KEITS Ltd

Published date 27 April 2010 Inspection Number 343971 Unique reference number: 343971

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Name of lead inspector: Judy Birkenhead HMI

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

KEITS Ltd Unit C Houndswood Gate Harper Lane Radlett Hertfordshire WD7 7HU Telephone number: 01923854586

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Information about the provider

1. KEITS Ltd (KEITS) was established in 1997. In 2003, the company was awarded the status of Centre of Vocational Excellence for Equine (CoVE). The company offers training in the land-based sector in small businesses across the south east and central England. Approximately 80% of the company business is government funded training.

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Information about the provider

2. Currently 422 learners are funded through a contract with East of England Learning and Skills Council (LSC). KEITS offers apprenticeships and Train to Gain programmes. The majority of learners are of employed status before they start their programme and all training takes place in the workplace. The inspection focused on the 365 learners following equine, floristry and animal care programmes. Learners on the recently developed business management programme are included under the main findings of the report.

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Information about the provider

3. The Chief Executive oversees a team of four directors. The director of training and operations supports three area managers and twenty three training and assessment consultants. The director of centre awards and the director of contracts and business development support the work of the quality manager and four coordinators.

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Information about the provider

4. According to the census for 2001 the proportion of people from minority ethnic groups in Hertfordshire and Kent is below the national average. The proportion of young people in Hertfordshire and Kent with 5 A*-C grades including English and mathematics, at 59% and 73% respectively, is higher than the national rate of 51%. Unemployment in Hertfordshire and Kent in 2009 was 5.3% and 5.4% compared with 6.9% nationally.

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Information about the provider

5. KEITS provides European social funded training on behalf of Kent Association of Training Organisations. (Agriculure, horticulture and animal care and business management) This area was not inspected.

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Employer provision:

Train to Gain Apprenticeships 13 learners 422 apprentices

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Summary report

Grades: 1 is outstanding; 2 is good; 3 is satisfactory; 4 is inadequate

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Grade

Leadership and management 2 Safeguarding Equality and diversity

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Overall effectiveness

6. The overall effectiveness of KEITS’s provision is good. Directors and senior managers provide good leadership. The company has expanded since the previous inspection and management has focused well on sustaining and improving its core provision whilst developing new areas of work. Outcomes for learners are good. Success rates continue to improve year on year and learners make good progress through their qualifications. Arrangements to safeguard learners are good. The quality of training and assessment has improved. KEITS work particularly well with employers to provide good training. It is highly effective in meeting the needs of learners and employers. Leadership and management and quality improvement arrangements have improved and are now good. KEITS promotes equality and diversity effectively but managers do not use data sufficiently to monitor and measure the participation and performance of minority groups.

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Main findings

 Outcomes for learners are good. They enjoy learning and make particularly good progress. Success rates are good and improving. Learners are enthusiastic and motivated and make a positive contribution to the community.  Learners develop a very good range of workplace and social skills. They grow in confidence and self esteem. They practice and apply new skills and techniques confidently and their general employability skills are improved  Learners benefit from very good safe working practices. Learners feel safe and comfortable in their working environment. Safe working practices are promoted and reinforced well during assessments and reviews.  Vocational learning and assessment practices are good. Learners benefit from a structured programme of training and assessment. Assessors and employers coordinate assessment effectively and learners clearly understand the process.  KEITS meets learner and employer needs particularly well. Employers are given

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Main findings

help to support learners. Assessor visits are flexibly planned around work requirements. Learners are encouraged to choose units that meet their work role and career interests.  KEITS has wide ranging partnerships at local and national level to support the apprenticeship programme. Links with local groups are effective in widening participation. KEITS works well with other providers to share good practice.  Care guidance and support is good. Assessors know their learners well and work out-of-hours to support learning. Learners receive good pastoral support and guidance. The planning of literacy, numeracy and language support is inconsistent.  KEITS leadership and strategic direction are good. Senior managers provide an open and consultative management style and take staff views seriously. Staff are committed to company aspirations. Professional development is very good.  Arrangements for safeguarding are good. Learners feel safe. Staff are trained

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Main findings

and have a good awareness of child protection. Employers are well supported to ensure learners are safe and feel safe in their work.  Promotion of equality and diversity is satisfactory. KEITS provide learners and employers with good support and guidance on equality and diversity. Data is not used sufficiently to monitor the progress of minority groups.  KEITS progress and improvement over the last three years is very good. Animal care improvements are outstanding. Management information is not used sufficiently to track the outcomes of improvements made.  The self-assessment process is inclusive and staff have a clear understanding of what they need to do to improve. This is not recorded or documented effectively. Procedures for evaluating and improving the provision are good.  KEITS provides good value for money. Employers are provided with good support to improve their business practices for the benefit of learners. Many

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Main findings

learners benefit from skilled and experienced trainers in well resourced work places.

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What does KEITS need to do to improve further?

 Evaluate the effectiveness of activities to promote equality and diversity to ensure all learners achieve their potential.  Review the planning for literacy, numeracy and language support to ensure it meets the needs of all learners.  Make more regular use of management information to measure improvements in the development and quality of provision.  Further develop the self-assessment process to provide a wider range of evidence, formally capturing the views of employers and learners, to ensure the report is an accurate evaluation of the subject area and provides a sound basis for improvement.

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What learners like:

 the individual support and coaching  the very approachable and supportive staff  the way the programme is organised and planned so that they know what they need to do next  being appreciated and valued by the employer  the positive praise for the work that they do well  the good level of information about the next step in their careers  doing what they love, earning money and getting a qualification as well  being able to develop and update their knowledge and skills  gaining increased confidence and respect from peers.

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What learners would like to see improved:

 additional time to think about the options  more support for ICT  more time to understand the language of the qualification  less paperwork to complete.

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What employers like:

 the good individual coaching in the workplace  the good working relationships with assessors  the responsiveness and reliability of KEITS  the flexibility of training and assessment  the level of information on the training and assessment  the level of information, support and guidance  the impact of the programme in retaining employees  the improvements to productivity.

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What employers would like to see improved:

 workshops for learners and work-place supervisors to bring in new skills  less paperwork to complete.

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Capacity to make and sustain improvement Grade 2

7. KEITS demonstrates a good capacity to improve. Overall success rates have improved significantly over the last three years and are now satisfactory. The numbers of learners who complete their qualification within the agreed timescale is significantly above the national average. Target setting for business planning and performance management has improved. Systems to monitor quality activities and the timely completion of key elements are highly effective. KEITS arrangements to manage its remote workforce and learners are good. Communications to include staff in the running of the business are good. Staff have particulary good industry skills and experience which benefit learners. Animal care has made outstanding improvements since the previous inspection and the quality of floristry and equine provision has been maintained.

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Capacity to make and sustain improvement Grade 2

8. The self-assessment process is inclusive and staff have a clear understanding of what they need to do to improve. The report is self critical and uses data well. KEITS makes good use of the views of learners and employers to improve the quality of provision, but their views do not sufficiently contribute to the self assessment report. The self-assessment report is largely accurate, but the subject area reports are too brief. The quality improvement plan has much improved and includes challenging targets for improvement. These plans are monitored rigorously and evaluation of progress is good.

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Outcomes for learners Grade 2

9. Outcomes for learners are good. Since 2006/07 overall success rates for the apprenticeship programme have continued to improve to 71.5% in 2008/09, which is marginally above the national rate and satisfactory. Advanced apprentices overall success rates are particularly good and well above the national rate. Success rates for animal care are outstanding. In the same period success rates for Train to Gain learners are good and exceed the national rate by 9%. Success rates for business management learners are also well above the national rate at 84%. Success rates for learners over 19 are marginally higher than for those aged from 16-18. Learners from minority groups succeed as well if not better than their peers. Learners’ success rates on equine programmes are satisfactory.

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Outcomes for learners Grade 2

10. Learners enjoy learning and make good progress. The number of apprentices who achieve on or before their agreed completion date has significantly improved and is 12% above the national rate in 2008/09. Learners are enthusiastic and motivated and enjoy working in their subject area. Progression to the advanced apprenticeship is good in floristry. The majority of learners make good progress within the workplace taking on new roles and responsibilities. 11. Learners develop a very good range of workplace and social skills. They grow in confidence and self esteem. They practice and apply new skills and techniques confidently and develop good personal and general employability skills. The good achievement of personal and workplace skills has contributed to them being recognised as valuable members of the workforce. Many are progressing to the new business management programme which further enhances their

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Outcomes for learners Grade 2

value in the workplace and their own sense of worth.

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Outcomes for learners Grade 2

12. Learners benefit from very good safe working practices. They clearly understand their rights and responsibilities at work. Learners feel safe and comfortable in their work environment. They are provided with sufficient training and support to work safely. They feel protected from bullying and harassment and know how to seek help if needed The apprenticeship programme has heightened learners’ awareness of health and safety issues but they are less able to make informed choices about their health and well being.

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Outcomes for learners Grade 2

13. Equine learners make a very positive contribution to their community. They regularly deliver riding lessons to younger learners, schools and local community groups. They develop a good appreciation and understanding of the requirements of learners who have diverse backgrounds and wide ranging needs.

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The quality of provision Grade 2

The quality of provision is good. Staff work particularly well with employers to provide good vocational training and assessment in the workplace. Assessment practice is strong with good use made of naturally occurring activities in the workplace. Assessors use a wide range of assessment methods, including professional discussion and the use of photographic and video evidence. Animal care learners have access to interesting and appropriate training methods. Support for learning in the workplace is good in floristry with good planning for differentiation. Training in equine is satisfactory with thorough teaching and learning. Assessors have particularly good and up-to-date occupational knowledge which they use to the full benefit of the learner.

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The quality of provision Grade 2

15. The provision meets the needs and interests of learners and employers particularly well. KEITS approach is flexible and responsive. It gives particularly good support to employers to ensure they are able to support learners effectively. Flexibly planned assessor visits meet the apprentice work role requirements. Learners are encouraged to choose units that meet their work role and career interests. Assessors are mindful of business needs in all activities, and assessment visits reflect this. For example, equine assessors attend equine events at weekends to assess learners’ competence. Inspectors agree with the very high proportion of employers and learners, consulted before and during the inspection, that KEITS response to meeting their needs is good.

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The quality of provision Grade 2

16. KEITS has wide ranging and effective partnerships at local and national level in support of the apprenticeship programme. Links with schools and community groups are effective in promoting the apprenticeship programmes and widening participation for different age groups and abilities. Partnership relationships with employers are strong and KEITS uses this relationship particulary effectively to the benefit of learners. KEITS uses its individual and collective knowledge and experience to lobby for improvements to the land-based industry. It works effectively with other providers to plan projects and share good practice and has active representation at the Association of Learning Providers network.

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The quality of provision Grade 2

17. Care guidance and support are good overall but satisfactory in equine. Assessors and work-place supervisors provide good guidance to help learners to progress in the industry. Assessors are responsive to individual needs. They show a good understanding of learners’ personal barriers. Induction is good and provides learners with a clear understanding of the programme. Equine learners however, do not always have a full understanding of the demands of the industry. Learners’ additional learning needs are identified well and appropriate arrangements for support put in place. The planning and coordination of literacy and numeracy and language support is inconsistent.

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Leadership and management Grade 2

KEITS leadership and management are good. The three year business plan is well set out with good use of realistic performance measures. KEITS benefits from the very good relationships with partners and stakeholders both locally and nationally. These arrangements effectively support their strategic direction and provide good opportunities to identify and develop relevant learning programmes. Staff commitment to the company’s strategic direction is good. They are well supported by managers within an open and consultative culture. Managers are very approachable and take staff views seriously. Staff benefit from good professional development.

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Leadership and management Grade 2

Communications are good and effectively support the remote workforce. The meetings structure works well and provide senior managers with a good understanding of operational issues. KEITS use of targets to raise standards has much improved but the use of staff targets is underdeveloped.

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Leadership and management Grade 2

18. Arrangements for ensuring that learners are safe are good. Safeguarding policies are updated annually. All staff have an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check every three years and records are held on a central register. Roles and responsibilities are clear. The designated officer and deputy responsible for safeguarding are appropriately trained. Assessors have a good awareness and understanding of safeguarding and systematically check at reviews how learners are cared for. Safe working practices and health, safety and welfare are promoted and reinforced well during assessments and progress reviews. Risk assessments are thorough. Staff training in health and safety is accredited. Employers are well supported to ensure learners are safe and feel safe in their work. Arrangements to ensure learners are able to make informed choice about their health and well being are insufficient. 19. Promotion of equality and diversity is satisfactory. Learners living in remote

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Leadership and management Grade 2

rural areas benefit from learning which is based in their place of work. Many learners progress to further training and/or employment. KEITS provide learners and employers with good support, information and guidance on equality and diversity. Learners develop a good understanding of their employment rights and responsibilities in the workplace. Equality and diversity issues are regularly checked and reinforced at progress reviews although learners’ understanding is not always fully explored. An equality and diversity working group meets regularly to promote equality and diversity but the group does not include effective learner representation. KEITS has a single equalities scheme and has recently reintroduced equality and diversity impact measures. Data is analysed to identify differences in performance but this information is not used systematically to monitor and measure the participation and performance of

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Leadership and management Grade 2

20. Arrangements to engage with learners and employers are good. KEITS seeks very regular feedback from stakeholders by using surveys at key points in each learner’s journey. Analysis of this feedback is used effectively to improve the quality of provision. The programme of surveys is established and included in the quality calendar. KEITS recognises the need to improve the way they capture the views of different groups of learners and employers to support decision-making and improvement activities.

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Leadership and management Grade 2

21. KEITS has made good progress in improving the quality of provision. Quality assurance arrangements have improved since the previous inspection and are now good. They are effectively managed through a detailed quality calendar. Audit arrangements are regular and effective. Area managers, regularly review each learner’s progress and the support they receive. Staff monitoring of the completion of key operational actions is good. Quality assurance arrangements include regular opportunities for staff to share and improve their practice. The internal verification processes are sound and support improvements in assessment practice.

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Leadership and management Grade 2

22. Arrangements for the observation of on-the-job training are good. Inspectors agreed with KEITS assessment of the quality of their teaching and learning. Actions for improvement are prioritised and improvements are carefully monitored. Observations place insufficient emphasis on recording learning. The KEITS approach to improve the quality of on-the-job training delivered by employers is good. Observations effectively focus on building employers’ confidence and improving their practice. Although KEITS expectations of employers are clearly set out, guidance on how to improve is insufficient.

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Leadership and management Grade 2

23. Value for money is good. KEITS has strong financial control arrangements. Employers are provided with good support to improve their business practices for the benefit of learners. Many learners benefit from skilled and experienced trainers in well resourced work places. Assessors make good use of naturally occurring evidence to support assessment in the workplace. Learners make good progress and success rates are satisfactory. Their views are taken seriously and lead to improvements in resources. Improvements in resources to support e-learning are being introduced to support learners who live in remote areas. KEITS approach to the management of its resources in a sustainable way is underdeveloped.

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Context

24. Currently 216 learners, 129 apprentices and 87 advanced apprentices, are on horse care programmes. One hundred and ninety six learners are women, 20 are men and four learners are from a minority ethnic background. KEITS also provides National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) training for seven Train to Gain learners and 22 learners funded through the European social fund. Learners are employed at riding schools and liveries across the south east of England. All training and assessment is carried out in the workplace.

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Key findings

 Outcomes for learners are satisfactory. The success rates of learners achieving their framework are in line with national rates. Advanced apprentices achieve well however retention for apprentices aged from 16-18 is lower than the national rate.  Learners acquire good work and personal skills. Through their training they extend and reinforce their knowledge and skills. Learners gain in confidence and self-esteem as they progress towards completing their apprenticeship. Learners are well motivated and work hard towards completing their qualifications. Some are keen to progress to higher management and supervisory qualifications and roles.  Many learners make a positive contribution to their local community by working with riders from local schools, clubs and disabled groups.  Learners are safe in the workplace. They are trained and assessed according to award body requirements and conduct themselves well in the stable yards. A

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Key findings

few learners do not receive sufficient training in the use of specialist equipment.  Training and learning are satisfactory. Trainers use their occupational expertise and experience well to gain learner confidence and support training. Short training and learning sessions are effective in developing learners’ new and existing skills. However, some training sessions do not fully take individual learners needs and abilities into account leaving some learners not sufficiently challenged or supported.  Assessment processes are very good. Assessors use a wide range of sources to evidence learner competence including digital technology. Training plans are agreed at each visit and establish the programme of learning for the forthcoming weeks. The assessment of learners’ performance is accurate and learners receive fair and constructive feedback.  Planning of individual learning is satisfactory. Initial assessment arrangements

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Key findings

effectively identify learner’s additional learning and support needs. Individual learning plans are used well to guide learners through their learning programme. Progress reviews effectively monitor targets. Learners are aware of how they are progressing. The use of target setting in some reviews is narrow and does not include actions to develop learner’s wider personal skills.  KEITS meets the needs of users particularly well. Employers seek out KEITS as their preferred training provider. KEITS staff are sensitive to employers needs and where possible observe naturally occurring evidence. Assessors provide assessment on demand and attend veterinary visits, events and shows to conduct learner assessments. Assessors quickly develop effective working relationships with learners and offer support in a sensitive manner.  Information, advice and guidance are satisfactory. Learners receive useful information prior to and at the start of the programme. However, not all

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Key findings

learners are fully prepared for the demands of the industry.  Leadership and management are satisfactory. Staff make good use of employers and company resources well to support training and assessment. Communications with company staff and employers are very good  Equality and diversity are satisfactory. There is effective promotion at induction. Staff do not always use their visits to monitor learner understanding and discuss issues relevant to their job role.  Self-assessment arrangements are satisfactory and improve the experience of learners. There is a clear focus on improving the performance of KEITS staff, and sharing of best practice is provided to support employers to carry out training in the workplace.

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What does KEITS need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that training sessions take into account the individual needs of learners to enable them to take a fully active part in lessons and demonstrate their learning effectively.  Use assessment visits to discuss, agree and record learner targets for long-term personal development.  Ensure that initial advice and guidance fully prepares learners for the demands of the equine industry. Initial information should give a full and accurate picture of the working conditions and the rigour of training and assessment.  Improve the recording of equality of opportunity and health and safety issues discussed during learner reviews. Record the level of learner understanding to enable equality and diversity and health and safety to be more effectively promoted.

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Context

25. Currently 63 learners are working towards intermediate and advanced apprenticeship qualifications in floristry. 27 are apprentices, 34 are advanced apprentices and two learners are working towards NVQ level 2. All learners are employed with employers across the South East, and central England. Learning takes place predominantly in the workplace. KEITS assessors visit the workplace every four to six weeks to carry out work-based assessment and to review progress.

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Key findings

 Outcomes for learners are good. Success rates have improved significantly over the last two years and are 12% above the national average. A high and increasing proportion of apprentices successfully complete their programmes within their agreed time. Just over half of apprentices progress on to advanced apprenticeships on completion of their programme.  Learners develop very good practical and work-related skills. They enjoy learning and speak enthusiastically about the skills they have learned. The standard of work in portfolios is high with well presented photographic and written evidence of learners’ work. Success is celebrated and learners are encouraged to submit work for external awards and take part in competitions.  Learners understand how to keep themselves and others safe. A thorough safety risk assessment is completed for each workplace. Employers reinforce safe work practice. Learners’ understanding of safety and welfare issues is

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Key findings

checked during assessment and progress reviews. They know who to go to for help. KEITS does not sufficiently promote healthy lifestyles to learners.  Learning in the workplace is good. Employers are closely involved in supporting and coaching learners. Floristry businesses provide a good range of practical experience. Learners undertake tasks with increasing complexity. Supervision is constructive and encourages independent learning. KEITS staff have good industry experience which enhances partnership links with employers. Co- ordination between assessors and work-place supervisors is productive.  Materials and resources for learning are insufficient. Learners are over-reliant on informal coaching for the development of underpinning knowledge. They are encouraged to carry out research and use a few additional books and handouts. However few learning resources are available to learners. E-learning resources

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Key findings

are in development. Staff have appropriate training and qualifications to confidently teach key skills or literacy and numeracy.  Assessment practice is good. Assessment planning is clear and understood by learners and employers. Assessors visit the workplace frequently and adapt their assessment practice to fit in with the day to day work of the business where possible. Assessors make effective use of naturally occurring evidence. New work books are used well to guide learners and help them to present the evidence of background knowledge and practical skills.  Target setting for learners is good. Initial assessment is used appropriately to identify prior learning, experience and aptitude. Target setting takes into account learners' ability and starting point. Appropriately differentiated learning goals and timescales enable learners who have the potential to achieve more quickly to do so. Some short-term targets are not sufficiently specific or

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Key findings

measurable.  Care, guidance and support are good. Assessors and work-place supervisors provide good guidance to help learners to progress in the industry. Assessors are responsive to individual needs.  The range and location of floristry courses meet the needs of learners and employers well. KEITS staff work closely with employers to customise learning to meet the specific needs of learner and employer. Key skills practical assignments are relevant to the floristry industry.  Management of the area for improvement is good. Managers are positive and ambitious. Staff have undertaken extensive professional development to enhance their industry skills. Success rates have improved steadily. The profile of the organisation within the industry is improving.  Arrangements for promoting equality and diversity are satisfactory. Learners’ understanding of their rights and responsibilities are reinforced well at reviews.

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Key findings

The impact of equality and diversity policies is not monitored thoroughly. Insufficient action has been taken to overcome stereotypes and increase recruitment of learners from minority groups.  The self-assessment report for the floristry area is insufficiently detailed. It does not identify strengths and improvement areas. Inspectors did not agree with the self assessment grade.

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What does KEITS need to do to improve further?

 Further develop the resources and materials for learning to provide learners with more diverse learning opportunities.  Continue to develop the arrangements to monitor equality and diversity in order to improve the take-up of floristry by under-represented groups.  Further develop the self-assessment process for the floristry area to make better use of a broader range of evidence. Include the views of learners and employers in order to provide a more accurate evaluation of the quality of provision and a sound basis for improvement planning.  Continue to focus on improving the use of specific, measurable and time-bound targets so that learners are more aware of the progress they are making.

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Context

26. Currently 94 animal care learners are working towards intermediate and advanced apprentice qualifications in animal care. Twenty five learners are advanced apprentices. The majority of learners are in employment with employers across the South-East and East of England. Training and assessment takes place completely in the work place. KEITS also provides training for a small cohort of 14-16 year olds from local schools and pupil support centres and a small Train to Gain programme.

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Key findings

 Outcomes for learners are excellent. Since the previous inspection apprenticeship success rates have significantly improved from 54% to 93.5% in 2008/09. The majority of apprentices achieve by, or ahead of, their planned completion date. The success rate for those achieving within their planned end date is significantly above the national success rate.  Learners make outstanding progress towards competence, often exceeding the requirements of the qualification. Portfolio evidence is comprehensive and learners clearly enjoy the job they do, whether it is in a veterinary surgery, zoo, kennel and cattery or wildlife park.  Learners’ development of practical, employability and social skills to meet individual needs and employment opportunities is outstanding. Employers recognise learners as valuable members of their workforce. A significant number of learners are promoted or have additional responsibilities. Learners work at

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Key findings

industrial speeds and to high commercial standards gaining skills to progress up the employment ladder  Safe working practices are promoted effectively. Learners thrive and feel safe and have a good knowledge of appropriate policies. They work well in the workplace in teams with peers, with supervisors and with employers. Application of health, safety and welfare at work is given a high priority and learners are able to deal effectively with difficult situations that arise.  Vocational learning and assessment are very well planned and build on naturally occurring evidence in learners’ daily routines. Assessment is timely, fair, consistent and reliable. Assessors are adept at maximising elements from activities to assess learners’ competence in a range of areas. Assessors provide constructive verbal and written feedback which tells learners exactly what they have to do to progress.  Initial assessment is particularly good and helps in the effective identification of

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Key findings

individual learner support needs. Tutors work well with learners to help them identify the most appropriate components in their learning pathway matched to their individual capabilities, interests and area of employment. Induction fully explains the requirements of the programme to the learner.  Committed and enthusiastic staff use their vocational expertise well to develop learners’ employment skills. Employers and learners speak highly of their capability, flexibility, approachability and accessibility. They show a good understanding of learners’ personal barriers. Assessors provide much effective support to help learners achieve but this is sometimes insufficiently planned and coordinated across staff and programmes.  Target setting and monitoring plans for learning are helpful and detailed. In the majority of cases, target setting is clear and time-bound and used well to monitor progress. There are some inconsistencies in the level of useful

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Key findings

recording to show learners exactly what they have to do to develop effective workplace and personal skills.  Learners make a strong positive contribution to the life of their organisation. They demonstrate an implicit understanding of equality and diversity in the workplace, particularly in relation to bullying and know what to do if they have a problem. During reviews, some assessors do not routinely investigate and record learners’ knowledge and understanding.  Partnerships with employers, schools and the pupil referral unit are well developed and valued. Animal care staff train school teachers to teach foundation animal care qualifications to pupils aged from 14-16. The team are actively engaged in national initiatives relevant to learners and the industry. For example, staff work closely with sector councils and are involved in writing the new diplomas.  The animal care team has made significant progress to raise the standard of

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Key findings

provision. Procedures and documentation are improved. The internal verification system is robust. Assessors rigorously track learner progress to identify any gaps. Managers take appropriate steps to minimise the impact of occasional staff departures. Employer and learner views are collected and used to improve training and assessment for learners.  The range and variety of specialist animal care resources, including access to a full range of animals is outstanding. Resources are well managed for different activities and fully meet individual learner needs.  The self-assessment report is broadly accurate although the animal care section is too short and omitted some aspects. However, staff have clearly identified what they have to do to improve the quality of provision.

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What does KEITS need to do to improve further?

 Share good practice amongst assessors for setting and recording realistic, clear and time-bound targets and for recording equality and diversity responses during progress reviews.  Coordinate and forward plan additional learning support better across individual staff and programmes to ensure all learners receive consistent support  Ensure the self-assessment report uses a wider range of evidence to better reflect an accurate evaluation of animal care and help staff to monitor areas identified for improvement.

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Information about the inspection

27. Two of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and 3 additional inspectors, assisted by the provider’s director for centre awards, as nominee, carried out the inspection. Inspectors also took account of the provider’s most recent self- assessment report and development plans, comments from the local Learning and Skills Council (LSC), the previous inspection report, and data on learners and their achievement over the period since the previous inspection.

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Information about the inspection

28. Inspectors used group and individual interviews, telephone calls and emails. They looked at questionnaires learners and employers had recently completed on behalf of the provider. They also observed learning sessions, assessments and progress reviews. Inspectors collected evidence from programmes in each of the subject areas the provider offers. Record of Main Findings (RMF)

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KEITS Ltd

Learning types: 14 – 16: Young apprenticeships; Diplomas; 16-18 Learner responsive: FE full- and part-time courses, Foundation learning tier, including Entry to Employment; 19+ responsive: FE full- and part-time courses; Employer responsive: Train to Gain, apprenticeships

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KEITS Ltd

Outcomes for learners 2 2 How well do learners achieve and enjoy their learning? 2 2 How well do learners attain their learning goals? How well do learners progress? How well do learners improve their economic and social well-being through learning and development? How safe do learners feel? 2 Are learners able to make informed choices about their own health and well being?* How well do learners make a positive contribution to the community?* 2 Quality of provision 2 2 How effectively do teaching, training and assessment support learning and development? How effectively does the provision meet the needs and interests of users? 2 How well partnerships with schools, employers, community groups and others lead to benefits for learners? How effective are the care, guidance and support learners receive in helping them to achieve? Leadership and management 2 2 How effectively do leaders and managers raise expectations and promote

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KEITS Ltd

ambition throughout the organisation? How effectively do governors and supervisory bodies provide leadership, direction and challenge?* How effectively does the provider promote the safeguarding of learners? 2 How effectively does the provider actively promote equality and diversity, tackle discrimination and narrow the achievement gap? How effectively does the provider engage with users to support and promote improvement? How effectively does self-assessment improve the quality of the provision and outcomes for learners? How efficiently and effectively does the provider use its available resources to secure value for money? *where applicable to the type of provision Grades using the 4 point scale 1: Outstanding; 2: Good; 3: Satisfactory; 4: Inadequate Overall Employer responsive Approximate number of enrolled learners Full-time learners Part-time learners Overall effectiveness 2 2 Capacity to improve 2 inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education

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KEITS Ltd

and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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KEITS Ltd

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