Forum For Sustainable New Venture

Forum For Sustainable New Venture

Address: 2 Veridion Way, Erith, Bexley, DA18 4AL Unique reference number (URN): 2626856

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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 Needs attention

Leaders do not capture apprentices’ barriers to learning effectively at the start of their apprenticeship. They use English and mathematics assessments and skills scans to identify any learning needs. However, they do not accurately capture wider barriers to learning or put in place support quickly enough for apprentices.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders have established a culture where apprentices, including those who are disadvantaged, are welcomed. Leaders provide some helpful training to staff to enable them to identify support needs and support apprentices who face barriers to learning.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders track the progress of apprentices who face barriers to learning effectively. However, too often leaders identify the barriers that apprentices face late in their apprenticeship. This causes delays to the completion of their apprenticeship.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders and coaches take some effective actions to adapt support for apprentices when their circumstances change. For example, apprentices who face challenges following family bereavement receive additional coaching sessions. Coaches provide apprentices returning from breaks in learning extra help to prepare for their final assessments. Apprentices generally feel well supported by staff at the provider.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders do not have sufficient oversight of the quality of the training they provide. They recognise some of their strengths and areas for improvement through their quality processes. However, they have not been thorough enough to identify the root cause of why a high proportion of apprentices make slow progress. Leaders have been too slow to put in place effective actions to support apprentices to complete their apprenticeship in a timely manner.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders have demonstrated resilience through challenging times. Since the previous inspection, they have restructured, put in place new senior leaders and paused recruitment. The new leadership team has put in place clear processes to support new apprentices starting their apprenticeships when they start recruiting again.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders do not engage with employers well enough. Although they provide a curriculum offer in the financial sector that employers need, they do not consistently ensure that employers contribute to the planning and implementation of apprentices’ training.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders provide a range of appropriate training opportunities for staff. They use the outcomes of lesson observations to create staff development plans. Development plans include the completion of teaching qualifications and the need for effective online teaching skills. Leaders provide appropriate vocational upskilling opportunities, such as attendance at financial professional body webinars.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Governance is effective. Governors contribute positively and provide appropriate support and challenge to leaders. They are experienced and knowledgeable in education and training. They understand most of the provider’s strengths and areas for improvement.

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Achievement Expected standard

Most apprentices pass their apprenticeship and many achieve distinction and merit grades. The number of apprentices who pass their apprenticeship on time has improved but remains low.

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Achievement Expected standard

Most apprentices remain in employment when they complete their apprenticeship. Several apprentices take on more responsibility and achieve promotions. Apprentices typically understand their next steps and say that staff prepare them well.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices gain the skills and knowledge they need to perform well in the workplace. Mortgage adviser apprentices develop networking skills, which they use when working with clients. Accounting apprentices take on additional bookkeeping and payroll tasks.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices generally produce written and practical work to the expected level for the course. They improve their mathematical literacy and digital skills while on their apprenticeships. Those apprentices who do not have level 2 qualifications in English and mathematics are supported well to pass these examinations.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders have planned an appropriate range of personal development opportunities for apprentices. These include, for example, online self-learning in money management, which helps apprentices be mindful when dealing with their own and others’ assets.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders have high expectations for apprentices’ attendance and behaviours. Apprentices display professional behaviours, communicate well and uphold good relationships with co- workers and coaches. Apprentices generally attend well and maintain focus while they participate in workshop sessions. Leaders monitor apprentices’ attendance to online and in- person sessions and generally know the reasons when apprentices do not attend.

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Needs attention

Leaders ensure that apprentices generally have clear and timely information about their future careers. Coaches provide sessions that highlight the range and level of job roles from entry to senior level. Coaches promote discussions about job roles and specialisations, and signpost apprentices to recognised additional certifications and information. However, a few apprentices are not aware of wider training and higher courses available to them.

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Needs attention

Coaches provide apprentices with relevant information about fundamental British values that is helpful and relevant to their job roles. For example, accountancy assistant apprentices learn about restricting access to documents and are aware of the legal timescales for tax returns. Apprentices find this information helpful.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders do not ensure that all apprentices are in roles where they can plan their on- and off- the-job training effectively with their employers. For example, in a few cases, business analyst apprentices are not working enough hours to gain the experience they need to complete their projects for the final assessment. A few apprentices do not have suitable guidance and supervision when at work.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have a clear purpose for the training they offer. They have expertise in the financial sector, which they use to support local businesses to upskill staff to follow careers in accountancy and business.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Coaches typically teach apprentices well. They help apprentices understand new concepts and terminology. They use questions and techniques such as ‘memory mantra’ to help business analysts remember models and theories.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Coaches typically use assessment, such as examinations and practice accountancy tests effectively. For example, assistant accountant apprentices’ complete mock professional discussions with unfamiliar professionals. These help apprentices prepare for their final assessment. Coaches generally provide apprentices with helpful feedback that identifies where work could be improved.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders make sure that, in general, the curriculum is accessible. Coaches and the recently appointed special educational needs and/or disabilities champion provide extra support to apprentices. However, in a few cases, leaders allow apprentices who have very low starting points to enrol on high-level courses. These apprentices lack the prior qualifications and experience to cope with the level of study.

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

Apprentices feel valued and cared for at the provider. Coaches and leaders are supportive. They help build apprentices’ self-esteem and want them to succeed. Apprentices value the flexibility of the training, which fits in around their work and personal lives.

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

Some apprentices who have fallen very far behind with their training feel anxious about the future. They appreciate the one-to-one coaching sessions to help them to catch up. However, this additional support has been put in recently. Consequently, some of the remaining apprentices on programme are a long way past their planned end dates.

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

Apprentices generally develop new skills that help them become more confident and effective in their roles. Mortgage adviser apprentices’ complete fact-finding research and meet clients to discuss their needs. Business analysis apprentices develop advanced business process mapping skills and broaden their technical vocabulary.

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

Leaders have not made sure that apprentices can consistently practise their new skills and knowledge at work. Too many apprentices are not clear how to gain access to appropriate tasks at work to support their apprenticeship. For example, business analyst apprentices are not given suitable support to help them plan, implement and evaluate appropriate meaningful workplace projects.

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

Apprentices feel safe. They know how to report concerns and understand how to keep themselves safe online. Accounting assistant apprentices understand the importance of following online safety protocols, such as file security, and not clicking on phishing email links.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that they continue to increase the number of apprentices who complete their apprenticeship in a timely way. Leaders should ensure that the training they provide fully meets the requirements of an apprenticeship, including aligning on- and off-the-job training for apprentices. Leaders should ensure that effective processes are in place to identify apprentices' barriers to learning and use this information to provide timely and appropriate support from the start of their training. Leaders should ensure that quality improvement activities provide an accurate evaluation of strengths and areas for improvement and that findings are used effectively to implement targeted actions that lead to rapid improvements. Leaders should work more closely with stakeholders to ensure that they have a positive impact on the apprentices’ experience.

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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 apprentices, coaches, employers and senior leaders during the inspection.

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Team inspectors:

Christina Christou, Ofsted Inspector Claudia Harrison, His Majesty's 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 27 July 2026

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Apprenticeships overall achievement rate

The inspection notification started on 20 July 2026. It was paused in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: Ofsted inspections and visits: Deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence. Inspectors commenced the onsite inspection on 05 August 2026. The inspection was completed 07 August 2026.

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Apprenticeships overall achievement rate

Forum for Sustainable New Venture (FFSNV) began to teach apprenticeships in 2020. At the time of the inspection, there were fewer than 5 apprentices on the level 4 business analyst apprenticeship, the level 3 mortgage adviser apprenticeship and the level 3 assistant accountant apprenticeship. All apprentices are over the age of 19.

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Apprenticeships overall achievement rate

FFSNV works with 5 employers in locations in the Southeast. Training takes place mostly online.

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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

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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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