1. Information about Ofsted inspection for new apprenticeship training providers: webinar
Jos Parsons
Principal Officer, inspection policy
Ofsted
June/ July 2017

2. What we will cover In this webinar we will cover:
General introduction to inspection
and the common inspection framework
What the inspection covers and what inspectors evaluate
The inspection process and the role of the nominee
This is based on how inspection currently works – this can change from time to time.

3. Your chance to put questions to us
During this webinar we will not be able to hear or see you.
But you can send us questions or comments you have throughout the webinar through the interactive control panel and we will have breaks where we will respond to some of those questions. Only Ofsted staff will be able to see what you write this way.
Given the format and tight timescale we will not be able to answer all questions during the session but will draw up a Q and A on the basis of questions posed.
We will share these slides at a later point once we have got them into the best shape.

4. Then press send! Your question or comment
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5. Purpose of inspection
The purpose of inspection is to provide an external, independent quality assessment of a provider’s training provision against a national comparable quality framework.
To assess the quality of the provider’s training
to help them improve it
to provide useful information for users of the provider’s services: students, current and prospective; employers, any interested parties
to provide accountability for use of public money
To help ensure that apprentices learn, develop and progress as they
should
to assess that the senior managers/ governors lead and manage so the provider effectively delivers good quality training.

6. What will the provider get from inspection?
Each inspection will result in a report which will highlight the
strengths and areas for improvement identified in the inspection,
and will be published on the Ofsted website.
Inspection means you get a professional independent report on the
quality of your training. It will be in a format which will allow you
compare yourself to similar providers.
You will receive feedback from the inspection team at the end of the
inspection.
If you prove to require improvement you will receive a support and
challenge visit from an inspector.

7. Ofsted has a risk-based and proportionate approach to inspection
Ofsted focuses its inspection where it will have the most impact.
A new provider will be inspected within three years of beginning to train apprentices/ be funded.
If we find the provider to be outstanding they will usually not be inspected again (unless performance drops or there are other compelling reasons)
If we find the provider is good, they will usually receive a short inspection in three years
If we find the provider to require improvement we will normally come back to inspect them again within 12 to 24 years and also support and challenge them to improve.
If we find the provider to be inadequate we will come back to inspect them within 15 months and also carry out visits to help them improve - but only if the provider continues to provide funded training/ remain on the register. In the meantime they will enter into the Education and Skills Funding Agency intervention process.
Ofsted uses performance data and other information to help identify where provider’s performance is declining or improving and thus assess risk.

8. What does Ofsted inspect?
Ofsted inspects providers of post-16 apprenticeship training which is funded by an employer through the apprenticeships levy of funded by either the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).
We will be inspecting your directly funded provision – ie the training you provide to the apprentices and for which you directly receive funding.
If you provide other provision under sub-contract to another directly funded provider, that provision will be covered as part of the inspection of that provider, not as part of your inspection.
Ofsted only inspects apprenticeships that are at levels 2 to 5. We don’t inspect Level 6 and 7 apprenticeships. Quality assurance of L6/7 apprenticeships will fall to HEFCE/ QAA.

9. The common inspection framework (CIF)
The common inspection framework can be seen here:
Ofsted grades the overall effectiveness of the education provided: outstanding (1), good (2), requires improvement (3) or inadequate (4).
On full inspections we also grade: effectiveness of leadership and management, quality of teaching, learning and assessment, personal development, behaviour and welfare of learners and outcomes for learners.
Effectiveness of leadership and management includes a judgement on whether safeguarding arrangements are effective or not.
The Further education and skills inspection Handbook is your main source for information about Ofsted inspection. Please read it! 2

10. How inspectors evaluate apprenticeships 1
The next two slides set out the criteria inspectors use to evaluate the quality of your apprenticeship training.
Inspectors will consider how well:
apprenticeships are planned and managed and fully meet the principles and requirements of an apprenticeship
the provider’s staff engage with employers to plan the training, assessments, review points and milestones throughout, agree any additional qualifications to be included, if any, and monitor and support apprentices to progress quickly, gain new skills and achieve to their full potential
trainers, assessors, coaches and mentors communicate up-to-date vocational and technical subject knowledge that reflects the expected industry practice and meets employers’ needs and apprentices acquire that knowledge effectively. 2

11. How inspectors evaluate apprenticeships 2
Inspectors will consider how well:
apprentices develop the skills and behaviours, including English, mathematics and digital skills, that enable them to meet expectations, contribute to their workplace and fulfil their career aims
apprentices complete their apprenticeship successfully, progress to their intended job role or other sustained employment, get promoted or, where appropriate, move to a higher level of apprenticeship or qualification
apprentices contribute to their employer’s business.
inspectors will also consider whether or not arrangements for safeguarding learners are effective. 2

12. Effectiveness of leadership and management
CIF
Effectiveness of leadership and management
Please refer to pages of the Handbook
Emphasis on:
impact of leaders’ work in developing and sustaining an ambitious culture and vision
tackling mediocrity
robust performance management
safeguarding arrangements protect apprentices, meet statutory requirements, promote their welfare
all staff help prevent radicalisation and extremism
focus on meeting the requirements/ expectations of apprenticeship standard.

13. Safeguarding and Prevent: some recommended basic reading
Safeguarding: read Ofsted’s ‘Inspecting safeguarding’ especially Annex 4:
The Prevent duty: see government guidance: and ETF training:
Further reading on the Prevent duty: Ofsted survey: How well are further education and skills providers implementing the Prevent duty?’: ‘

14. Teaching/training, learning and assessment
CIF
Teaching/training, learning and assessment
Please refer to pages of the Handbook
Emphasis on:
the importance of developing apprentices’ knowledge, skills and behaviours so that they meet their goals and are prepared for their next steps.
assessment in all its forms
No grading of lesson observations

15. Personal development, behaviour and welfare
CIF
Personal development, behaviour and welfare
Please refer to pages of the Handbook
Personal development:
A key focus on how well apprentices develop to become successful in their learning and how well they are prepared for their next steps.
Key emphases upon:
How well apprentices develop self-confidence and self-awareness, and how to be successful learners
Their knowledge and ability to keep themselves safe from all forms of risk
How well apprentices understand their career options and are prepared for their next steps
Responsible engagement in the workplace and as active citizens.

16. Outcomes Please refer to pages 49-51 of the Handbook Key message:
CIF
Outcomes
Please refer to pages of the Handbook
Key message:
In judging outcomes, inspectors will give most weight to apprentices’ progress. They will take account of apprentices’ starting points in terms of their prior attainment when evaluating progress.
Within this, they will give most weight to the progress of apprentices currently at the provider, taking account of how this compares with the progress of recent cohorts, where relevant.
Inspectors will consider the progress, achievements and destinations of all groups of apprentices.

17. Questions and Answers

18. The inspection

19. What does inspection involve? See Pages 19-25 of the Handbook
Inspection involves inspectors collecting evidence against the evaluation criteria to establish judgements against the key judgements and the apprenticeship criteria.
Looking at provider’s plans, data and records, such as those which demonstrate how they assess progress or the record of safeguarding actions.
The provider gets two working days’ notice that we will be inspecting them
A senior member of provider staff acts as the inspection ‘nominee’ and liaises with the inspection team throughout the inspection
Inspection involves a professional conversation between the inspectors, senior managers and staff
Talking with apprentices about their programme, experiences and progress to get a rounded picture of the quality of the training.
Providing apprentices with an online link to the Ofsted Learner View survey where they can give their views of their experience of their training:
There is a similar online questionnaire for employers too:
Ofsted may carry out webinars to collect the views of apprentices.

20. Inspection does not involve
Expecting you to provide documents you don’t have or to provide policies or information in certain formats – we’ll use what you have.
Doing a lot of preparatory work for inspection. If your approach to training is effective we will find evidence of it - that is an inspector’s job – but we will need access to the information you hold about how you assess and maintain training quality.
Ofsted don’t prescribe any particular training style. We know that different things work for different teachers and trainers. Inspectors focus is on how much progress apprentices make.
Inspectors will not expect to see session plans. They will judge overall how well sessions are planned, but aren’t interested in the specific form of that planning. They’ll evaluate the impact of the planning, not the paperwork.
Ofsted don’t expect to see information and learning technology (ILT) being used in every lesson. Inspectors, like trainers, see the potential impact that ILT can have on students’ learning. At the same time, we see no particular benefit from the use of ILT for its own sake.
Ofsted don’t expect all trainers to be observed and graded by their providers, to inform self-assessment and staff training. It’s entirely up to managers what mechanisms they use to improve the quality of training.
For more Ofsted mythbusting see here:

21. A typical inspection timetable
Length of inspection
Timeline
Notification
2 working days before the inspection starts
Day -2
On-site inspection
Inspection currently lasts for 3 or 4 continuous days on-site (unless it is a short inspection because you were ‘good’ last time, when it will last 2 days)
Days 1-3/4
Report factual accuracy check
The lead inspector will draft a report which will be quality assured and then sent to you to check for factual accuracy
Around Day 13
Report publication
This usually happens within 4-5 weeks of the end of the inspection
Day 19

22. Information the inspection team may request See pages 14-18 of the Handbook
You will have two working days’ notice of the inspection.
Providers are not expected to prepare anything extra for inspectors, but should make the following information available to inspectors (where relevant) when the inspection is notified:
your quality improvement or self-assessment plan or equivalent
strategic and operational business plans
details of training staff qualifications and experience and of training staff development activity over the last two years
a range of apprentices’ work, including marked work
records of observations of training, learning and assessment or support, information and advice sessions
timetables and schedules of activities involving apprentices (showing locations and staff)
up-to-date data on apprentice numbers, achievements and destinations
information about the provider’s organisation with staff names and responsibilities
names and addresses of any employers and/or subcontractors whose premises the inspection team intends to visit
minutes from key meetings.

23. The role of the nominee
Each provider will need to select an inspection nominee.
The nominee should:
have a detailed understanding of the organisation
be sufficiently senior to ensure the cooperation of staff at all levels before, during and after the inspection
have authority to carry out the role with autonomy
See pages of the Handbook

24. The responsibilities of the nominee
The nominee’s responsibilities include:
providing information for the lead inspector to support inspection planning
briefing the provider’s staff about arrangements
informing apprentices and employers about the inspection
attending team meetings
coordinating feedback arrangements during and at the end of the inspection
liaising with the lead inspector, ensuring that documents are available and that staff and apprentices can attend meetings.

25. During the inspection See Pages 18-24 of the Handbook
Schedule of meetings for inspectors to explore lines of enquiry
Observations of teaching, training and learning
Analysis of apprentices’ performance data
Analysis of apprentices’ assessed practical work
Inspection team meetings with the nominee
Formal feedback on final day

26. See Pages 24-26 of the Handbook The report publication process
After the inspection
See Pages of the Handbook
The report publication process
Evaluation of inspection

27. We are keeping our inspection process under review
Ofsted is always adapting its ways of inspecting to make them more efficient and effective and adapted to the context of those it is inspecting.
We welcome your views, insights and queries. Please feel free to send any comments to
Might you interested in becoming an Ofsted inspector? You can make an expression of interest to be an Ofsted Inspector here:

28. Questions and Answers