Lorraine Michaels

Lorraine Michaels

Address: Ground floor, St Hughs House, Trinity Road, Bootle, L20 3QQ Unique reference number (URN): 1270890

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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 Strong standard

Leaders have established an aspirational and inclusive culture. They apply consistent, well- designed strategies that enable learners to believe in themselves and to set and achieve ambitious goals. Learners explain that their experiences have created opportunities for them that they previously believed were out of reach.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Before they start their course, leaders thoroughly explore learners’ needs and how they can support them. Tutors complete training that makes them aware of the diverse range of special educational needs and/or disabilities and other barriers that their learners face. They understand how to provide support and adapt their practices, so that learners make progress and thrive.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders take decisive actions to support learners while simultaneously not reducing their high expectations. They remove social and economic barriers through extensive practical help. This includes a minibus to transfer learners to training, a salon for pre-interview makeovers, free fruit and snacks from ‘The Pantry’ and financial support for essentials. Learners become increasingly independent, confident and ready for employment.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders’ inclusion strategy is informed by their deep understanding of their community and the needs of learners. It is integral to the culture of the organisation and leaders’ vision to make a profound difference to the lives of learners, particularly those who are most disadvantaged.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders and governors are ambitious for their learners. Since the previous inspection, they have taken effective actions to improve the quality of provision. Leaders plan highly inclusive curriculums, informed by employers' and city region demands, that are very relevant and responsive to local skills needs. Leaders work effectively with their employer and city region partners to develop bespoke curriculums, such as setting up the new aviation academy to fill skills gaps at the airport. Leaders know the strengths and weaknesses of their provision. They use a range of increasingly effective activities to evaluate the quality of teaching and training across the different courses and sites. Leaders use information from these activities to identify priorities for staff training and to share best practice.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Advisory board members have in-depth knowledge of the provider, the provision and the local communities that they serve. They have an accurate oversight of the quality of provision and ensure that it continues to meet local needs. Advisory board members use their extensive experience in further education and skills to hold leaders to account effectively.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders employ tutors with relevant teacher training and vocational expertise and competency. Tutors benefit from generally well-planned training that helps them to improve and maintain their vocational currency and practice. However, leaders do not ensure that tutors receive routinely well-planned training to enhance their teaching skills.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders recognise staff as their most valuable company resource. They are mindful of the workload of staff and prioritise the welfare of the close-knit staff team. They timetable sympathetically, ensuring gaps between courses to provide time for reflection, adaptation, training and a manageable workload. Staff feel valued and supported. They are proud to work for the company.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Leaders foster an inclusive culture in which diversity is celebrated and social equity is actively pursued. Most learners have significant barriers to learning and gaining employment. Tutors create welcoming, supportive and respectful learning environments, which helps learners to feel valued and respected.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Tutors carefully nurture learners for their next steps and provide them with highly tailored careers education, advice and guidance. Learners access careers consultants, the job shop and interview preparation workshops.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Leaders have high expectations for attendance, behaviour and attitudes. Learners’ attendance is consistently very high. Learners are highly motivated and show a strong commitment to their studies.

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Expected standard

Learners access valuable wider opportunities that help them to develop their confidence and resilience and prepare them for employment. For example, teaching assistant learners complete additional training on paediatric first aid, working with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, managing challenging behaviour and British Sign Language.

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Expected standard

Learners feel safe. They explain their understanding of fundamental British values, radicalisation and extremist views very well. Learners in the aviation academy talk confidently about their counter-terrorism responsibilities and the impact of unacceptable behaviour, such as people being drunk and disorderly on aeroplanes. They recognise that incidents may lead to diversions and significant financial penalties for operators.

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Achievement Expected standard

Learners mostly complete their learning and achieve their qualifications. They make at least the expected progress from their starting points.

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Achievement Expected standard

Learners develop the foundational new knowledge and skills that prepare them well for their next steps and for employment. Learners on the information technology users course make professional presentations to peers using a wide range of digital tools. They embed images and use hyperlinks and animation well.

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Achievement Expected standard

Learners take pride in their work. They produce increasingly complex work that is of the appropriate level for their course. Learners on the teaching assistant course explain the intellectual development of children and young people, citing how, for example, very young babies start to focus on sensory exploration and recognise faces.

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Achievement Expected standard

Learners develop their communication and digital skills effectively. Learners in the aviation academy work on their communications skills, when speaking to airline customers, while those on teaching assistant courses confidently use age-appropriate language and terminology for young children.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders responded decisively to the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection. They have made considerable improvements to the design of the curriculums and the quality of feedback that learners receive. Leaders understand precisely how they will continue to improve training for learners.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Learners follow curriculums that are well designed to develop their sector-specific skills. For example, they are taught the core competencies for teaching assistants or for working in the aviation sector. Learners also gain the wider employability skills that they need, such as developing CVs, making presentations and attending interviews. Tutors use a range of teaching strategies effectively. They use group activities and discussions to help learners remember what they have been taught. Learners on the teaching assistant course discuss how schools develop their cultural, social and behavioural ethos and consider examples, such as forest schools. Tutors explain topics carefully, giving step by step instructions that learners can readily follow.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Tutors mostly plan timely opportunities to ensure that learners have a secure grasp of content. Although courses are short, tutors generally build in time to re-visit topics so learners can fully practise and hone their skills. However, a few learners on the level 3 information technology users course find the frequency of external tests a little overwhelming.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Tutors provide helpful feedback that learners quickly use to improve their work. They set learners effective self-reflection and peer reflection tasks, so they can evaluate their learning and practise giving and receiving constructive feedback. However, tutors do not routinely use the results of assessment to refine their teaching or sequencing of the curriculum.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Tutors ensure that the curriculums are accessible for learners, including those who are disadvantaged and have barriers to learning. They are sensitive and supportive of learners, who have been unemployed for a long time and need extensive support, including one-to- one advice and guidance.

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

Learners describe studying at the provider as a friendly, supportive and a highly positive experience. They explain that their learning has opened opportunities for them that they did not think were possible or accessible. Learners benefit from a welcoming, collegial and safe learning environment.

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

Learners swiftly acquire the new knowledge and skills that they need to get closer to the job market and to secure employment, often after long-term unemployment. They gain confidence in working with their peers, formally presenting their ideas and liaising with employers. Learners on the level 3 information technology user course learn to word process and use presentation software tools, desktop publishing and databases.

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

Learners benefit from a reduction in their barriers to learning. Learners with neurological differences benefit from tutors providing them with extra time to complete tasks and assessments. They receive extensive practical support for their welfare. Learners with disabilities or travel anxiety can travel to training in the provider's minibus. Learners can have a makeover at the provider's salon as part of their interview preparation and confidence building. They benefit from access to fruit and snacks from ‘The Pantry’, a laundry service and provider-funded Disclosure and Barring Service checks. Learners receive help with matters such as housing, getting replacement identification documents and refreshing and renewing their essential qualifications.

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

Learners learn useful information beyond the requirements of their qualifications. They respect the diverse makeup of their groups and respect others' differences. Learners

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Lead inspector:

Alastair Mollon, His Majesty's Inspector

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Team inspectors:

Helen Whelan, His Majesty's Inspector Liz Greenhalgh, Ofsted Inspector understand and follow fundamental British values in their lessons. They listen to others’ contributions respectfully. Learners embrace cultural diversity.

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Team inspectors:

Learners benefit from guest speakers, who attend their lessons to update them on job opportunities, interview tips and careers advice and guidance. They develop the confidence and sense of belonging that helps them to prepare effectively for their next steps.

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Next steps

Leaders should strengthen and formalise professional learning further to enhance tutors’ teaching skills. Leaders should ensure that tutors use assessment to consistently inform and adapt their teaching to meet the needs of learners. Leaders should ensure that learners make extensive progress from their starting points and produce a consistently high standard of 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 advisory board members, leaders, tutors, learners, commissioning partners and employer partners during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the provider:

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About this inspection

Lorraine Michaels, trading as Crosby Training, is an independent learning provider located in Sefton, Merseyside. Crosby Training offers short adult learning courses and pre- employment courses across the Merseyside region.

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About this inspection

At the time of inspection, there were 32 adult learners. There were 13 learners on a level 2 course in supporting work in schools, based in the city centre. There were six learners on a level 1 course in exploring the aviation industry in Speke, and a further 13 learners on a level 3 information technology user course at the main site.

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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

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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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