Central Veterinary Services Limited

Central Veterinary Services Limited

Address: Central College of Animal Studies, Ipswich Veterinary Centre, 1 Donald Mackintosh Way, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP8 3LQ Unique reference number (URN): 2625235

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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 nurtured a caring learning environment, where apprentices and learners feel welcomed and supported. They provide ongoing assistance to apprentices and learners who face financial challenges. Leaders provide food, financial help and make adjustments, such as providing online sessions, when apprentices and learners struggle to attend.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders clearly identify learners’ and apprentices’ support needs at the start of their courses. Staff provide apprentices and learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities with the individual support they need to thrive in learning. Staff frequently check learners' and apprentices' progress, wellbeing and support needs. However, leaders do not systematically review the impact of the support provided to learners to ensure it remains suitable.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Tutors support apprentices and learners who face temporary barriers to learning effectively to return to their studies following breaks in learning. Staff frequently check on apprentices' and learners' wellbeing and are empathetic and understanding of their challenges. They put in place suitable adjustments that keep apprentices and learners on track with their studies.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders closely monitor the individual progress of apprentices and learners. However, leaders do not sufficiently monitor the progress and attainment of different groups of apprentices and learners so that they can identify any trends or potential achievement gaps.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have developed apprenticeship and adult learner courses that meet the needs of the veterinary sector. Leaders have nurtured valuable enduring partnerships with employers across the sector. Employers are highly satisfied with the quality of training their staff receive.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of the strengths and areas for improvement of their courses. They use this information to make continual quality improvements. For example, leaders have improved the careers advice and guidance they provide to apprentices. Apprentices and learners now receive the ongoing information they need to help them plan for their next steps.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have sufficient oversight of their provision, including the quality of training and wider areas, such as safeguarding and equality and diversity. Those responsible for governance carry out independent quality assurance activities so that they can provide suitable challenge. Those responsible for governance have a clear understanding of the strengths and areas for improvement of the provision.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders look after staff wellbeing and workload. Managers show an interest in tutors and care about their welfare. They are supportive and provide teaching staff with sufficient time to plan their lessons.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a suitable professional learning programme in place. Tutors attend specialist conferences and use online training platforms to keep their clinical skills up to date. Staff complete peer observations after which they share ideas and discuss the benefits of differing teaching approaches. However, this professional development is not individualised to staff to help them develop their pedagogical knowledge further.

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Achievement Strong standard

Since leaders started offering adult funded qualifications, all learners have remained in learning, achieved their qualifications and gained at least a merit grade, including those who experience barriers to learning.

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Achievement Strong standard

Learners develop significant knowledge, skills and behaviours, regardless of their starting points. They have a solid understanding of concepts, such as perioperative procedures and the risk of septic shock.

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Achievement Strong standard

Learners develop high levels of technical expertise and excellent professional qualities and behaviours. They produce work of a consistently high standard and perform workplace tasks expertly. Learners grow in confidence and are prepared effectively for the next stage in their education and employment.

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Achievement Strong standard

Learners develop excellent personal, social and employability skills that prepare them thoroughly for their planned next steps as veterinary nurses. All those who complete the course secure employment in the sector, several before they complete their studies.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have planned ambitious courses that extend learners’ understanding of the veterinary sector and enables them to achieve high levels of technical expertise. Tutors skilfully plan lessons to meet the needs of their learners. They organise topics sensibly. Learners initially explore theoretical concepts, such as infection and digestion, so that they can make sense of later topics, such as perioperative care. Tutors recap previous learning effectively and make links to future topics. They draw on their expert knowledge to provide clear explanations of often complex topics and support these with well-illustrated slides.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Tutors use a wide range of activities effectively in lessons, such as case studies, question and answer and matching tasks to help learners develop and demonstrate their understanding of topics. They use formal assessments to provide clear feedback to learners, which they carefully record. Learners act on this feedback and make suitable improvements to their work.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Tutors work effectively with clinical coaches to coordinate the training learners receive in their workplaces and placements. Clinical coaches have a clear understanding of the content tutors cover in classroom sessions. They provide highly effective support to learners that helps them link classroom topics to workplace tasks.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Staff know their learners very well. They support learners who have barriers to learning effectively, which enables them to study successfully. Staff work with learners to set targets for the development and demonstration of their personal skills. This helps prepare them for future employment.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders have designed a suitable personal development programme. Through their induction lessons and a range of half-termly professional development sessions, learners develop a basic understanding of topics, such as equality and fundamental British values. However, these topics are not fully embedded across the course so that learners deepen their understanding.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Tutors provide learners with the careers advice and guidance they need to help them consider their future careers. This includes trips and visits, careers fairs and talks from visiting professionals.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders provide learners with a range of opportunities to develop their wider skills, including visits to equine and specialist referral practices. This gives learners a better understanding of a range of specialist veterinary contexts and helps raise their career aspirations.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders set clear expectations for learners’ attendance. They monitor how well learners attend and take targeted actions to help them improve their attendance. Rates of attendance at lessons are high. Learners are confident that if they had any concerns, leaders would deal with them appropriately.

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Achievement Strong standard

Apprentices, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make substantial progress from their starting points and achieve highly. Most complete their apprenticeship on time, with an increasing proportion achieving distinction grades. They produce work of a very high standard.

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Achievement Strong standard

Apprentices demonstrate a secure and detailed theoretical knowledge. They use technical veterinary terminology confidently and accurately. Apprentices develop a breadth of clinical skills beyond those routinely encountered in their workplaces. They demonstrate high levels of competence in complex clinical procedures, including refractometry and anaesthetic work. Employers value the contribution apprentices make and trust them to undertake increasingly demanding tasks.

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Achievement Strong standard

On completion of their courses, apprentices remain employed in the veterinary sector and a few move on to clinical coach roles where they support the training of new veterinary nurses.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have designed a highly ambitious apprenticeship course. Tutors provide apprentices with meaningful additional learning opportunities that extend beyond the apprenticeship. These include advanced clinical topics and the review of professional research. These opportunities deepen and broaden apprentices' understanding of veterinary practice and help them develop as reflective practitioners.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Staff carefully sequence their courses so that apprentices progressively develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for their role. Apprentices begin by learning essential veterinary nursing principles, before moving on to advanced clinical topics, including anaesthesia, theatre practice, pathology and diagnostic techniques. Apprentices quickly connect new learning to their prior knowledge and understanding.

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Expected standard

Tutors use their extensive vocational expertise to skilfully teach apprentices complex theoretical concepts and practical clinical skills. Tutors draw expertly on their extensive vocational experience to bring learning to life. They use clear explanations, realistic clinical examples, demonstrations and practical simulations to help apprentices remember complex knowledge.

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Expected standard

Leaders, tutors, employers and workplace clinical coaches work together highly effectively so that the on- and off-the-job training apprentices receive closely meets each apprentice’s individual needs. Frequent progress reviews enable staff to identify gaps in learning and provide tailored support.

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Expected standard

Tutors use assessment highly effectively to check apprentices’ understanding and identify gaps in learning. Tutors provide apprentices with helpful ongoing feedback. Apprentices use this feedback to improve the quality of their assignments.

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Expected standard

Staff provide apprentices with barriers to learning with the support and adjustments they need, so they can participate fully in their training sessions and assessments.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices understand the importance of attendance, punctuality and professional conduct. They understand the standards expected in the veterinary nursing profession. Apprentices have high attendance to their training sessions.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Since the previous inspection, leaders have strengthened their personal development programme for apprentices. Through this programme, apprentices mostly develop a clear understanding of healthy relationships, positive wellbeing and fundamental British values. Apprentices uphold British values and professional standards in both their training and workplace practice. They demonstrate professionalism and respect in their interactions with colleagues, clients and animal patients and understand their legal and ethical responsibilities.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders have designed a suitable careers advice and guidance offer for apprentices. Apprentices receive effective careers guidance and wider enrichment activities that broaden their understanding of opportunities in the veterinary sector.

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Participation and development Expected standard

In the rare incidents where bullying or harassment occur in the workplace, staff effectively support apprentices to work with their employers to deal with incidents quickly.

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

Apprentices and learners are highly satisfied with the standard of training and support tutors provide. Apprentices value the individual support they receive, appreciate the small class sizes and the extensive opportunities to practise and refine their clinical skills.

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

Apprentices and learners develop their vocational expertise, professional qualities and behaviours to a very high standard. Apprentices and learners are highly motivated to succeed. They swiftly develop the confidence they need so they can work independently as veterinary nurses.

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

Tutors enhance their teaching using a range of meaningful additional learning opportunities. Staff teach apprentices and learners about advanced clinical techniques, such as the treatment of Addison’s disease, parenteral nutrition and inserting cannulas in the marginal ear vein of rabbits. Apprentices learn about human emergency care procedures. Apprentices and learners review professional research and industry publications, helping them develop the habits and skills needed for continuous professional development.

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

Apprentices and learners undertake a range of interesting and relevant opportunities that help them develop their wider skills. Staff organise for visiting speakers to teach bandaging skills. Apprentices and learners visit equine establishments, animal charities, wildlife centres and prestigious universities. This gives them exposure to a much wider set of veterinary contexts and helps raise their career aspirations.

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

Apprentices and learners feel safe and supported by staff. They know how to report safeguarding concerns and are confident that staff will act swiftly if a concern arises. Staff look after apprentices' and learners’ wellbeing. They teach them appropriate techniques to help manage stress.

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Next steps

Leaders should further strengthen their professional development programme for staff, so that tutors receive tailored development that meets their individual needs. Leaders should further improve how they review the impact of any learning support provided, particularly for adult learners. Leaders should monitor the progress and performance of differing groups of apprentices and learners with barriers to learning so that they can identify trends or potential achievement gaps. Leaders should further strengthen the personal development curriculum they provide to apprentices and learners so that tutors expertly tailor and embed themes, such as fundamental British values across their courses.

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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 leaders, learners, apprentices, tutors and employers during the inspection.

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Team inspectors:

Kelley Malthouse, Ofsted Inspector Russ Henry, 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 4 August 2026

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Apprenticeships

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the provider:

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Apprenticeships

Central Veterinary Services Limited is a national independent learning provider based in Suffolk. Leaders offer veterinary nursing apprenticeships and adult learner loan provision through their Central College of Animal Studies. Leaders began providing apprenticeships in 2019 and adult learner loan provision in 2023. Tutors teach apprentices and learners together through face-to-face sessions at training centres in Suffolk, Kent and Devon.

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Apprenticeships

At the time of the inspection, there were 30 apprentices studying level 3 veterinary nursing and 19 adult learners studying the level 3 diploma in veterinary nursing.

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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 suppressed 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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Year This provider National average

'This provider' and 'national average' figures are taken from the publicly available DfE achievement rates. Where the DfE have suppressed 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

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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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