Ofsted round-up – This week: Reports from a variety of providers

Training to Practice Limited, Havant

 

Summary of grades awarded:

Effectiveness of provision Satisfactory: Grade 3

Capacity to improve Satisfactory: Grade 3

Achievement and standards Satisfactory: Grade 3

Quality of provision Satisfactory: Grade 3

Leadership and management Satisfactory: Grade 3

Equality of opportunity Contributory grade: Satisfactory: Grade 3

Sector subject area:

Social Care Satisfactory: Grade 3

 

Training to Practice (TTP) is based in Havant in Hampshire and has been trading since 2006 as a subsidiary of the Havant Housing Association. TTP’s first Train to Gain learners started in January 2008, despite the company initially being set up as a privately funded training provider. Most TTP provision is funded through a single client, however, the Train to Gain provision is funded through a contract from the Hampshire and the Isle of Wight LSC. At the time of the inspection 25 learners were working forwards NVQs, with ten at level 2 and 15 at level 3.

Ofsted found that the overall effectiveness of the provision in Train to Gain is satisfactory and that achievements and standards are also satisfactory. Ofsted found that TTP has developed very effective working relationships with employers. The report suggests that some quality processes to improve the provision are good, however some require further development.

Although the self-assessment process is very new, TTP makes good use of learner and employer feedback to improve its provision. Key strengths include, good quality training, good support for knowledge and portfolio development and very effective management of employer relationships.

As identified in the self-assessment report, achievement and standards are satisfactory. Of the 15 learners who started their programme in January 2008, 10 have now left the programme. Five achieved their qualification, four left the industry and one is on maternity leave. Five learners are awaiting final internal verification of their portfolios. Twenty learners started the programme in January 2009, of which 19 are making satisfactory progress.

 

 

London College of Beauty Therapy, London

 

Summary of grades awarded:

Effectiveness of provision Good: Grade 2

Capacity to improve Good: Grade 2

Achievement and standards Good: Grade 2

Quality of provision Good: Grade 2

Leadership and management Good: Grade 2

Equality of opportunity Contributory grade: Satisfactory: Grade 3

Sector subject areas:

Hairdressing and beauty therapy Good: Grade 2

Customer service Good: Grade 2

 

London College of Beauty Therapy (LCBT) was founded in 1995 as a specialist independent college, initially offering full-time beauty therapy courses through a partnership with a local further education college. Since 2004, LCBT has had its’ own contract for further education (FE) funded and work-based learning provision through London Central LSC. At the time of the inspection, LCBT had 504 beauty therapy learners on FE funded courses and 163 customer service apprentices.

Ofsted has found that the quality of the provision is good with teaching and learning being good on both programmes. LCBR was found to be outstanding in meeting the needs and interests of learners and Ofsted has found that both of the programmes are designed in an exemplary way and are exceptionally flexible. Ofsted has found that LCBT has good capacity to improve with managers making good use of learner and staff feedback for improvements.

The self-assessment process was found to be satisfactory with the process being well-established and previous reports having led to improvement. Ofsted found that in beauty therapy and leadership and management the process is insufficiently self-critical. Key areas for improvement have been missed and the report gives an overly-positive picture. Key strengths include very high success rates at level 1 and 3 in beauty therapy, good development of beauty therapy learners’ commercial skills, excellent resources to support apprentices’ learning and assessment, exemplary and innovative curriculum delivery model, very effective advice, guidance and support for learners, good curriculum management, excellent partnership work and good use of learners’ and staff feedback towards improvement.

Overall success rates in beauty therapy on the NVQ at levels 1 and 3 are consistently very high. On the NVQ at level 2 in beauty therapy, overall success rates declined in 2007/08 and are satisfactory, which was not identified in the self-assessment report.

 

Cornwall Council, Cornwall

 

Summary of grades awarded:

Effectiveness of provision Satisfactory: Grade 3

Capacity to improve Satisfactory: Grade 3

Achievement and standards Satisfactory: Grade 3

Quality of provision Satisfactory: Grade 3

Leadership and management Satisfactory: Grade 3

Equality of opportunity Contributory grade: Good: Grade 2

Sector subject areas:

Health and social care Good: Grade 2

Information and communication technology Satisfactory: Grade 3

Arts, media and publishing Satisfactory: Grade 3

Literacy, numeracy and ESOL Satisfactory: Grade 3

Employability training Satisfactory: Grade 3

Family learning Good: Grade 2

 

Cornwall Council is a new unitary authority that was formed in April 2009 from the amalgamation of Cornwall County Council and the former six district councils. Within the authority, the Cornall Adult Education Service (CAES) is based in the newly created Communities Directorate. The Council contracts with the Devon and Cornwall LSC to provide adult and community learning (ACL), E2E courses, Train to Gain programmes for staff of local employers and employer responsive training courses. In 2007/08, approximately 14,000 learners made 19,500 enrolments at 500 venues, including village and church halls, primary and secondary schools, hotels and public houses, health and community centres and commercial premises.

Ofsted found that capacity to improve is satisfactory and that CAES has demonstrated that it is in a satisfactory position to make improvements. Since the previous inspection of CAES in 2005, some improvements in the quality of the provision have been made although the grade profile for the provision remains broadly the same.

The self-assessment process was found to be satisfactory with the latest self-assessment report being thorough and broadly accurate, although some aspects are not sufficiently critical and evaluative. Some self-assessment grades were higher than those awarded by inspectors. Self-assessment is largely inclusive with involvement of staff and feedback from learners contributing to the overall outcomes. The separate assessment for the E2E programme is the first to be produced and the self-assessment process included close consultation with subcontractors. The report is comprehensive but insufficiently evaluative. The overall self-assessed grade was higher than that awarded by inspectors. Key strengths include outstanding partnership arrangements in adult learning, very effective social inclusion, good development of learners’ skills and confidence, highly responsive and flexible range of provision and good support and guidance for learners.

Train to Gain success rates are good. In 2007/08, the overall success and timely success rate on NVQ programmes were both 83%. It is too early to judge success rates for these programmes in 2008/09. Success rates on Train to Gain skills for life programmes are good in 2008/09 and are both 98% for both overall success and timely success rates, compared with 90% in the previous year. However, overall success rates on ACL accredited courses are generally low and in 2006/07, success rates for long courses at entry and level 1 combined for learners over 19 were 13% below the national rate for general and further education (GFE) colleges.

Natalie Hailes