Ofsted round-up – This week: Northern providers in focus

The Training Station, Liverpool

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: Satisfactory: Grade 3

Sector subject area:

Hairdressing and beauty therapy Good: Grade 2

Based in Prescot, Knowsley, The Training Station (TTS) is a private limited company that was established in 2005. Training is carried out from the training centre in Prescot and the company contracts with Greater Merseyside LSC for the provision of Train to Gain in hairdressing. Currently, TTS has 50 learners following Train to Gain programmes. Learners are employed in 52 hairdressing salons throughout Greater Merseyside and some 80% of provision is finded by the LSC and 20% is private hairdressing training.

Ofsted has found that the quality of provision is good with success rates on the subcontracted apprenticeship and advanced apprenticeship programmes being outstanding at 100%. As the business has grown very quickly since the first learners joined in September 2007, Ofsted had noted that TTS has a good capacity to improve. Devising and implementing quality assurance procedures has lead to quality improvements by employing highly skilled staff.

Ofsted has found that TTS’s self-assessment process is good and that it is clear and understood well by staff. The self-assessment report is clear and understood well by staff. Although the strengths within the report generally matched the inspection findings, Ofsted found that TTS had identified more areas for improvement. Key strengths include outstanding success rates on apprenticeship programmes, excellent development of practical skills, outstanding progression, very effective communication and good resources.

Success rates on subcontracted apprenticeship programmes are outstanding. Learners on apprenticeship and advanced apprenticeship programmes achieved 100% success rates in 2007/08. Train to Gain success rates are good at 86%.

Phoenix Training Services Limited, Blaydon-on-Tyne

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:

Health, public services and care Good: Grade 2

Engineering and manufacturing technologies Good: Grade 2

A private company established in 2000, Phoenix Training Services Limited (PTSL) is located in Blaydon, approximately five miles from Newcastle. Currently 160 learners are working towards a qualification as part of PTSL’s Train to Gain contract. In addition, PTSL provides training for 85 learners from the Tyne and Wear Care Alliance and 23 learners from Newcastle College following beauty therapy courses.

Ofsted has found that the overall effectiveness of the provision is good, with achievement and standards also being good. Both Strategic and operational planning for improvement is good, therefore PTSL has a good capacity to improve. PTSL’s approach to quality assurance is very effective with well-planned audits of key procedures taking place on a regular basis. Regular staff meetings place a strong focus on quality improvement and strategies to improve timely success rates in health and social care have been successful.

The 2008/09 self-assessment report was found to be both evaluative and broadly accurate. PTSL thoroughly monitors and updates the well-developed quality improvement action plan. Key strengths include very high success rates in health and social care, very effective assessment practice, good management of programmes to meet employer’ and learners’ needs, good strategic direction with a clear focus on improving the quality of provision and very effective open and supportive management.

Achievements and standards are good with overall success rates being very high on health, public services and social care with improvements in both overall and timely success rates. Most learners are on target to achieve their qualification with many completing ahead of their planned end date.

Northern Training Ltd, Lancashire

Summary of grades awarded:

Effectiveness of provision Inadequate: Grade 4

Capacity to improve Satisfactory: Grade 3

Achievement and standards Satisfactory: Grade 3

Quality of provision Inadequate: Grade 4

Leadership and management Inadequate: Grade 4

Equality of opportunity Contributory grade: Inadequate: Grade 4

Sector subject area:

Health, public services and care Inadequate: Grade 4

Based in Darwen, Lancashire, Northern Training Ltd (NTL) is a private training provider, has been trading since 2004 and has had a Train to Gain contract since 2008 following a regional response fund contract in 2007. Currently 228 learners are enrolled of whom 184 are on programmes leading to National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) at level 2 and 22 at level 3. The company was awarded Investors in People in August 2006 and the Matrix quality standard in December 2007.

Ofsted found that the overall effectiveness of the provision is inadequate but that NTL showed a satisfactory capacity to improve. Senior staff have taken good, recent action to improve provision. Although these actions are having a positive impact, it is too early to assess their effectiveness.

The self-assessment report was found to be satisfactory with NTL producing its first self-assessment report for this inspection. Although staff members are involved well in the process, it makes insufficient use of learner and employer feedback. Key strengths include well-developed workplace skills, good support from employers and good recent actions to improve provision.

Achievements and standards are satisfactory. The Train to Gain programme develops learners’ workplace skills well. Many learners benefit from increased confidence and all learners successfully achieve additional mandatory qualifications. Overall success rates are low at 38% for learners with a planned end date in 2007/08, as identified in the self-assessment report. However, a range of good actions have been taken to improve this, and figures for leavers to date indicate improvement with 60% of learners achieving by the planned end date.

Natalie Hailes