Engineering Trust Training Limited

Engineering Trust Training Limited

Address: The Engineering Skills Academy, 11 Wedgwood Road, Bicester, OX26 4UL Unique reference number (URN): 52540

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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 established an inclusive culture. Apprentices feel supported and confident to share personal or professional concerns. Leaders and training officers identify many support needs early, using initial assessments, information from education, health and care plans where relevant, progress reviews and one-to-one discussions.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Trainers and training officers use learning support plans to identify barriers to learning and plan adjustments, such as one-to-one guidance, extra time and adapted approaches to teaching and assessment. These adjustments help apprentices remain on track with training and workplace learning. Where needed, training officers agree with employers how apprentices will be supported in the workplace. Leaders also work with subcontracted partners to check that apprentices receive the support required at college. Training officers and trainers review apprentices' support during progress reviews and one-to-one discussions. When apprentices' needs change, they adjust support so apprentices can continue to participate in training and make progress.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have made inclusion a staff development priority. Staff have completed introductory training on neurodiverse needs and are undertaking more tailored training on barriers such as dyslexia, autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a clear strategic aim to widen access to engineering apprenticeships and meet employers needs. They work closely with employers and draw on local skills information to plan future apprenticeship provision. Through careers and outreach events, leaders promote engineering pathways and help apprentices understand routes into skilled employment.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders use quality assurance findings, apprentices' progress data, employer feedback and board reports to evaluate the quality of apprenticeships and subcontracted provision. Quality visits to the subcontracted college include discussions with apprentices and employers to understand how well apprentices are taught and supported and the progress that apprentices are making. Leaders use this information to identify priorities for improvement. Their actions are resulting in improvements to progress reviews and target-setting, teaching practice and support for apprentices facing barriers to learning. They are helping apprentices to make timely progress.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Trustees receive relevant information that enables them to understand the quality of training, apprentices' progress and emerging trends. They use their professional expertise to challenge leaders and guide future planning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders employ trainers with relevant engineering experience. They provide training, feedback and one-to-one support to help trainers, including those new to teaching, broaden their teaching skills. Staff also keep their engineering knowledge current through technical updating, including industry visits and training in areas such as computer-aided design. Leaders take appropriate steps to manage staff workload and wellbeing. Staff feel supported and value the positive working culture. Leaders are continuing to embed these improvements so that teaching, support and subcontracted provision meet apprentices' and employers' needs consistently.

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Achievement Expected standard

Most apprentices, including those facing barriers to learning, achieve their qualifications within planned timescales. As they progress through their apprenticeship, they develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours that they need for engineering roles. Where distinctions are available at end-point assessment, the proportion of apprentices who achieve them is low.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices develop technical knowledge, practical engineering and workplace skills that they apply at work. They use mathematics, digital skills and technical vocabulary in quality assurance, fault finding, materials testing and technical documentation. Apprentices become more confident communicating with colleagues, solving problems and using their initiative. Their written work improves over time, with clearer structure and more accurate technical explanations.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices are prepared well for their next steps. Most remain with their employer, often taking on greater responsibility or promoted roles. Many progress to higher-level apprenticeships, further qualifications or specialist training.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders work with employers to design curriculums that reflects apprentices' workplace tasks and the engineering skills they need in their roles. As a result, apprentices develop the technical competence that employers value.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders and trainers sequence training so that apprentices first develop essential knowledge and then apply it to more complex engineering tasks. Apprentices learn about the structure and properties of materials, including density and composition, before applying this knowledge to explain how composites react under pressure or heat. On the level 4 engineering manufacturing technician programme, leaders changed the order of content so that apprentices develop the applied knowledge and workplace experience before completing more technically demanding topics. Trainers and training officers are appropriately qualified and experienced in engineering. They use their sector knowledge to explain technical concepts and link theory to workplace practice. Apprentices learn how to select testing equipment to diagnose electrical faults and explain the advantages of different methods. They use technical language accurately when

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

discussing quality assurance processes, materials testing and workplace projects.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders and trainers adapt teaching so apprentices with support needs or other barriers can access training sessions and workplace training. This includes providing one-to-one guidance and using different approaches to explaining technical content. However, in a few instances, support is not provided promptly enough.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Trainers use questioning to check what apprentices remember, correct errors in understanding and extend their technical understanding. They assess work and give feedback that helps apprentices improve. However, in a few instances, trainers do not use teaching methods that engage apprentices fully or support consistent progress.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Staff set clear expectations for attendance, participation and professional behaviour. Apprentices attend well and behave respectfully in taught sessions and at work. They feel safe, supported and confident to raise concerns about bullying, harassment or barriers to learning. In the few instances when apprentices miss training, staff provide resources and feedback to help them catch up. However, in a few instances, this support is not tailored closely enough to individual needs.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders provide wider learning through progress reviews and focused online resources that support apprentices' personal and professional development. Apprentices learn about health and safety, mental health, wellbeing, equality and diversity, motivation and managing stress. They know how to work safely in engineering environments and how to report concerns. They learn about radicalisation, extremism, protected characteristics and British values. However, too many apprentices do not yet make clear links between these themes and their personal or professional lives.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Employers and training officers provide appropriate careers guidance. Employers discuss progression opportunities with apprentices through workplace training. Training officers provide careers information at the start and towards the end of training. Apprentices understand routes such as higher apprenticeships, degrees and specialist roles. Many take on additional responsibilities or gain promotion. However, a few apprentices do not receive detailed guidance about career opportunities.

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

Apprentices enjoy their training and value the respectful and supportive environment. They confidently contribute to discussions and share examples from work and learn from each other's experiences. Apprentices value the new knowledge, skills and behaviours that they develop and appreciate the expertise and experience of their trainers. As apprentices progress through their apprenticeship, they grow in confidence and become independent at work. They take ownership of tasks, communicate more confidently with colleagues and become increasingly valued by their employers. Apprentices are proud of the contribution that they make to their teams and the professional behaviours they develop.

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

Most apprentices follow the high expectations of staff. They are motivated to attend well, come prepared to learn and behave professionally. Apprentices understand the importance of meeting workplace standards and taking responsibility for their learning. Most keep up with their training and understand well the progress they are making. A few apprentices who fall behind are less clear about the steps they need to take to make progress.

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

Apprentices facing barriers to learning receive personalised support from staff and employers. They value the adjustments that staff make, including extra time and one-to-one guidance, which help them participate in training and assessment.

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

Apprentices feel safe in training and at work. They know how to report concerns about bullying, harassment or personal safety. They talk more confidently about reporting concerns than about how wider Prevent-related themes apply to their lives and work.

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

Apprentices are positive about their futures in engineering. They can see how their apprenticeship supports greater responsibility, progression or specialist roles.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that apprentices with additional needs, including those working towards outcomes in education, health and care plans, receive timely and well-planned support that help them make secure progress from their starting points. Leaders should use the findings from quality assurance activities consistently to plan targeted staff development that improves the quality of teaching, feedback, progress reviews and target-setting across the provision. Leaders should ensure that wider learning is fully embedded across the apprenticeship provision, so that apprentices understand how safeguarding, equality, diversity and personal development themes relate to their personal and professional lives.

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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

Inspection activities: Inspectors spoke with trustee board members, leaders, managers, trainers, training officers, apprentices, line managers, stakeholders and employers during the inspection.

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Lead inspector:

Carolyn Brownsea, His Majesty's Inspector

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Team inspectors:

Richard Kirkham, His Majesty's Inspector Jaswant Mann, Ofsted Inspector Alan Winchcombe, Ofsted Inspector Errol Ince, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 23 June 2026

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Apprenticeships

Engineering Trust Training is an independent learning provider that provides training for employers nationally. It delivers apprenticeships through a combination of workplace training, assessment activity and day-release.

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Apprenticeships

At the time of inspection, there were 253 apprentices, of whom 138 were aged 16 to 18.The largest cohorts were studying level 3 engineering fitter with 95 apprentices, level 4 engineering manufacturing technician, with 44 apprentices and level 3 maintenance and operations engineering technician, with 33 apprentices. There were 13 apprentices with an education health and care plan.

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Apprenticeships

The provider operates mostly in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire and North Devon, with a small cohort accessing classroom-based teaching in Devon. Teaching and training takes place face-to-face in the classroom and workplace. The provider uses one subcontractor, North Devon College.

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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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