National Upskill Limited

National Upskill Limited

Address: 163 Welcomes Road, Kenley, CR8 5HB Unique reference number (URN): 2814676

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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 are committed to sustaining the inclusive and learner-centred culture that they have created. This is the bedrock on which the provider is built, and leaders make decisions in line with these values. They have recruited an experienced team of staff who believe equally in their approach.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and tutors provide frequent opportunities for apprentices to discuss their support needs, including for special educational needs and/or disabilities, barriers to learning and disadvantages. Tutors are vigilant to identify where additional support might be needed.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Tutors devise a tailored curriculum for each apprentice, which includes thoughtful and individualised adaptations to support a wide variety of needs and barriers to learning. Tutors adapt their teaching and provide support, including using a range of assistive technologies, to enable apprentices to thrive in their learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and tutors record support effectively. This includes how support needs might present in learning, how the teaching and assessment are adapted and targets to measure whether it is making a difference. Leaders review support for apprentices frequently to ensure that their support is appropriate and reduce it effectively, often to prepare apprentices for more independence in the workplace.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders bring their considerable expertise to this relatively new provider. They have a clear vision to provide inclusive and individualised learning for apprentices, and their decision- making is soundly based on this key principle. For example, leaders ensure that tutors have ample time to provide meaningful and timely interactions with their apprentices.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders build strong relationships with employers, who value the effective partnerships that they create, particularly how leaders and tutors take time to truly understand their businesses and weave this into their apprentices’ individualised curriculums.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders know their provision’s strengths and areas for improvement and take decisive action to make improvements for their apprentices and employers. They have sensible quality procedures in place, which includes frequent evaluations of the quality of teaching and assessment, leading to helpful advice for tutors to hone their skills.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Tutors develop their subject expertise effectively through, for example, attending frequent webinars by His Majesty's Revenue and Customs on changes to legislation. However, leaders do not provide tutors with training to learn about the latest strategies and practices in teaching to enhance further the quality of teaching and assessment.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Those responsible for governance have well-defined roles and bring much expertise to the organisation. They understand the strengths and areas for improvement in the provider and bolster leaders’ focus on key issues, which support the growth of the provision and success for apprentices. Leaders ensure that tutors, who are based all over the UK, have the opportunity to meet with their colleagues frequently. Leaders are highly considerate of staff's workload.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices quickly develop valuable new knowledge and skills, which they apply in the workplace. For example, business administrator apprentices communicate with clients who are facing difficult situations, using compassion and empathy.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices’ work is of a high standard. However, in a few instances, apprentices do not act on the helpful feedback that they receive and continue to make the same errors in their work.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices develop their English and mathematics skills effectively as they progress through their training. For example, business administrator apprentices communicate effectively with clients in professionally written emails. Payroll apprentices build confidence in calculating salaries and completing payroll tasks.

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Achievement Expected standard

Most apprentices achieve their apprenticeship, and more than a third gain distinctions. Apprentices with support needs achieve in line with their peers.

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Achievement Expected standard

On completing their programmes, most apprentices remain in employment and many increase their responsibilities, gain promotions or have an increase in their salaries.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have a clear purpose for the apprenticeships that they provide, including focusing on gaps in the national offer, particularly in digital accessibility.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Tutors plan and teach the curriculums in a logical order. For each apprentice, they develop a tailored curriculum that artfully weaves in the needs of the apprentice's employer. For example, customer service apprentices receive additional content on customer care for apprentices working in the charity sector. Tutors adapt the order of their content for operation manager apprentices so that it aligns with the needs of His Majesty's Revenue and Customs. Experienced and qualified tutors provide effective teaching. They use their knowledge and skills to plan interesting and relevant sessions, using scenarios to enable apprentices to apply new knowledge and skills to their job roles. Team leader apprentices learn to use a variety of tools to analyse problems, such as the ‘5 whys’ and fishbone diagrams.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Tutors explain topics clearly and use resources creatively to clarify complex topics. For example, when discussing how people may have different perspectives of the same problem, tutors used a painting by Salvador Dali to demonstrate how things can be interpreted in diverse ways and how this may impact differently on each individual involved.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

In most instances, tutors use a range of effective assessment methods to check apprentices’ understanding. They use skilful questioning techniques and recap strategies to enable apprentices to recall and apply their learning. Most feedback on apprentices’ work is helpful. However, in a few instances, it does not clearly identify how apprentices can improve their work.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices develop a range of wider skills that enhance their ability to contribute effectively to their workplaces, such as communication and employability skills. They demonstrate increasing competence and confidence in dealing with clients and delivering presentations at work.

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Participation and development Expected standard

During their training, apprentices consistently demonstrate professional behaviours, including respect, curiosity and a willingness to learn. They are highly motivated, attend well and arrive punctually to sessions, well prepared to learn.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Tutors teach apprentices how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy. Tutors and apprentices discuss age-appropriate topics around healthy relationships, including how to set boundaries in their personal and professional lives and the right to challenge someone if they take an unwanted photo.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders consistently do not tolerate bullying, discrimination and harassment. Apprentices benefit from effective teaching of fundamental British values, which they consider in the context of their job roles and personal lives. However, in a few cases, apprentices have limited awareness of the risks of radicalisation and extremism.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Tutors provide helpful careers guidance, which is embedded throughout apprentices' programmes, enabling apprentices to make informed choices about their future careers. Apprentices have a sound understanding of potential career routes and the training required to achieve them.

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

Apprentices value the individualised curriculums and support that enables them to make secure progress on their programmes. Tutors adapt the frequency of sessions with apprentices to meet their needs, and support is tailored effectively, including for those who are disadvantaged or face barriers to learning. Apprentices apply their new learning to their job roles and reflect on their contribution in their organisations. For example, when discussing sustainability, apprentices consider how their recycling practices contribute to their organisations' environmental goals.

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

Tutors’ effective teaching enables apprentices to recall information that they have learned. Tutors use a range of techniques effectively, including multiple choice questions and professional discussions, to check apprentices’ understanding, often replicating methods used in their final assessments to help apprentices to prepare.

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

Apprentices develop a range of skills during their apprenticeships, including digital skills. For example, payroll administrator apprentices learn about different software applications and take responsibility for marketing and social media campaigns online. Business administrator apprentices are able to create spreadsheets and deliver presentations for the business.

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

Apprentices actively contribute to their learning by asking relevant and purposeful questions, participating fully in activities and taking notes. They demonstrate the attitudes expected in a professional working environment and develop in confidence and independence in their approach to learning and work-related tasks.

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

Apprentices speak highly of the support provided by their tutors. They value the responsive and compassionate support they provide, particularly when managing challenging personal and workplace circumstances. Leaders and tutors provide timely intervention with practical support for apprentices to enhance their wellbeing and enable them to continue making progress on their programmes.

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

Apprentices apply their new knowledge and skills confidently in the workplace, and they make positive contribution to their organisations. They take on greater responsibility. For example, payroll apprentices are trusted with salary sacrifice pension schemes.

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Next steps

Leaders should provide apprentices with feedback that consistently supports them to improve the quality of their work. Leaders should ensure that apprentices can confidently apply their understanding of modern Britain and how to make informed choices about safety and wellbeing at work, in their lives and their communities. Leaders should enhance the professional development completed by tutors to elevate their craft of teaching. Leaders should develop a wider perspective of quality to have excellent insight across their provision and expand their focus on strategic priorities for improvement.

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Team inspectors:

Asfa Sohail, Ofsted Inspector Paul Manning, 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 HMI.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with apprentices, tutors, employers and those responsible for governance during the inspection.

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About this inspection

National Upskill Limited is an independent training provider based in Croydon. Apprentices are located across England, with the teaching and support taking place online. Leaders provide apprenticeships in business services, business coaching and digital subjects. They currently have 91 apprentices on programme across levels 2 to 5. The largest programmes are level 5 payroll assistant manager, level 3 business administrator and level 5 operations manager. Leaders work with a wide range of small- and medium-sized employers and several large employers, such as Macmillan and the Home Office.

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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

'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 .

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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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