1. Update for North East Learning Providers Network September 2017
Steve Hailstone
Senior HMI: North East, Yorkshire and Humber

2. Update for North East Learning Partnership: September 2017
Inspection outcomes for independent learning providers
Apprenticeships update
Dispelling myths

3. Outcomes of full inspections: September 2016 – August 2017
All FES providers: Overall effectiveness grade
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate 13
127
101 28 5%
47%
38%
10%
Independent learning providers: Overall effectiveness grade 3 43 31 16 3%
46%
33%
17%
All FES providers: 269
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate

4. Outcomes of short inspections: September 2016 – August 2017
All FES providers: 111
Outcome of short inspection
Short inspections that converted to a full inspection:
Overall effectiveness grade
Did not convert
Converted
Outstanding
Good RI
Inadequate 90 21 8 3 2
81%
19%
Independent learning providers: 37 28 9 1 5
76%
24%
All FES providers: 269
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate

5. Inspections of independent learning providers in the North East
Five full inspections in 2016/17; one outstanding, one requires improvement and three inadequate.
Seven short inspections of good providers in 2016/17; all remained good.
The current inspection profile for independent learning providers in North East remains higher than the national profile with 96% of providers graded good or outstanding compared with 81% nationally.

6. Apprenticeships: Key messages
Features seen in the most effective apprenticeship provision on inspections in 2016/17 include:
Managers have excellent links with employers, local employment partnerships and the communities in all the localities in which they work.
Employers and managers develop challenging and relevant programmes that result in apprentices achieving very high-level technical skills and knowledge that benefit their employer.
Apprentices benefit from highly effective support from trainers and employers that help them maintain rapid progress towards achieving their qualifications within the planned time.
Tutors challenge apprentices regularly and encourage them to consider potential problems as they emerge, and encourage them to use their critical-thinking skills when solving problems.
Staff monitor the progress of all apprentices very closely and promptly support any who are at risk of falling behind.
(All taken from reports where apprenticeship provision was graded outstanding)

7. Apprenticeships: Key messages
Too many apprenticeship programmes are not yet good. Recent inspection outcomes show that the overall quality of apprenticeships is declining.
Increasing evidence that, in too many instances, employers and providers are using apprenticeships to validate the skills that employees already have.
Apprenticeship standards are not yet providing the economy with the skilled workforce needed to improve productivity and promote economic growth.
The offer available to young people is too limited, and is shrinking.
The pace of development is slow:
currently almost 900,000 apprenticeships on frameworks, only about 11,000 on standards.
Too few standards ready and approved for level 2 and level 3 occupations.

8. Apprenticeships: What providers need to do better
Cover key areas of performance through self-assessment and quality assurance.
Acknowledge and tackle underperformance quickly.
Manage and monitor subcontractors or partners, and drive improvement; hold subcontractors or partners to account for poor performance.
Align provision closely to local priorities – and be clear about those priorities.
Align HR practice with safeguarding and Prevent duty requirements.

9. Apprenticeships: Inspectors will consider how:
… impact of L&M … what evidence of exacting standards … what evidence of growth … why apprenticeship and not other training?
Leaders and managers work with employers to ensure that the structure and delivery of apprenticeship programmes enable apprentices to meet exacting standards and contribute to the growth of the businesses in which they work
Apprentices develop substantial new skills and behaviours that prepare them well for their chosen career and their future advancement
Employers and providers have a clear skills and career development plan that they monitor and evaluate frequently for apprentices
… how do we know? … what do we need to see?
… this is a must … it’s a learner journey in action!

10. Apprenticeships: Inspectors will consider how:
… relationship between quality of training and time off-the-job for example
Apprenticeships comply with defined requirements and regulations
Apprentices improve their skills in English and mathematics, meet expectations and develop appropriate vocational behaviours
Apprentices know what they need to improve through regular and frequent reviews that give them feedback about their development
Employers and providers plan and prepare for end-point assessments so that apprentices complete their apprenticeships successfully and on time.
… more than just a paper exercise of looking at EPA pass rates then …
… and will need to be about skills, expectations and behaviours
… what impact does that have on any notion of timely achievement?

11. Ofsted inspections: true or false?
Dispelling myths

12. Data
Ultimately, inspection grades are decided by data, principally published qualification achievement rates. Most inspectors arrive at the provider with a clear view on the likely outcome determined by data analysis.
False
Whether or not learners and apprentices have achieved their qualifications in the past is obviously important, but much more important is the progress that current learners are making and the contribution that teaching, learning and assessment are making to this. Current progress from starting points is given more weight than historical data.

13. Teaching style
Ofsted inspectors have a preferred style of teaching and training. They expect teachers, assessors, mentors and coaches to model this style in classrooms, training centres and workplaces. For example, good lessons will include a variety of teaching methods.
False
Ofsted does not prescribe any particular teaching style. Inspectors know that different things work for different teachers, trainers and learners. Inspectors are only interested in how much progress learners and apprentices make during their sessions, and the standards of their work.

14. False English and mathematics
Achievements in English and mathematics qualifications, including GCSE and functional skills, are the sole indicator of success in these important subjects, and can limit the inspection grades achieved.
Firstly, achievement in qualifications is not a ‘limiting grade’. Secondly, inspectors put at least as much weight on learners’ progress in improving their English and mathematics in the context of their specific learning programme as they do on achieving qualifications.

15. Assessment
Inspectors will expect every piece of written work submitted by learners or apprentices to be annotated with detailed comments by the assessor/teacher, with all errors corrected and advice on how the work could be improved.
False
Learners must know how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve, but there are a range of mechanisms for achieving this. It is not realistic to expect a detailed commentary on each piece of written work, given the workloads of some staff. Inspectors will, however, want to know that learners receive detailed feedback over time, in some form, on all aspects of their work, and use this to improve it.

16. False Improving teaching, learning and assessment
Ofsted expects all teachers, trainers and assessors to be observed and graded by their managers, to inform self-assessment and staff training.
Absolutely not. It is entirely up to leaders and managers to determine the mechanisms they use to improve the quality of teaching. Inspectors are only interested in how effective such mechanisms are.

17. False The ‘Prevent’ duty
Inspectors will focus on the extent to which governors, leaders, managers and all staff have been trained to understand their responsibilities under the Prevent duty.
Although training is important, inspectors will focus much more on evaluating the impact of this on learners and apprentices. Do learners know how to keep themselves safe from those who promote violence in pursuit of extremist ideologies, including online and through social media? Do staff, whether at the provider or in the workplace, recognise when learners are vulnerable to being exposed to such views?

18. False Apprenticeships - end-point assessment
Ofsted will inspect the quality of end-point assessments in apprenticeship standards.
No. We do not inspect the content of, for example, A-level qualifications, so will not inspect end-point assessments. We want to know how well teaching, learning and assessment prepare apprentices for their assessments to get the best out of their training.

19. True Apprenticeships – progress without qualifications
Progress from starting points will be the most important indicator in judging the quality of apprenticeship standards.
Yes, that is true. Without unit achievement through qualifications, it will be vital that providers assess the knowledge and skills that apprentices bring with them. Providers will then need to demonstrate how they are monitoring and evaluating the progress that apprentices make in demonstrating that they have gained new knowledge, can do things better, and can show that they meet all the required behaviours for their standard.

20. Ofsted on the web and on social media