Ofsted round-up – This week: Train to Gain providers in the spotlight

The Virtual College, West Yorkshire

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 area:

Engineering and manufacturing technologies Good: Grade 2

Established in 1995 to develop e-learning training materials for the engineering and manufacturing industries, Virtual College is a company limited by guarantee, based in Iikley, West Yorkshire. In 2006 it operated a subcontract as a consortia member to provide Train to Gain National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) training. In 2007 it was awarded direct contract status by LSCs in the North East, the North West and Leicestershire. Virtual College offers NVQs to 306 learners on its Train to Gain programmes mainly in the manufacturing industry.

Ofsted has found the overall effectiveness of the provision to be good with their capacity to improve also being good. Managers in the company were found to provide strong strategic direction that has developed and improved provision effectively. Overall success rates were found to be high with timely success rates being satisfactory, however, skills for like provision is incomplete. Ofsted found that too few learners are improving or formally accrediting their literacy and numeracy skills.

The self-assessment process was found to be inclusive for learners and staff but is less so for employers. Being the third self-assessment report the company have produced, it is critical and evaluative and judgements matched inspection findings, however some sections of the report contained conflicting statements with those in the main findings of the report. Key strengths within Virtual College include, high success rates, very good acquisition of social and workplace skills, good training and learning, good support for learners, strong strategic and operational management and particularly good partnership working.

Overall success rates in 2007/08 are high at 90% with learners on PMO and BIT programmes succeeding well with overall success rates at 90% and 91% respectively. Progression rates from Level 2 to Level 3 on BIT programmes are good. Overall timely success rates are satisfactory. In 2007/08, just over half of the learners on BIT level 2 programmes completed their programme on time as some learning was delayed due to external factors at employer sites. On the newly introduced team leadership award, learners are on target to complete their award on time.

Pyramid Training Services, Lancashire

Summary of grades awarded:

Effectiveness of provision Good: Grade 2

Capacity to improve Good: Grade 2

Achievement and standards Outstanding: Grade 1

Quality of provision Good: Grade 2

Leadership and management Good: Grade 2

Equality of opportunity Contributory grade: Good: Grade 2

Sector subject area:

Health, public services and care Good: Grade 2

Pyramid Training Services (PTS) is a specialist provider delivering National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) to organisations involved in children’s care. PTS offers Train to Gain programmes funded by the Lancashire LSC regional response fund. PTS is based in Blackpool and Lytham St Anne’s area and currently has 14 learners following a level 3 NVQ in children’s care, learning and development.

The overall effectiveness of the provision is good with PTS’s capacity to improve also being good. Ofsted has found that PTS’s quality assurance procedures are very effective in ensuring that assessment decisions are reliable and valid. The small team involved in the Train to Gain provision regularly meet to evaluate and improve the training they deliver.

PTS’s current self-assessment process is satisfactory with PTS currently completing its first formal self-assessment for the LSC, all staff contributed to the self-assessment and learner evaluations are completed regularly. Key strengths within the PTS include outstanding success rates, excellent workplace skill development, good assessment practice, good resources for learning, particularly effective induction, particularly effective support for learners, good management of provision, outstanding staff expertise and a good approach to equal opportunities.

As identified through the self-assessment, achievement and standards are outstanding. In the three years that PTS has provided Train to Gain programmes, overall success rates have been very high at 100% for both the NVQ level 2 and level 3 programmes. It has delivered the level 2 programme twice, in 2005/06 and 2007/08. In both of those years the timely success rates are very high at 100%, however timely success rates for level 3 are much lower at 6% and 10% respectively, but the current cohort is progressing well.

Wiltshire transport training & development, Wiltshire

Summary of grades awarded:

Effectiveness of provision Good: Grade 2

Capacity to improve Satisfactory: Grade 3

Achievement and standards Good: Grade 2

Quality of provision Good: Grade 2

Leadership and management Satisfactory: Grade 3

Equality of opportunity Contributory grade: Inadequate: Grade 4

Sector subject area:

Engineering and manufacturing technologies Good: Grade 2

Established in 2003, Wiltshire Transport Training and Development Limited (WTTL) is a company based in Devises in the South East. WTTL has held a contract with Wiltshire and Swindon Learning and Skills Council (LSC) since 2006. WTTL has 304 learners on Train to Gain, seven of whom are women. All learners are employed in road haulage operating centres or companies associated with the transportation of goods by road. Seven learners are working towards qualifications at Level 3 and 297 towards qualifications at Level 2.

Ofsted has found that the overall effectiveness of WTTL is good with learners developing good work skills and confidence through the learning programmes. Ofsted has found that WTTL’s capacity to improve is satisfactory. This is WTTL’s first inspection and has maintained a high overall success rate over the last three years and is beginning to improve the timely success rates for its learners.

WTTL’s self-assessment is satisfactory and is the third that they have produced. It was found to be a sufficiently accurate reflection of the provision and is inclusive with views from learners, employers and active involvement staff. Inspectors agreed with many of the judgements in the self-assessment report but gave lower grades for some of the aspects of the provision. Key strengths within WTTL include high success rates, good acquisition of work skills, good teaching and learning, highly effective development of programmes to meet learners and employers’ needs, good leadership and good partnership working.

Achievements and standards are good with learners gaining good work skills. Learners demonstrate a high level of motivation and a greater confidence in the driving of vehicles and lift trucks. Overall success rates are consistently high and timely success rates have improved. In 2007/08, the overall success rate was 94%, which is above the previous year’s rate of 90%. The timely success rate was 23%, which was low and lower than the previous year, which was 32%. For the first five months of 2008/09, the overall success rate is 92% and the timely success rate has improved to 77%.

Natalie Hailes