An apprenticeship provider with a 20 per cent achievement rate has become the first FE provider to receive Ofsted’s new lowest possible grade.
The watchdog handed an ‘urgent improvement’ rating to London-based adult care training firm JS Consult in the ‘apprenticeship achievement’ section of its report published today.
Inspectors reported that “achievement rates are too low and have been for the previous four years”, adding that too many apprentices have “not been prepared well” for their final assessments and leave their apprenticeship after they achieve their adult care diploma qualification.
JS Consult, which had 47 apprentices and 21 skills bootcamp learners at the time of the inspection in January, recorded a 20 per cent achievement rate in 2023-24, way below the 61 per cent national average.
The London-based provider’s Ofsted report also showed three ‘needs attention’ grades, including for leadership and management, and four ‘expected standard’ grades.
Leaders ‘have not acted quickly enough’
Today’s report marks the first FE provider to be awarded the lowest Ofsted grade since the watchdog abandoned overall headline grades in favour of a five-point scale in up to 16 individual areas.
Chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver has said the baseline expectation is for providers to achieve ‘expected standard’, while the highest grade of ‘exceptional’ will be awarded only in rare cases where exemplary practice in demonstrated.
JS Consult has been delivering apprenticeships in the health, social care and business sectors since it launched in 2009. It recently began offering skills bootcamps in adult social care.
Ofsted said the company’s leaders have expertise in the care sector and a clear curriculum intention of reducing skilled staff shortages.
Apprentices also feel “well supported by tutors and value their guidance, frequent wellbeing checks and staff interest in their lives, especially when facing personal problems that affect their studies”.
But while leaders “know the strengths and areas for development of their curriculums, such as the very low-achievement rates for apprenticeships”, they have “not acted quickly enough to secure rapid improvement”.
Inspectors made clear that achievement rates “have remained too low for too long”.
They added that although leaders now give apprentices more preparation for their final assessments and improved information and guidance on the importance of completing final assessment, it is “too early to assess the full impact of their actions”.
Staff were, however, praised for preparing apprentices appropriately to take their next steps, and noted that apprentices “move on to positive destinations such as sustained employment or promotion at work”.
Updated government accountability measures this year stipulated that apprenticeship providers will be considered ‘at risk’ if they receive an ‘urgent improvement’ judgment from Ofsted for any provision-type level evaluation area for apprenticeships.
The ‘at risk’ classification normally triggers a performance review and management conversation with the Department for Education. It can even lead to extreme measures such as contract termination.
JS Consult declined to comment.
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