Pre-School Learning Alliance

Pre-School Learning Alliance

Address: 50 Featherstone Street, London, EC1Y 8RT Unique reference number (URN): 50230

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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 an inclusive culture where staff have high expectations for all learners and apprentices and a shared priority to meet learners’ and apprentices’ needs. Leaders ensure that staff access appropriate training so that they can identify learners’ and apprentices' needs swiftly and provide effective support.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Assessors use comprehensive assessments at the start of learners’ and apprentices’ courses and apprenticeships to identify accurately any additional support needs. They create effective support plans and ensure that suitable adjustments and adaptations are in place. Assessors make sure that learners and apprentices with dyslexia receive additional time to complete written tasks. They provide coloured overlays and offer learners and apprentices different assessments, such as use of professional discussions instead of written tasks, to meet their needs. Assessors provide short breaks to help learners and apprentices with difficulties to stay focused.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Assessors routinely review learners’ and apprentices’ additional support to confirm that interventions continue to meet their needs. They make sure that interventions enable learners and apprentices to participate fully and make continued progress. Learners and apprentices with additional needs or barriers to their education make progress in line with their peers.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have an accurate understanding of the strengths and priorities for improvement. They rightly recognise a decline in achievement rates for a few courses such as the level 3 early years educator apprenticeship. Leaders have taken suitable actions to stem this decline.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are supported well by a board of trustees. Board members have relevant expertise and are well aware of the strengths and areas for improvement. They provide senior leaders with appropriate challenge and support to bring about improvements.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders make decisions that are in learners’ and apprentices’ best interests. They ensure that courses and apprenticeships respond to changes within industries. Leaders identified that recent changes to funded childcare resulted in an increase in childcare for children under 2 years of age. They introduced additional training in a range of topics such as emotional attachment and separation anxiety so that learners and apprentices working in early years settings are prepared well to meet new workplace demands.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are considerate of staff wellbeing and take steps to provide staff with manageable workloads. Staff benefit from access to wellbeing training to support positive mental health. Staff feel valued and appreciated by the leaders.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders provide staff with effective training on a wide range of topics that include safeguarding, the ‘Prevent’ duty, autism and neurodiversity. However, assessors have limited opportunities to access training to hone their teaching skills. Leaders maintain positive relationships with stakeholders. They work productively with employers to ensure that employers are actively involved in planning training for apprentices.

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Achievement Expected standard

Learners gain considerable new knowledge and skills as they progress through their courses. They explain child development theories confidently and plan learning activities that meet children’s needs. Learners communicate effectively with parents and colleagues. Learners produce high-quality written and practical work.

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Achievement Expected standard

Learners, including those with barriers to their learning, improve their performance in the workplace considerably. They build confidence, resilience and the professional behaviours expected in their settings. Learners effectively plan and complete reading and playtime activities independently. They make positive contributions to their workplaces that is greatly appreciated by their employers.

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Achievement Expected standard

Learners gain competency in occupational standards set for the early years sector. They are prepared well for their next steps.

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Achievement Expected standard

Most learners, including those with additional needs or barriers to their education, achieve their qualifications and gain employment at the end of their courses. A few learners experience disruption to their employment, which means that they are not able to continue with their courses.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders offer courses that enable learners to acquire the essential knowledge and skills needed for employment in the early years sector. Learners studying the level 3 early years educator diploma are taught about safeguarding in pre-school settings and theories of play. Learners studying the level 5 early years lead practitioner course are supported to acquire the skills to perform supervisory roles competently.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Assessors are well qualified and have extensive experience in the early years sector. They teach online courses skilfully. Assessors use their extensive experience to explain clearly key terms and principles. They routinely recap and repeat information to help learners to remember key concepts. Assessors encourage learners to share their workplace experiences with their peers.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have developed high-quality resources. Learners, including those with additional needs or barriers to their education, use these materials to consolidate their learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Assessors use appropriate assessment methods in lessons. They encourage learners to self-assess and use the results to make adaptations to their teaching. Assessors revisit topics where learners need more practice.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff collect useful information about what learners know at the start of their courses. However, assessors do not routinely use this information to inform their teaching or assessment. This results in a few learners feeling overwhelmed with the content of the course.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders create respectful online learning environments. Learners are motivated and enjoy their training. They mostly have high attendance and are punctual to their lessons.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Assessors plan a range of well-considered wider topics into the curriculum including safeguarding, the risks of radicalisation and extremism and fundamental British values. They routinely discuss how these topics are of relevance to learners’ job roles. Assessors provide learners with useful resources to help them understand topics. For example, they provide apprentices with maps of risks local to where they live or work.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Assessors teach learners about the importance of maintaining their health and wellbeing and that of children in their settings. Learners recognise the signs and symptoms of childhood illnesses. They take appropriate steps to maintain a healthy environment in their settings.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Learners know the importance of online safety and how to keep information private. They know how to report concerns about their own safety and that experienced by children in their care, including any potential cases of bullying or harassment.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Assessors provide learners with valuable information about their next steps. Learners are well informed about various employment options in the early years sector as well the higher- level training that is available.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices acquire the substantial new knowledge and skills that they need to be successful in the early years sector. They become familiar with their settings' policies and procedures and know how these reflect current legislation and statutory guidance.

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Achievement Expected standard

Most apprentices complete their training and achieve their qualifications. Over half of apprentices, including those facing barriers to their learning, gain distinction grades.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices produce work of a high standard. They develop their written English, appropriately use professional vocabulary in their work and create and deliver presentations confidently to colleagues and peers. They develop useful mathematical skills such as calculating the ratio of staff to children in early years settings.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices are prepared well for their next steps. Most remain in employment, progress to further training and take on additional responsibilities at work.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders use a range of suitable quality assurance processes to confirm the quality of teaching and training. They work effectively with employers to choose content that helps apprentices acquire the knowledge and skills that they need to be successful at work. Leaders ensure that apprentices, many of whom have little or no prior experience of working in early years settings, have opportunities for progression.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders design logically sequenced curriculums that enable apprentices to build their skills and knowledge over time. Assessors first teach apprentices the fundamentals of child development. They then move on to covering more complex topics, such as experimental learning through play.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Assessors are qualified and experienced practitioners within the early years sector. They use their expertise to structure lessons well and use a range of appropriate teaching strategies skilfully. Assessors take time at the start of sessions to assess apprentices’ prior knowledge using methods such as online quizzes. They then build on apprentices’ prior knowledge in sessions. Assessors explain key topics clearly so that apprentices can make connections between theoretical concepts and workplace practices. They encourage apprentices to reflect on their experiences and share examples with their peers. Apprentices appreciate this and enjoy learning about other early years settings.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Assessors provide apprentices with accessible, inclusive learning opportunities. They make appropriate adaptations for apprentices with special education needs and/or disabilities. Assessors offer one-to-one sessions to revisit topics and break tasks into smaller chunks for those with additional learning needs.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders provide apprentices with a suitable range of wider opportunities. Assessors provide apprentices with access to a range of useful online resources on topics such as life in modern Britain and healthy relationships. Apprentices know how to keep themselves safe from the risks of radicalisation and extremism.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices benefit from effective careers information, advice and guidance. Assessors provide useful guidance to help apprentices to achieve their career aspirations. They ensure that apprentices are informed about potential career pathways and additional training opportunities that are available to them.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Staff have high expectations for apprentices’ behaviour and attendance. Apprentices are polite, respectful and follow assessors’ instructions accurately during online lessons. They know that bullying or harassment will not be tolerated. Apprentices mostly have high attendance to their training, arrive on time and are prepared for their sessions.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Staff encourage apprentices to stay physically and mentally healthy. They enable apprentices to consider their own health and how it may affect their work. Staff support apprentices to model positive, healthy behaviours for the children with whom they work. Apprentices prompt younger children to drink water and to clean surfaces after messy play. Apprentices exhibit professional behaviours at work.

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

Learners and apprentices approach their courses with a cheerful outlook and aim to do well. They are motivated to work in the early years sector and enjoy building positive relationships with the children they support.

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

Learners and apprentices, including those with additional needs or barriers to their learning, are highly satisfied with their education. They are supported well by assessors who are approachable and know them extremely well. Learners and apprentices feel safe and appreciate the training that they access in welcoming learning environments.

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

When learners and apprentices fall behind with their work, face challenges or raise concerns, assessors provide timely and effective individual support. Staff make suitable adaptations and adjustments to support learners’ and apprentices’ individual needs and provide them with helpful one-to-one support sessions.

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

Learners and apprentices build quickly the new knowledge, skills and behaviours that they need to be proficient childcare professionals. They acquire the confidence to work independently and make positive contributions to their workplaces. They communicate effectively with children and their parents, carers and guardians and use their knowledge of child development accurately to arrange suitable activities for children. Employers highly value the positive impact that learners and apprentices make that enriches their organisations. Learners and apprentices with identified barriers to their learning are supported effectively by staff. They review their support needs with staff to ensure that interventions continue to have a positive impact. Learners and apprentices acquire helpful strategies that enable them to progress in their training and achieve.

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

Learners and apprentices benefit from training on a wide range of topics that are important to them. They complete additional training on how to maintain healthy sleep patterns to reduce stress. Learners and apprentices value useful information that they receive that helps them to make informed choices and supports positive health and wellbeing.

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Next steps

Leaders should continue their work to increase further the number of learners and apprentices who achieve their qualifications. Leaders should provide assessors with training to enable them to improve their teaching practice further. Leaders should ensure that assessors use the information gathered about learners’ starting points to adapt their teaching and assessment practices.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMI.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with learners and apprentices, assessors, employers, senior leaders, trustees and other stakeholders 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

Pre-School Learning Alliance is a national independent learning provider with its head office located in the London borough of Islington. The provider offers early years courses to adults, apprentices and young learners.

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About this inspection

There are currently 35 adult learners who use advanced learner loans to fund their courses. There are 25 learners on the level 3 diploma in early years educator and 10 learners on the level 5 early years lead practitioner course.

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About this inspection

There are currently 51 apprentices Of these, 24 study the level 2 early years practitioner apprenticeship, and 27 are enrolled on the level 3 early years educator apprenticeship.

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About this inspection

There are also fewer than 5 learners on courses for 16 to 18-year-olds. As this provision is very small, it was not in the scope of this inspection.

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Team inspectors:

Steve Kelly, His Majesty's Inspector Philip Watson-Smith, Ofsted Inspector Kanwaljit Dhillon, Ofsted 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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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 . Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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