Setting

02 June 2003

Inspectors use a seven-point scale to summarise their judgements about the quality of learning sessions. The descriptors for the seven grades are: • grade 1 - excellent • grade 2 - very good • grade 3 - good • grade 4 - satisfactory • grade 5 - unsatisfactory • grade 6 - poor • grade 7 - very poor.

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02 June 2003

Inspectors use a five-point scale to summarise their judgements about the quality of provision in occupational/curriculum areas and Jobcentre Plus programmes. The same scale is used to describe the quality of leadership and management, which includes quality assurance and equality of opportunity. The descriptors for the five grades are: • grade 1 - outstanding • grade 2 - good • grade 3 - satisfactory • grade 4 - unsatisfactory • grade 5 - very weak.

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02 June 2003

The two grading scales relate to each other as follows:

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SEVEN-POINT SCALE FIVE-POINT SCALE

grade 1 grade 2 grade 3 grade 4 grade 5 grade 6 grade 7 grade 2 grade 3 grade 4

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Adult Learning Inspectorate

The Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI) was established under the provisions of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 to bring the inspection of all aspects of adult learning and work-based learning within the remit of a single inspectorate. The ALI is responsible for inspecting a wide range of government-funded learning, including:

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Adult Learning Inspectorate

Inspections are carried out in accordance with the by teams of full-time inspectors and part-time associate inspectors who have knowledge of, and experience in, the work which they inspect. All providers are invited to nominate a senior member of their staff to participate in the inspection as a team member. Common Inspection Framework

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Overall judgement

This provision will be subject to a full reinspection.

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Overall judgement

The final decision as to whether the provision is inadequate rests with the Chief Inspector of Adult Learning. A statement as to whether the provision is adequate or not is included in the summary section of the inspection report. Where the overall judgement is that the provision is adequate, only those aspects of the provision which are less than satisfactory will be reinspected.

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Overall judgement

• more than one third of published grades for occupational/curriculum areas, • leadership and management are judged to be less than satisfactory. • work-based learning for all people over 16 • provision in further education colleges for people aged 19 and over • provision • Adult and Community Learning • training funded by Jobcentre Plus • education and training in prisons, at the invitation of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons.

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learndirect

Provision will normally be deemed to be inadequate where:

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Contents

Description of the provider 1 Scope of provision 1 About the inspection 2 Overall judgement 2 Grades 2 Key findings 3 What learners like about Chiltern Training Ltd 8 What learners think Chiltern Training Ltd could improve 8 Key challenges for Chiltern Training Ltd 9

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Contents

Leadership and management 10 Equality of opportunity 11 Quality assurance 12 Business administration, management & professional 14 Health, social care & public services 17 CHILTERN TRAINING LTD

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

1. Chiltern Training Limited (CTL) was established in 1993 to provide training in early years care and education. Originally located within a local private further education college, it moved to centrally located premises in Reading in 1999. It is a privately owned company limited by guarantee. CTL trains foundation and advanced modern apprentices and learners working solely towards national vocational qualifications (NVQs) in management and customer service as well as early years care. All learners are based in childcare nurseries throughout Berkshire. There are too few learners in customer service for this area to be inspected separately and CTL anticipates withdrawing from this area of training when the current learners leave.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

2. The managing director of CTL and the general manager have overall responsibility for the company. The managing director has responsibility for activity and finance, and the general manager for programmes, targets and staffing. There are 13 other staff working from the Reading offices, nine directly involved with learners as tutors and/or training advisers and four providing financial, administrative and technical support. Specialist tutors are frequently recruited to provide tuition for additional qualifications such as food hygiene, manual handling, health and safety.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

3. CTL contracts with Berkshire Learning and Skills Council (LSC) for all of its modern apprenticeship and NVQ provision. None of the training is subcontracted and CTL provides all background knowledge, key skills and basic skills from its premises in central Reading. Berkshire consists of several unitary authorities, some of which are rural areas. The 2001 census identifies that the minority ethnic population varies from 2.6 per cent in west Berkshire to 33.6 per cent in Slough and 13.2 per cent in Reading, compared with a regional average of 4.9 per cent and a national average of 9 per cent. The proportion of school leavers in Berkshire achieving five or more general certificates of secondary education (GCSEs) at grade C or above is 55 per cent, compared with the national average of 47.9 per cent.

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Business administration, management & professional

4. There are 28 learners on the management training programme, working towards a level 3 NVQ. With the exception of one learner, who is a member of staff, learners are all employed by nurseries in the area. Most learners have progressed from early years programmes at NVQ level 2 and 3 and are employed in a range of posts from nursery room leaders to deputy manager and manager positions. The nurseries include small independent nurseries and large chain nurseries. Learners attend evening sessions once a month where background knowledge and portfolio-building are covered. Assessment includes observation in the workplace.

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Business administration, management & professional

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 1 CHILTERN TRAINING LTD

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Health, social care & public services

5. CTL offers work-based learning for young people in early years care and education. At the time of the inspection there were 67 foundation modern apprentices, 111 advanced modern apprentices and six on NVQ programmes. Most of the learners are employed in nurseries and a few are employed in schools. Most off-the-job training takes place at CTL in Reading, but some of the training takes place in nurseries in Bracknell and Thatcham for learners who cannot easily get to Reading. Assessment takes place in the workplace, mostly by assessors who are employed by CTL. Assessors visit learners when they request an assessment in addition to the frequent and regularly planned reviews.

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OVERALL JUDGEMENT

6. The quality of the provision is adequate to meet the reasonable needs of those receiving it. More specifically, CTL’s leadership and management are satisfactory, as are the approach to equality of opportunity and quality assurance. The quality of work-based learning in early years care is satisfactory, but in management it is unsatisfactory.

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ABOUT THE INSPECTION

Number of inspectors 6 Number of inspection days 24 Number of learner interviews 48 Number of staff interviews 18 Number of employer interviews 14 Number of locations/sites/learning centres visited 16 Number of partner/external agency interviews 1

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GRADES

grade 1= outstanding, grade 2 = good, grade 3 = satisfactory, grade 4 = unsatisfactory, grade 5 = very weak

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GRADES

Leadership and management 3 Contributory grades: Equality of opportunity 3 Quality assurance 3

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GRADES

Business administration, management & professional 4 Contributory grades: Work-based learning for young people 4

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GRADES

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 2 CHILTERN TRAINING LTD

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GRADES

Health, social care & public services 3 Contributory grades: Work-based learning for young people 3

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Achievement and standards

7. Learners in early years care gain good skills. Employers are positive about the level and standard of the training and compliment the learners on their practical skills. The achievement rate for NVQs is good and learners are encouraged to progress from level 2 to 3. However, the completion rate for modern apprenticeship frameworks is poor. There are variations in the delivery and assessment of key skills.

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Achievement and standards

8. Management learners show good managerial skills and good knowledge of organisational abilities, methods of communication and people management skills. However, only 4 per cent of the 2000-01 learners have completed the full framework. Sixty-four per cent achieved the NVQ level 3, but most did not complete the key skills. None of the learners from 2000-01 are still in learning and none of the learners have completed the framework from subsequent years. Forty-two per cent of learners who started in 2001-02 are still in learning, and 90 per cent of learners who started in September 2002 are still in learning.

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Achievement and standards

9. In care there is a lot of good teaching and learning. Of the observed sessions, most were graded good or better. There are clear schemes of work. Effective use is made of the experience and skills of individual trainers. During sessions, trainers plan an appropriate range of activities which require learners to show increasing levels of understanding. Learners work well in groups. However, there is insufficient identification of the activities that learners will take part in and how their learning will be assessed.

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Achievement and standards

10. Some teaching is ineffective in management. The evening off-the-job training sessions take place once a month and a wide range of subject material is covered. The pace of some training sessions is too fast and opportunities to develop key skills are not taken. Some lessons have insufficient focus on objectives.

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Quality of education and training

Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 7 Total Grades awarded to learning sessions Grade 5 Grade 6 Business administration, management & professional 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0

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Quality of education and training

Health, social care & public services 0 3 4 1 0 8 0 0

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Quality of education and training

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 3 CHILTERN TRAINING LTD

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Quality of education and training

11. For management learners the planning of assessment is ineffective. Assessment plans have insufficient detail and learners are confused about what constitutes an assessment. Learners also produce too much evidence in the form of reflective accounts and witness testimonies. There are good observations where the learners performance is observed and recorded in detail with clear reference to performance criteria. However, the learner does not participate in the identification of the performance criteria being assessed.

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Quality of education and training

12. Tutors give good support to learners. Tutors are approachable and very flexible in meeting learners’ needs. Learners can have additional help in the workplace if necessary, or attend on a Saturday morning for portfolio-building and additional support. Frequently staff offer additional support to other learners while visiting a work placement.

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Quality of education and training

13. Teaching resources are good. Training rooms are large and bright and there is a range of good work displayed on the walls. Learners develop their knowledge and skills through an extensive range of up-to-date textbooks and training materials. The practical equipment is good. There are sufficient new computers, but learners have inadequate access to the Internet.

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Quality of education and training

14. Learners’ literacy and numeracy skills are adequately assessed at induction. There is very good individual support for learners who have additional communication needs. Support is planned to meet individual needs and takes place either in the classroom or individually outside the class. Learners develop good language skills and frequently use discussion, description and explanation. Arrangements for supporting the development of learners’ numeracy skills are inadequate.

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Quality of education and training

15. Learners are asked to produce too much written work. They write assignments and answers to questions to show their knowledge before being observed in the workplace. Opportunities to check what learners know by observing them with children are not taken. There is insufficient use of oral questions and answers.

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Leadership and management

16. CTL has an effective communication system. There is a clear and well-understood vision, and all staff demonstrate a strong commitment to it. All the organisational change that has taken place in the past 12 months is as a result of extensive consultation with staff. There are weekly meetings where all staff are present. There are agendas to cover all aspects of training and organisational management and the meetings are minuted with action points and responsibilities. They are distributed to all staff on the same day.

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Leadership and management

17. Employers are fully involved in the training programmes. There is a regular pattern of employers’ meetings, in the evenings and at lunchtimes. Regular visits to the workplace by the training advisers ensure that employers are aware of the requirements of the modern apprenticeship frameworks, and are involved in the progress reviews and the assessment process. Employers report high levels of satisfaction with the speedy response to queries from CTL.

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Leadership and management

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 4 CHILTERN TRAINING LTD

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Leadership and management

18. CTL’s approach to staff development is satisfactory. Training is provided to meet the business needs of the organisation and concentrates on teaching and assessing with a limited amount of professional updating. Issues affecting all staff are covered at termly training days. A significant number of staff have recently been recruited to the organisation and have brought much current nursery experience with them. However, in management, there are insufficient staff with appropriate qualifications. Induction for new staff is good.

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Leadership and management

19. CTL manages its resources efficiently. Learning accommodation is good with well- decorated teaching rooms which contain good displays of learners’ work relating to childcare. There is an appropriate supply of learning support materials and CTL maintains its own library for learners’ use. Although there has been a recent investment in computers, they are still insufficient with limited access to the Internet.

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Leadership and management

20. The development of learners’ literacy skills is good. Specialist staff offer individual and small group work for those with additional needs. The support for numeracy is not well developed and there are few learners receiving support. Learners have to ask for support which is provided at additional sessions in the evenings and on a Saturday. There is no support for language skills.

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Leadership and management

21. Financial management of the programmes is satisfactory.

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Leadership and management

22. The staff training in equality and diversity is good at induction and through updating programmes. Staff have a clear understanding of cultural and social needs and the needs of people with disabilities, and these issues feature significantly in their teaching. There is a comprehensive policy statement given to all staff and learners which clearly states CTL’s approach to equality of opportunity. All associated procedures are well recorded and well understood by learners and staff. There is however, little reinforcement of the procedures with employers. The language used in the equal opportunities document which is given to all learners at induction is too complex for most of them to understand.

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Leadership and management

23. There are positive initiatives to recruit from under-represented groups. CTL recognises the need to widen participation on its childcare courses and uses innovative promotion and recruitment schemes. A new informative monthly newsletter which celebrates the success of learners is widely circulated. Displays in CTL’s premises promote equality of opportunity and diversity.

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Leadership and management

24. Access to CTL’s premises is poor for wheelchair users.

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Leadership and management

25. There is a shared vision and a strong commitment to deal with weaknesses at CTL. After a period of considerable unrest, the senior managers restructured and redefined job roles to form a very effective staff team. Recent appointments have further strengthened this team. All staff have been involved in resolving the perceived weaknesses. The preparation of the self-assessment report was thorough and most of the judgements and grades in the self-assessment report reflect the inspection findings.

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Leadership and management

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 5 CHILTERN TRAINING LTD

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Strengths

The following strengths and weaknesses were identified during this inspection:

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Leadership and management

effective communication systems ! very effective involvement in training by employers ! comprehensive staff induction ! positive initiatives to recruit from under-represented groups ! self critical approach to self-assessment involving all staff !

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Weaknesses

under-developed use of data ! insufficiently thorough internal verification ! poor access for learners with restricted mobility ! 26. The internal verification and quality assurance of assessment is insufficiently thorough. Internal verifiers are appropriately qualified and experienced and the monitoring of assessment is effective. However, the planning of assessment is ineffective for some learners as their progress is often limited by long periods between assessment visits.

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Weaknesses

27. The use of data for decision-making is under-developed, as is the information produced by CTL’s management information system. The focus has been on the local LSC returns and although a wide range of information is collected on backgrounds, ethnicity and postcode, none has been used for target-setting to deal with recruitment issues. The organisation recognised this in its most recent self-assessment report and has recently recruited a manager to develop and promote an understanding of the management information system throughout the organisation.

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Weaknesses

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 6 CHILTERN TRAINING LTD

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Strengths

good support from tutors ! good relationships with employers ! good development of learners’ skills !

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Weaknesses

very poor achievement rates for the framework ! some unsatisfactory teaching ! inappropriate progress reviews ! ineffective assessment planning ! some inappropriately qualified staff !

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Strengths

much good teaching and learning ! good resources to support learning ! good progression between levels and courses ! effective support for learners ! good range of additional courses !

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Weaknesses

poor achievement rates for foundation modern apprentices ! too much written work for NVQ ! late introduction of key skills !

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Weaknesses

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 7 CHILTERN TRAINING LTD

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WHAT LEARNERS LIKE ABOUT CHILTERN TRAINING LTD:

friendly and approachable staff ! course is fun ! being treated as an adult ! ’I enjoy coming to CTL to work’ ! good environment ! good relaxed atmosphere ! good feedback on work ! work relevant to job !

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IMPROVE:

some tutors and assessors need to be more organised ! the length of time in the centre is too long ! position of centre and car park ! more management sessions (Tuesdays and Saturdays) ! the temperature in the rooms ! better organisation and delivery of key skills ! provide more computers ! return work more quickly from some assessors ! fewer and easier questions on the units ! meet assessor earlier in the programme ! all tutors giving the same information !

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IMPROVE:

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 8 CHILTERN TRAINING LTD

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KEY CHALLENGES FOR CHILTERN TRAINING LTD:

improve management training ! build and consolidate current position ! improve the management and delivery of key skills ! convert good learning into good achievement ! improve the management and delivery of assessments ! develop an analytical approach to the use of data ! improve the internal verification !

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KEY CHALLENGES FOR CHILTERN TRAINING LTD:

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 9 CHILTERN TRAINING LTD

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT Grade 3

The following strengths and weaknesses were identified during this inspection:

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Strengths

effective communication systems ! very effective involvement in training by employers ! comprehensive staff induction ! positive initiatives to recruit from under-represented groups ! self critical approach to self-assessment involving all staff !

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Weaknesses

under-developed use of data ! insufficiently thorough internal verification ! poor access for learners with restricted mobility !

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Weaknesses

28. CTL has an effective communication system throughout the organisation. There has been considerable disruption at senior management level within the past 18 months. There was a planned management buyout and retirement of the owner, and the managing director was taken ill, leaving the organisation without clear direction for several months. After a review by an external consultant, the managing director and general manager restructured the organisation to promote communication and involvement of all staff. There is now a clear and well-understood vision and all staff demonstrate a strong commitment to this vision. All the organisational change that has been instigated in the past 12 months is as a result of extensive consultation with staff. All staff attend the centre each week for a formal meeting to discuss all elements of the learning programmes and the organisation. Agendas are produced and minutes with

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Weaknesses

action points and responsibilities are distributed to all staff on the same day. Recent items discussed include retention and achievement data and targets for recruitment. Training advisers have recruitment targets for each month.

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Weaknesses

29. The employers are fully involved in the training programmes and some are qualified assessors. There is a regular pattern of employer meetings, in the evenings and at lunch times. Employer representatives who are also involved in assessment are expected to attend a minimum number of these meetings. Employers are aware of the requirements of the modern apprenticeship frameworks, are involved in the progress reviews and help to plan the assessment process. Training advisers build good working relationships with nursery staff. Employers report good levels of satisfaction with the speedy responses they get to queries. However, there is insufficient involvement by employers in the development of the strategic targets for CTL.

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Weaknesses

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 10 CHILTERN TRAINING LTD

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Weaknesses

30. CTL’s approach to staff development is satisfactory. Staff appraisal is used to identify training needs. Training is provided to meet the business needs of the organisation and concentrates on teaching and assessing with a limited amount of professional updating. Issues affecting all staff are covered at termly training days. There are sufficient staff for the care and management programmes. However, many are qualified to level 3 and are teaching to or above level 3. A significant number of staff have recently been recruited to the organisation and have brought much current nursery experience with them, but in management there are insufficient staff with appropriate qualifications. Induction for new staff is good. After an induction on documents and procedures, staff work-shadow a colleague for a month, in which time they build relationships with learners and employers and establish sound creditability.

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Weaknesses

31. CTL manages its resources efficiently. The managing director sets and monitors a realistic overall budget. There are no departmental budgets and each request is considered on its own merit. Learning accommodation is good, teaching rooms are well decorated, contain good displays of learners’ work and clearly relate to childcare. There is an appropriate supply of learning support materials and CTL maintains its own library for learners to use. Although there has been a recent investment in computers, there are still insufficient for learners and there is limited access to the Internet. In one observed session a learner could not research information for an assignment as Internet access was not available.

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Weaknesses

32. The development of learners’ literacy skills is good. Specialist staff provide individual and small group work for those with additional needs. Learners are given a portable recorder for their reflective accounts and administrative support is available to transcribe these into word-processed documents. Learners can also choose to use coloured wallets of their choice to make reading easier. However, the support for numeracy is not well developed and there is no support for language skills.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 3

33. There is a comprehensive policy statement which is given to all staff and learners on CTL’s approach to equality of opportunity. All associated procedures are well recorded and well understood by learners and staff. There is, however, little reinforcement of the procedures with employers. CTL does not give the same priority to the employers’ promotion of equality of opportunity as they do to their health and safety practices. There are effective procedures in place to deal with complaints, harassment and bullying and evidence that incidents have been handled sensitively and appropriately. There is good staff training in equality and diversity at induction and through updating programmes. Staff have a clear understanding of cultural and social needs and the needs of people with disabilities, and these feature significantly in the delivery of background knowledge for the care programmes. In one observed session, learners were using

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 3

books and the Internet to research cultural differences and preparing presentations to share this knowledge with the rest of the group. The language used in the equal opportunities document which is given to all learners at induction is too complex for most of them. Equality and diversity are a regular feature at progress reviews.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 3

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 11 CHILTERN TRAINING LTD

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 3

34. CTL recognises the need to widen participation on its childcare courses. One initiative has been the delivery of free, six-week baby-sitting courses which are aimed at girls and boys in local schools. These are aimed at widening the interest in childcare and training with CTL. The company has also placed advertisements in the programme of the local football club to target potential male applicants to its courses. A new informative monthly newsletter which is used to celebrate success, is circulated to all nurseries and learners.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 3

35. Learners’ selection procedures are based on clear criteria which are published in promotional material, and are detailed at regular presentations. At one such presentation there was a clear and balanced explanation of childcare as a job, made to prospective learners and parents. The qualities needed to be successful were explained, and these were followed up in subsequent interviews. Learners’ needs are identified at induction and specialist staff are available to support learners with literacy needs.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 3

36. Displays at CTL’s premises are used to promote equality of opportunity. In one case, a display has been created by learners based on a nursery rhyme, using experiences drawn from their workplaces. Six languages have been used, representing those most commonly encountered at work. There is effective use of coloured handouts and coloured wallets for learners who have dyslexia, and the décor of the teaching rooms was deliberately chosen to provide suitable backgrounds. The self-assessment report identifies that teaching materials for the promotion of equal opportunities need updating and there has been some progress in achieving this. For example, the purchase of a training video has enabled the induction trainer to widen the learners’ knowledge of equal opportunity and diversity in the workplace.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 3

37. An adequate amount and range of data are collected about ethnicity, additional learning needs, learners’ disabilities, postcodes and learners’ progression. However, CTL does not use these data creatively. When problems arise they are discussed at the weekly staff meetings, but there is little use of data to analyse trends, or to target specific groups of learners.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 3

38. Access to CTL’s premises, which are over three floors, is poor for wheelchair users. While a lift is available, its entrance is too narrow for some wheelchairs. Access to the premises, and some teaching areas is through heavy, multiple doors, and narrow corridors. The provider is in discussion with the owner of the property to deal with this weakness.

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 3

39. There is a strong, shared, commitment to deal with weaknesses at CTL. Twelve months ago, the company employed an external consultant to give an impartial review drawing on the views of all staff when the organisation had gone through a failed management buyout. Senior managers acted on these comments, restructured the organisation and re-designated job functions. Consequently all staff have been involved in resolving all of the perceived weaknesses. A thorough preparation of the self- assessment report took place in February 2003. Staff report that they had regular

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 3

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 12 CHILTERN TRAINING LTD

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 3

opportunities to contribute to its development, and note that their views were reflected in the final document.

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 3

40. Systems to monitor assessment decisions are satisfactory. CTL operates an assessment centre which efficiently administers the process. A dedicated member of staff receives assessed portfolios in preparation for inclusion in weekly internal verification meetings. Details and outcomes are logged on a spreadsheet and a report is copied to the learner’s portfolio and centrally held files. The progress of some students is limited by long periods between assessment opportunities. The timing of assessment is not centrally planned by the assessment centre, and there is ineffective assessment planning for the management frameworks. The centre also supports external verifier visits, and provides information on the progress of learners. The internal verification and quality assurance of assignments is insufficiently thorough. Assignments are seldom commented on by verifiers and little feedback is given to assessors. Meetings between

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 3

assessors and internal verifiers are held six times a year and assessors from the workplace must attend at least two of these meetings to retain their assessor status with CTL. Minutes show little discussion of assignment briefs, or reviews of schemes of work or lesson plans.

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 3

41. The monitoring of teaching is satisfactory. Until recently observations were carried out twice a year by the lead internal verifier. CTL now employs an external trainer who observes teaching sessions, contributes to the companies’ staff development activities, and produces an overview for the self-assessment report.

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 3

42. Questionnaires are given out at regular intervals throughout the learners’ training programme. They are asked to comment on the quality of the training, the support they receive and the learning facilities and resources. The results are collated and discussed at staff meetings. The analysis of the feedback is often inconsistent. There are examples of actions taken in response to learner feedback, such as a cold drinks machine in the rest area rather than a free vend hot drinks machine.

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 3

43. Learners have internal certificates of achievement after the assessment and internal verification of units, but frequently this is before the units have been externally verified. Although this provides good motivation for the learners, the wording of the certificates is inappropriate and has led to some misunderstandings.

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 3

44. The use of data for decision-making is under-developed. Also the management information system is inadequate. The focus has been on the LSC returns and records of where learners work and their progress towards the NVQs. Although a wide range of information is collected on learners’ background, ethnicity, and postcode, none has been used to evaluate the effectiveness of the training programmes to plan for improvement. The organisation recognised this in its most recent self-assessment report and has recently recruited a manager to develop and promote the use of the management information system throughout the organisation, but it is too early to judge the effectiveness of this initiative.

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 3

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 13 CHILTERN TRAINING LTD

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Grade 4 Business administration, management & professional

The following strengths and weaknesses were identified during this inspection:

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Achievement and standards

45. Learners demonstrate good managerial skills and organisational abilities. They have shown good progression from their occupational expertise into wider management skills. Many have additional responsibility and positions as team leaders as well as deputy manager and management positions in their workplaces. Learners talk enthusiastically about their programme and how it relates to their workplace.

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Achievement and standards

46. Only 4 per cent of the starters from 2000-01 have completed the full framework. Sixty-four per cent achieved the NVQ level 3, but most did not complete the key skills. None of the learners are still in learning from this year and none have completed the framework from the subsequent years. Forty-two per cent of learners who started in 2001-02 are still in learning and 90 per cent of learners who started in September 2002 are still in learning. Programmes inspected Number of learners Contributory grade 4 31 Work-based learning for young people

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Strengths

good support from tutors ! good relationships with employers ! good development of learners’ skills !

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Weaknesses

very poor achievement rates for the framework ! some unsatisfactory teaching ! inappropriate progress reviews ! ineffective assessment planning ! some inappropriately qualified staff !

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Weaknesses

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 14 CHILTERN TRAINING LTD

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Quality of education and training

47. Tutors give good support to learners. They are approachable and very flexible in order to meet learners’ needs. Learners can have additional help in the workplace if necessary, or attend on a Saturday morning for portfolio-building and additional support. Staff are flexible in the organisation of meetings to suit learners’ needs. Frequently staff offer additional support to other learners while visiting a work placement.

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Quality of education and training

48. There are good working relationships with employers. Through their extensive knowledge of the locality and the industry, CTL offers career and specialist occupational advice to managers and management learners. In one example, an employer was provided with a mentor when illness led to an inexperienced deputy manager temporarily filling a permanent position. The regular and frequent visits to the employers for review and assessments ensures that employers are fully aware of progress.

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Quality of education and training

49. Some teaching is ineffective. The evening off-the-job training sessions take place once a month and include a wide range of subject material. The pace of some training sessions are too fast and opportunities to develop key skills are not taken. Some lessons do not have focused objectives. Learners are not always clear about the content of the lessons. This has been identified by management and is being dealt with.

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Quality of education and training

50. Progress reviews are inappropriate. Learners are assessed by their supervisors and managers on punctuality and attitude towards work on a six point scale. There is very little self-critique by learners. Learners do not participate fully in their own review and there is no opportunity to set goals and discuss progress with workplace supervisors, and the reviewer. There is no link between personal development and the review progress. Some of the review targets have insufficient measurable aims, and in some cases, timescales.

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Quality of education and training

51. Assessment planning is ineffective. Assessment plans have insufficient detail on what The following table shows the achievement and retention rates available up to the time of the inspection.

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Quality of education and training

% % % % Advanced modern apprenticeships (AMA) 2002-03 2001-02 2000-01 No. No. No. LSC funded work-based learning

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Quality of education and training

No. No. % No. % No. % No. % 22 19 25 Number of starts 0 0 15 Retained* 0 0 1 Successfully completed 20 8 3 Still in learning *retained learners are those who have stayed in learning for at least the planned duration of their training programmes, or have successfully completed their programme within the time allowed

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Quality of education and training

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 15 CHILTERN TRAINING LTD

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Quality of education and training

performance criteria is being assessed and there are no questions relating to background knowledge. Learners are confused about the assessment process and assume that direct observations are the only assessment of units. There is some late assessment and some learners have been training for eight months and there has been no assessments carried out. Their work has been informally checked by assessors but not assessed. Learners also produce too much evidence to support the direct observations with reflective accounts and witness testimonies. There are examples of good observations where the learners’ performance is observed and recorded with clear reference to performance criteria. However, this is carried out by the assessor and the learner does not participate in the identification of the performance criteria being assessed.

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Quality of education and training

52. Learners who need additional support for literacy, numeracy and ESOL are identified through an initial basic skills tests or when problems arise during teaching. Learners are given support for numeracy and literacy either in lessons or through additional workshops on a Saturday. None of the learners have been identified as having additional learning needs, although several learners are currently having difficulty with work on the key skills numeracy work. Overall, the management and support for numeracy and literacy is satisfactory.

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Quality of education and training

53. CTL has a well equipped training centre. There is adequate provision of text books with supporting materials and ICT equipment. The staff use of a range of teaching methods.

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Leadership and management

54. There are some inappropriately qualified staff. Of the assessors and tutors there is only one that has attended ongoing development in management practices. A senior manager has a post-graduate diploma in management but has not recently taught learners. Other members of staff have teaching qualifications and various levels of management experience. None of the staff have, or are taking, management qualifications, or have identified it as an area for development.

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Leadership and management

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 16 CHILTERN TRAINING LTD

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Grade 3 Health, social care & public services

The following strengths and weaknesses were identified during this inspection:

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Achievement and standards

55. Good off-the-job training allows learners to achieve their learning outcomes and to progress to further training. Learners are motivated and 77 per cent of learners progress from level 2 to 3. Learners have good opportunities to progress to management qualifications, mentoring awards and assessor awards, which allows them to apply for promotion. Employers are positive about the level and standard of the training.

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Achievement and standards

56. Learners’ attainment is satisfactory in most lessons. Work is generally good, although the standard of some level 3 observations is unsatisfactory. Some learners demonstrate a good understanding of the social and emotional development of children and understand how to promote self-esteem and self-reliance. Learners ask relevant and mature questions. Attendance and punctuality is monitored and is satisfactory.

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Achievement and standards

57. There are variations in the delivery and assessment of key skills. Many learners use evidence from the NVQ for their key skills. There is some support for numeracy but it is only offered if learners ask for help. Retention rates for foundation and advanced modern apprentices is improving, but the achievement rate for the framework is poor for foundation modern apprentices. Achievement rates for advanced modern apprentices are also poor, but they are improving and there is the possibility of 66.2 per cent achievement for 2002-03. Programmes inspected Number of learners Contributory grade 3 184 Work-based learning for young people

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Strengths

much good teaching and learning ! good resources to support learning ! good progression between levels and courses ! effective support for learners ! good range of additional courses !

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Weaknesses

poor achievement rates for foundation modern apprentices ! too much written work for NVQ ! late introduction of key skills !

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Weaknesses

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 17 CHILTERN TRAINING LTD

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Quality of education and training

58. There is a lot of good teaching and learning. Of the observed sessions, most were graded good or better. There are clear schemes of work and effective use is made of the trainers’ experience and skills. During sessions, trainers plan an appropriate range of activities which require learners to show an increasing level of understanding. Learners apply their knowledge from the workplace when discussing case studies. Trainers are skilled at asking questions which prompt learners to describe and explain workplace The following tables show the achievement and retention rates available up to the time of the inspection.

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Quality of education and training

% % % % Advanced modern apprenticeships (AMA) 2002-03 2001-02 2000-01 No. No. No. LSC funded work-based learning

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Quality of education and training

No. No. % No. % No. % No. % 53 74 79 Number of starts 0 16 28 Retained* 0 1 17 Successfully completed 49 48 14 Still in learning *retained learners are those who have stayed in learning for at least the planned duration of their training programmes, or have successfully completed their programme within the time allowed

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Quality of education and training

% % % % Foundation modern apprenticeships (FMA) 2002-03 2001-02 2000-01 No. No. No. LSC funded work-based learning

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Quality of education and training

No. No. % No. % No. % No. % 60 58 50 Number of starts 0 35 13 26 Retained* 0 1 15 30 Successfully completed 49 18 0 0 Still in learning *retained learners are those who have stayed in learning for at least the planned duration of their training programmes, or have successfully completed their programme within the time allowed

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Quality of education and training

% % % % NVQ Training 2002-03 2001-02 2000-01 No. No. No. LSC funded work-based learning

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Quality of education and training

No. No. % No. % No. % No. % 2 4 3 Number of starts 0 3 0 0 Retained* 0 0 0 0 Successfully completed 2 4 0 0 Still in learning *retained learners are those who have stayed in learning for at least the planned duration of their training programmes, or have successfully completed their programme within the time allowed

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Quality of education and training

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 18 CHILTERN TRAINING LTD

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Quality of education and training

experiences. Learners work well in groups and extend their understanding of practice through discussion. However, there is insufficient identification of the planned activities and how learning will be assessed.

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Quality of education and training

59. Resources are good. Training rooms are large and bright and the work displayed on the walls is good. Trainers and assessors are well qualified and have a wide range of early years experience. They make effective use of overhead projectors and white boards to support learning. Learners develop knowledge and skills through using the extensive range of up-to-date textbooks and training materials. There is good practical equipment including realistic resuscitation equipment. There are enough new computers, but learners have inadequate access to the Internet.

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Quality of education and training

60. Support for learners is particularly effective. Assessors make frequent and regular visits to workplaces and learners can easily ask for additional help from trainers. Poor punctuality was recognised in the self-assessment report and action has been taken to improve it. Reviews are satisfactory and workplace supervisors confirm learners’ skills. All learners have an induction when they first start training, but they are not given additional information on new training requirements when they go on to higher qualifications.

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Quality of education and training

61. Learners’ literacy and numeracy skills are adequately assessed at induction. There is very good individual support for learners who have additional communication needs. A portable recorder is offered to learners who have written communication difficulties. Learners with dyslexia are given handouts on coloured paper. Support is planned to meet individual needs and takes place either in the classroom or individually outside the class. Learners develop good language skills and frequently use discussion, description and explanation in the classroom. Arrangements for supporting the development of learners’ numeracy skills are inadequate.

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Quality of education and training

62. Advanced modern apprentices attend classes on a Saturday and tutors are available to offer guidance. There is a wide range of carefully planned classes on one evening each month. Learners extend their understanding of behaviour management, child protection and skills for music with children. The knowledge they gain is directly linked to the NVQ and their workplaces. By talking to learners and staff from other nurseries and schools they develop a greater insight into working practices. Good arrangements are in place for learners to change rooms or workplaces so that they work with babies and toddlers.

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Quality of education and training

63. Learners are asked to produce too much written work. They write accounts of their work with children and keep diaries, even though these skills will be assessed by observing them in the workplace. They write assignments and answers to questions to show their knowledge before being observed in the workplace. Opportunities to check what learners know by observing them with children are not taken. There is insufficient use of oral questions and answers. Some learners are training too long before they are observed. Plans for assessments do not identify how all parts of a unit will be assessed or the methods to be used. Assessors observe learners satisfactorily. They make valid judgements of their skills and write detailed reports. However, evidence is not always

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Quality of education and training

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 19 CHILTERN TRAINING LTD

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Quality of education and training

referenced to the criteria and range. Learners are given clear written feedback after assessments and this is discussed.

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Leadership and management

64. CTL has a well-managed team. Team members have clearly identified roles and well- defined workloads. There is good direction from managers and a vision which is shared by the whole organisation. Staff are well supported and are given an effective induction.

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Leadership and management

65. Internal verification takes place each week and is recorded effectively. However, it is not used to drive forward the assessment progress and much feedback is oral and not recorded. Some of the internal verification process relies on informal communication. Assignments are not being internally verified before being given back to the learners.

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