The Chartered Institute of Building

The Chartered Institute of Building

Address: The Chartered Institute of Building, 3 Arlington Square, Downshire Way, Bracknell, Reading, RG12 1WA Unique reference number (URN): 2814677

p.1

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.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect providers for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

p.1

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.

p.1

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders identify apprentices’ needs accurately when they begin their apprenticeship. Staff use information to tailor training and provide apprentices with appropriate support. This includes additional sessions with learning coaches.

p.2

Inclusion Expected standard

In meetings with apprentices and employers, coaches discuss reasonable adjustments and further support as these needs arise. They do this based on the progress apprentices make at work and the quality of the assignments they submit. The support staff provide includes weekly meetings with apprentices to plan and organise their work, which helps those who may be neurodiverse.

p.2

Inclusion Expected standard

The support staff provide and the adjustments they make help apprentices to make progress and reduce any barriers they have. Staff refer apprentices to the employee assistance programme for support with their welfare or finances.

p.2

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have established a systematic process for reviewing and adjusting the support that staff provide apprentices. However, the frequency of review is the same for all apprentices and not tailored to their individual needs.

p.2

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders and governors understand the strengths and improvement priorities in apprenticeships. Leaders assess the quality of provision with appropriate accuracy and set actions for improvement that are well considered. This helps governors monitor and challenge leaders' progress towards the actions set. Through leaders' reporting, governors understand apprentices' progress.

p.2

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors use their construction industry experience well to support leaders to make decisions that are in apprentices' best interests. By structuring the curriculums so that higher level apprentices achieve chartered status, they advance apprentices' career opportunities and reduce their costs of becoming chartered.

p.2

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders value highly their staff and prioritise wellbeing and workload. Leaders provide staff benefits, such as medical insurance and wellbeing support. They manage staff caseloads so that they are reasonable. Staff are motivated, and consider their workload to be manageable.

p.2

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders provide staff with professional development opportunities that mostly meet their needs. For example, new staff with education backgrounds complete construction project management qualifications, so that they have specialist knowledge to support apprentices' learning. However, the training staff receive is not sufficiently tailored to develop teaching to a consistently high standard.

p.2

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders' collaboration with stakeholders enhances apprentices' experience and opportunities. There are opportunities for apprentices to attend network events and visit construction sites through regional construction hubs. In their collaboration with universities, leaders have designed the level 6 apprenticeships to provide apprentices with internationally recognised qualifications.

p.3

Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices, including those who are disadvantaged, make appropriate progress from their starting points. Leaders monitor apprentices progress closely so that they remain up to date with their acquisition of new knowledge, skills and behaviours.

p.3

Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices apply their knowledge and skills well at work. They speak confidently with clients, review designs, develop specifications for construction projects, and manage contracts and high-value procurement. Apprentices' work is mostly at the standard expected for their stage of training.

p.3

Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices develop the English, mathematics and digital skills they need for their jobs. They acquire the skills to minute meetings accurately; they interpret diagrams correctly and know how to use design software.

p.3

Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices’ complete additional qualifications that prepare them appropriately for their next steps. Level 6 apprentices complete health and safety qualifications designed for supervisors and managers. This helps them to understand their responsibilities for maintaining site safety.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders use their status as a professional membership body for the construction industry to work effectively with partners, employers and stakeholders to design curriculums that are relevant and well aligned to the skills needs in construction.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have a generally accurate understanding of the standards of teaching and quality of learning materials. They use appropriate processes to improve standards of teaching and assessment. In 'success surgeries', they encourage staff to share good practice and empower them to try out new teaching strategies. However, teaching and learning are not yet of consistently high quality.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders tailor apprentices' learning closely to their jobs. Learning coaches plan on-the-job training with employers that links well to apprentices' study. This helps apprentices to apply relevant new knowledge at work and practise the skills they need for their jobs.

p.4

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teaching is mostly effective. In masterclasses, apprentices discuss methods of procurement and contract management, sharing their experiences. Learning coaches use question and answer sessions and case studies to check apprentices' knowledge effectively. Apprentices use reflective logs to revisit learning, helping them to remember what they have learned. Apprentices use a variety of high-quality online resources to learn about topics, such as building regulations and technical design considerations.

p.4

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Learning coaches provide apprentices with high-quality feedback on their work. This helps apprentices improve their work and meet the standards required for their level of study.

p.4

Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders and learning coaches create a safe and supportive culture in which apprentices feel welcome and respected.

p.4

Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices' attendance and participation in learning is high. They attend masterclasses and complete the tasks by the deadlines learning coaches set, fulfilling the expectations set by staff.

p.4

Participation and development Expected standard

In monthly newsletters, leaders provide apprentices with contextualised information on important personal development themes. For example, topics promote healthy lifestyles and identify the risks of alcohol and substance misuse. They explore healthy relationships and the harms of domestic violence. In each case, leaders signpost apprentices to referral and support services, should they need further help.

p.4

Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders provide apprentices with valuable opportunities to widen their knowledge and broaden their experience beyond their apprenticeship. Apprentices have opportunities to attend construction seminars and student festivals where guest speakers share their career journeys in areas of interest, such as historic building conservation.

p.4

Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders provide apprentices with coherent careers advice that helps to inform their next steps. Online resources and communities help apprentices to plan their career goals and gain guidance and advice from sector specialists.

p.4

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

Through their professional trade membership, apprentices enjoy a range of opportunities and benefits. Apprentices attend events where they meet employers and specialists in construction and undertake work-shadowing opportunities that build their professional networks and contacts. Leaders provide apprentices with the use of support services that help with mental health and the cost of living.

p.4

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

Apprentices value the online resources they have the use of. This provides the flexibility they need to manage their training and work responsibilities.

p.5

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

Apprentices become more confident. They learn to manage people well, and they have a positive impact on the technical elements of their work. The leadership activities they undertake prepare them for managing conflict in teams. The sustainability principles they learn help them to reduce emissions in projects they work on.

p.5

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

Apprentices enjoy their online learning and masterclasses. They value hearing others' experiences from different sectors in construction, which helps them to learn. They appreciate the breakout sessions in masterclasses that give them opportunities to connect with other apprentices.

p.5

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

Apprentices develop knowledge and understanding beyond their apprenticeship that is valuable in their work and lives. Through 'hot topics' they explore themes of mental health related to the construction industry, and how they can look after themselves and support others. They discuss modern slavery and how this can manifest in construction.

p.5

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

Apprentices know how to work safely in construction environments that often present risks and hazards. This is because health and safety legislation and practice is embedded in their training and reviews. In addition, apprentices’ complete additional qualifications in health and safety, so they are qualified to oversee the safe working of others on site.

p.5

Next steps

Leaders should ensure that the frequency that staff review the effectiveness of support is tailored to apprentices’ individual needs. Leaders should provide staff with highly tailored training to develop teaching to a consistently high standard. Leaders should continue to closely monitor apprentices' progress, including those who are disadvantaged, so that they make extensive progress and achieve their qualifications on time. Leaders should further develop the careers education, information, advice and guidance that they provide to apprentices so that it is skilfully embedded throughout the curriculum.

p.5

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.

p.5

About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with leaders, governors, staff, apprentices and employers during the inspection.

p.5

Team inspectors:

Pamela Wallace, Ofsted Inspector Ramita Tejpal, Ofsted Inspector

p.6

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.

p.6

Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 15 September 2026

p.6

Our grades explained

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the provider:

p.6

Our grades explained

The Chartered Institute of Building is a trade membership organisation operating nationally. It has a head office in Bracknell, Berkshire. At the time of the inspection, there were 84 apprentices, the majority study at level 4 on the construction quantity surveying technician, the construction site supervisor, or the construction design and build technician apprenticeships. A small number study level 6 apprenticeships in construction site management, or design and construction management. There were also a small number of apprentices studying the level 3 construction support technician apprenticeship. At the time of the inspection, no apprentices had completed their apprenticeship.

p.6

Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other providers can learn from it.

p.7

Strong standard

The provider reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

p.7

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.

p.7

Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

p.7

Urgent improvement

The provider needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

p.7

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.

p.7

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 .

p.7

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 .

p.7

Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Urgent improvement

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7