, break assessment tasks down into manageable chunks and complete professional discussions with apprentices who struggle with written assessment. As a result, apprentices with learning support needs achieve at the same rate as their peers.

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

Tutors meet with apprentices regularly to check their progress and ensure their wellbeing and welfare. They develop strong relationships with apprentices, that allow them to recognise temporary vulnerabilities and support needs. However, leaders have only recently started to collect information about wider barriers to learning, so they are not yet able to make sure that all apprentices receive the support they need from the start of their apprenticeship.

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

In many cases, apprentices and employers value the skills developed through apprenticeship programmes. However, the quality of training that apprentices experience is not consistently high and, in too many cases, apprentices do not spend enough time learning the core knowledge needed for their jobs. Too many apprentices progress slowly and have gaps in their knowledge because of this and need to work hard with employers and tutors at the end of their apprenticeship to catch up.

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

Apprentices have access to a wide range of online learning topics that expand their vocational learning and their understanding of life in modern Britain. Leaders are responsive to requests from employers to include additional topics, and they provide apprentices with a breadth of resources. However, too few apprentices use these resources or remember them well enough, and their use and apprentices' recall is not checked. As a result, too few apprentices understand and remember key topics around life in modern Britain.

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Next steps

Leaders should continue to implement their actions to increase the proportion of apprentices who remain on programme and achieve. Leaders should further strengthen the professional development that they provide to deepen trainers' ability to support apprentices with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders should develop strategies and support mechanisms to identify and meet apprentices' wider support needs, including for those who are disadvantaged. Leaders should provide apprentices with enough high-quality teaching to fully develop their vocational knowledge and skills. Leaders should provide a personal development curriculum that helps apprentices to develop their understanding of life in modern Britain. Leaders should ensure that apprentices receive coherent careers education and tailored guidance.

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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 HMI.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with apprentices, employers, tutors, trainers and leaders during the inspection.

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About this inspection

Semester Learning and Development Limited is an independent learning provider based in Coventry. It was acquired in October 2024 by RMI Standards and Certification. It specialises in apprenticeships linked to the automotive industry, fire safety and engineering. Apprentices are based across England and are taught online.

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About this inspection

At the time of inspection, there were 46 apprentices, the majority of whom were studying level 3 compressed air and vacuum technician and level 3 fire emergency and security systems technician. There were 29 apprentices aged under 19.

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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

2022/23 S 55 S Operations director: Michael White '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

'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. 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

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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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