BAE Systems PLC

BAE Systems PLC

Address: BAE Systems, Channel Way, Preston, PR2 2YA Unique reference number (URN): 50592

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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 Exceptional

Leaders have a long-established and exceptional culture of inclusion that permeates throughout the organisation and extends to their subcontracted provision. They have a remarkable insight into their apprentices’ barriers to education and have put in place a range of support that reduces these barriers swiftly and exceptionally well.

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Inclusion Exceptional

Prior to apprentices being enrolled onto the apprenticeship, staff discuss with apprentices their strengths and personal circumstances before identifying any barriers to learning. This unique approach to inclusion provides leaders, staff and apprentices’ workplace line managers with the essential highly personalised information that they need in order to reduce quickly any barriers to learning that apprentices may have.

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Inclusion Exceptional

Leaders provide a range of resources that make learning accessible. They provide digital devices and artificial intelligence tools to help with reading and transcribing information and British Sign Language experts.

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Inclusion Exceptional

Staff take a unified approach to reviewing and adapting support for apprentices, many of whom have significant and complex barriers to their education. This has a profound impact on apprentices, with a significant proportion gaining prominent promotions. Apprentices are at the forefront in multi-million-pound bids and manage an extensive range of organisational projects and campaigns. They lead in high-profile activities, such as television interviews and royal and parliamentary visits.

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Inclusion Exceptional

Apprentices who are care experienced benefit greatly from vital financial support that helps them to live independently and buy the resources that they need for their studies. For apprentices who experience disruption in their personal lives, leaders provide support on housing and make mental health and crisis referrals.

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Leadership and governance Exceptional

Governors work in synergy with leaders to drive strategic priorities forward with integrity and dedication, putting apprentices’ best interests first. This is underpinned by leaders’ exceptional approach to inclusion. Governors and leaders demonstrate an unwavering passion to grow talent within the business and create lifelong career pathways for their apprentices. They have created a culture where they inspire and empower apprentices to achieve excellence and mastery in every aspect of their work.

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Leadership and governance Exceptional

Governors and leaders have forged successful relationships with an extensive range of stakeholders. They work very closely with, for example, the Civil Aviation Authority and The Lancashire Cornerstone Group to understand the national skills requirements of the sector and inform their apprenticeship offer. Leaders collaborate with primary and secondary schools across the country through their science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) outreach programme to inspire children into careers in STEM. Through their programme, leaders have reached 1.5 million children. Leaders provide staff, including those at their subcontracted provision, with a comprehensive programme of professional development that ensures that teachers are experts in their subjects and skilful in their teaching.

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Leadership and governance Exceptional

Leaders have created a culture of psychological safety and support that permeates throughout the organisation. They are acutely conscious of staff workload and wellbeing and offer a range of valuable support. This includes an employee assistance programme and a wellbeing app to enable apprentices to access a wide range of guidance on topics such as better sleep, breathing exercises, resilience, focus and concentration.

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Leadership and governance Exceptional

Leaders monitor rigorously the quality of their subcontracted provision and provide swift and impactful support where aspects of delivery need improving.

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Achievement Strong standard

Apprentices, including those with barriers to their learning, make extensive progress from their starting points. Achievement rates are consistently high, and most apprentices achieve merit and distinction grades in the few standards where this is available. A significant number of apprentices on integrated degree apprenticeships achieve first class honours grades alongside their apprenticeship.

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Achievement Strong standard

Tutors and skills coaches ensure that apprentices develop swiftly the technical expertise and professional behaviours that align with the rigorous standards of their industry and apply these successfully at work. Apprentices studying level 3 engineering fitter skilfully hand produce 17.6 millimetre cubes from cylindrical bars working to a tolerance of 0.1 millimetres.

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Achievement Strong standard

Leaders and tutors ensure that apprentices are very well prepared for their next steps and motivate apprentices to be ambitious about their career plans. On completion of their apprenticeship, most apprentices remain in employment, gain promotion, take on additional duties or move on to further learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders provide apprentices with very well-designed, meticulously organised and highly ambitious curriculums. Curriculums are closely aligned to the needs of apprentices, the wider organisation and the significant technical requirements of apprentices’ job roles. Tutors provide high-quality training that enables apprentices to develop swiftly the exacting knowledge, skills and behaviours that they need to produce work of the highest quality that meets the stringent demands of the defence sector.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Tutors and skills coaches are well-qualified subject specialists. They teach increasingly difficult content with skill and precision. On the level 3 engineering technician apprenticeship, tutors teach complex computer-aided design topics using both practical and theoretical concepts. Apprentices studying level 6 project management (integrated degree) develop a deep knowledge of project and risk controls and apply this at work in a confident manner when leading their teams on project bids to secure funding.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Tutors and skills coaches use learning technologies very skilfully to augment learning. They place a camera above vices so that apprentices can see on the interactive whiteboard what they are doing. Tutors then highlight key parts of the image on screen and make useful short video reels accessible on social media to help apprentices remember their learning. Apprentices studying level 3 plate welding use virtual reality headsets to practise and hone hand skills to high standards of precision in a safe environment. They produce high-quality welds to exacting standards in the workshop and when on site building submarines and aircraft.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Tutors, including those at subcontracted provision, work extremely well with the inclusion team to make sure that any apprentice with a barrier to learning has the support they need to excel in their work. They make confident and well-considered adaptations to meet apprentices’ individual needs. Tutors provide pre-session briefings, noise-cancelling headphones and examination access arrangements to apprentices with a wide range of social and communication barriers.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Governors, leaders and staff have established a very inclusive culture in which apprentices thrive, belong and achieve. They set high expectations for apprentices. Apprentices are committed to their studies and have high attendance to their training.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Apprentices value greatly their safe, disciplined and positive learning environments, where tutors and skills coaches consistently promote respect and professionalism and do not tolerate any bullying or harassment.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Apprentices benefit considerably from attending a wide range of enrichment workshops and external visits. They attend engaging guest speaker events from the Royal Aeronautical Society, the Royal Air Force’s Typhoon Display Team and Red Arrows crew. Apprentices participate eagerly in enrichment opportunities such as outward-bound programmes, air shows, engineering conferences, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation forums and open days.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Leaders and staff proudly celebrate apprentices’ achievement through regional and national awards, accolades and internal impact awards for apprentices’ contribution to meeting organisational priorities.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Apprentices are enthusiastic members of a range of support groups available. These include LGBTQ+, 'vetnet for veterans', mindset, neurodiversity and carer support groups. Staff ensure that apprentices receive a well-planned and structured range of careers information, advice and guidance, which informs apprentices’ career choices and aspirations.

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

Apprentices thrive and excel because of the high standard of training and the excellent support that they receive. They are proud to work for, and to be an apprentice at, BAE Systems PLC.

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

Apprentices, many of whom have significant barriers to their learning, are supported by staff who reduce these barriers exceptionally well. This enables apprentices to acquire skills that help them to move effortlessly into a wide range of trusted and influential roles across the global business, managing multi-million-pound international and national contracts. Apprentices are very appreciative of the support that they receive from staff. They say that this has had a life-changing impact on their self-esteem and confidence to do their job extremely well and to have career aspirations that they did not think possible.

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

Apprentices develop a substantial range of skills that they apply successfully and fastidiously at work. Apprentices studying level 4 engineering manufacturing technician develop a detailed computer-aided design model of a bollard, applying the relevant engineering principles to design a sensor system capable of analysing how the bollard performs over time.

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

Because of the many and varied enriching experiences that they have, apprentices successfully build their confidence, resilience and a keen sense of personal and social responsibility. They understand the value of engaging with their community. Apprentices volunteer willingly in community projects by improving gardens of hospices and day care centres for the elderly and are keen supporters of the Royal British Legion.

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

Apprentices develop a strong understanding of business integrity, respect, dignity, ethics and resilience. They take responsibility and accountability for their actions and behaviours. Apprentices participate keenly and enjoy organisational initiatives such as engineering taster weeks, work experience programmes, careers and school events.

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

Apprentices feel a deep sense of community, camaraderie and wellbeing. They take part routinely in social and wellbeing activities, including football, tai chi, photography and theatre clubs.

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Next steps

Governors and leaders should ensure continued improvement to the curriculum implementation to achieve and sustain exceptional standards of teaching and training in order to have a transformational impact on all apprentices' achievement.

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Team inspectors:

Alastair Mollon, His Majesty's Inspector Liz Greenhalgh, Ofsted Inspector Robert Marshall-Slater, Ofsted Inspector Jaqui Scott, Ofsted Inspector Hannah Hancock, Ofsted Inspector Victoria Wickington, Ofsted Inspector Mark Keen, His Majesty's Inspector

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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 the provider staff, apprentices, and apprentices’ line managers during the inspection.

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About this inspection

BAE Systems PLC is a global advanced defence technology company and an employer provider of apprenticeships. At BAE Systems PLC, technology is developed to support the armed forces and security services to defend via air, at sea, on land, in space and in the cyber domain. The provider subcontracts just under half of the provision to 9 training providers across England. The largest of these are Furness College, Blackpool and The Fylde College and the University of Cumbria.

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About this inspection

Apprentices’ training takes place on a number of sites across the United Kingdom, such as the Skill Development Centre at HM Naval Base in Portsmouth, Humberside Aircraft Maintenance Academy, the Academy for Skills and Knowledge at Samlesbury, Lancashire, and the Submarines Academy for Skills and Knowledge at Barrow-in-Furness.

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About this inspection

At the time of inspection, there were 2,636 apprentices studying a range of apprenticeships from levels 2 to 7. Just over half are 16 to 18 years of age. Most apprentices study at levels 3 and 6. The largest number of apprentices study level 3 engineering technician, plate welder, metal fabricator, and engineering design technician, and level 6 project manager (integrated degree), aerospace engineer, digital and technology solutions professional, and project controls professional.

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About this inspection

Group Human Resources Director: Tania Gandamihardja 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

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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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