Beacon Education Partnership Limited

Beacon Education Partnership Limited

Address: 85-87 Bayham Street, London, NW1 0AG Unique reference number (URN): 1236704

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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 culture in which learners, including those who are disadvantaged, are welcomed and supported effectively. They make sure that staff do all they can to support learners to achieve.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Learners’ needs are assessed before and throughout their training. Staff use a range of assessments to identify support needs and barriers to learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Tutors know their learners well. They take effective steps to reduce barriers for learners. Support plans are clear and agreed with learners. Staff review and adapt the plans as learners' needs change. Tutors reduce the frequency of support sessions as learners gain confidence and pass elements of their qualification.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders monitor carefully the progress of individual learners who face barriers to learning. However, they do not analyse data effectively to identify any trends in the achievement of learners with barriers.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders makes sure that staff generally receive the training that they need to support learners with barriers to learning. Tutors complete autism awareness training, and they frequently discuss strategies to support learners who have English as a second language. However, leaders recognise that they need to develop this training further to make sure that all staff are trained and confident to support future cohorts of learners.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have managed change well. Since the previous inspection, the provider has become an employee ownership trust (EOT), and new directors now lead the provider. In addition, leaders have had to adapt their course offer due to the defunding of the qualifications they offer. While implementing these changes, leaders have continued to maintain their focus on the quality of training and experience that their learners receive.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders understand most of their strengths and areas to improve. They have effective quality assurance systems in place. However, leaders do not analyse achievement and retention data sufficiently well to identify trends and areas for improvement.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders provide a range of effective professional development opportunities for staff. For example, tutors attend sessions on how to support learners to use AI ethically and teacher refresher programmes. However, leaders do not consistently use the outcomes of quality assurance arrangements to create training plans for tutors.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governance is effective. Governors understand the strengths and areas for development well. They are skilled and experienced in education and EOTs, and they use their skills very effectively to support leaders. For example, governors provide frequent helpful mentorship to leaders as they adjust to their new responsibilities. Leaders appreciate the support that they receive from governors. Leaders value and appreciate their staff. The creation of the EOT ensures that staff have a voice and are heard. Staff feel valued and cared for and are encouraged to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

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Achievement Expected standard

Most learners achieve their qualifications within the planned time frame. Learners achieve well regardless of any barriers to learning that they have.

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Achievement Expected standard

Learners develop substantial new knowledge and skills that help them at work and in their wider lives. For example, they learn to communicate effectively using verbal and non-verbal techniques to help distressed residents in care homes.

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Achievement Expected standard

Learners develop new English, mathematical and digital skills well. Care assistants in residential settings produce incident reports that contain accurate explanations. Many learners are new to online learning and quickly become adept at using online platforms and digital documents.

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Achievement Expected standard

Tutors help to prepare learners for their next steps well. Learners become resilient and independent learners. They develop the academic and professional skills that they need to move on in their career or education. Most learners move on to positive destinations, including gaining promotion at work, finding employment or progressing to further study.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have a clear purpose for their curriculum offer. They aim to provide useful qualifications, skills and knowledge for adult learners entering or already working in the care sector. The curriculum is carefully planned so that it meets the needs of employers. For example, staff add optional units on end-of-life and dementia care for learners working in residential care for elderly people.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Tutors sequence the curriculum well. Each learner’s course is designed around a clear learning plan that has defined academic targets. Tutors begin by teaching communication in health and social care settings, this helps learners to develop key terminology. Learners then choose units to study which give them the knowledge and skills in the order they need for their work place. However, tutors do not revisit learners' personal targets frequently enough to identify fully the progress that they make towards achieving them.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Tutors are skilled and knowledgeable in the subjects that they teach. They use their expertise to teach learners well. They carefully plan their lessons and use high-quality resources. Mathematics and English skills are skilfully embedded into the lessons. Tutors give clear explanations and check that learners have understood. They provide further reading to help learners to consolidate their new knowledge.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Tutors use assessment effectively to check learners' progress. They use questioning well to help learners remember what they have learned. Tutors provide helpful feedback on the work that learners complete. Learners use the feedback to improve the quality of their final submissions and to improve their next assignment.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Tutors make sure that the online learning environment is safe and respectful. They remind learners about behavioural expectations at the start of each session.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders ensure that the curriculum includes age-appropriate opportunities for learners to find out about how to keep themselves mentally and physically healthy. Learners have an appropriate understanding of the risks associated with radicalisation and extremist views. However, tutors do not revisit these topics enough for learners to develop a thorough understanding.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders include useful careers advice in the curriculum. Learners benefit from frequent discussions about their future careers or education. For example, tutors provide information about how the health care sector operates in the UK, further training opportunities and specialist routes within the health sector.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Learners attend well overall. Tutors understand why some learners find it hard to come to lessons and give them good support to catch up when they need it.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Staff provide some opportunities for learners to develop their wider interests and skills. For example, they provide occasional guest speakers and hold topic of the month discussions that align with national events such as mental health week. However, leaders do not provide enough opportunities for learners to develop their wider personal skills.

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

Learners enjoy their training and speak positively about the support that they receive. They like the flexibility of the course, which includes online lessons combined with access to high- quality resources and a learning platform to support their independent learning. Learners benefit from extra one-to-one sessions if they have queries or need extra support.

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

Learners quickly develop new skills and knowledge as they progress through their courses. Learners who are already working in the care sector develop new skills that help them improve their professional practice. Care assistants working in residential homes develop techniques to help distressed patients with dementia. Learners who do not yet have jobs in the care sector learn fundamental knowledge about patient-centred care.

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

Learners value the opportunity to share their own experiences in lesson discussions. Tutors often ask learners to assist each other with explanations, using scenarios from their own workplaces. This helps build a sense of community, develops learners' communication skills and boosts their confidence. Learners are proud of their achievements and the progress that they make.

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

Learners feel safe, including when online. They know how to report a safeguarding concern. They understand the importance of safeguarding in the care sector and how to identify signs of abuse or neglect of patients and their families.

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Next steps

Leaders should provide effective professional development opportunities for teachers to develop their teaching skills further. Leaders should ensure that quality assurance activities include analysis of data to identify trends and areas for development. Leaders should ensure that learners' personal targets are revisited and reviewed frequently. Leaders should ensure that learners benefit from a wider range of personal development opportunities.

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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 directors, tutors, learners and governors during the inspection.

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About this inspection

Beacon Education Partnership Limited specialises in the teaching of adult learning programmes in the health and social care sector. Training is hybrid, with most sessions taught online and occasional face-to-face sessions. At the time of the inspection, there were 22 adult learners.

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About this inspection

Co-directors: Alex Speed and Anne-Marie Barham

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Team inspector:

Claudia Harrison, 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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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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