Spencer Apprenticeships rated 'Good' by Ofsted in first ever full inspection
Spencer Apprenticeships are celebrating after receiving an excellent report from their most recent Ofsted inspection. Thanks to the dedication and hard work of the entire team, Ofsted confirmed that the provision has been rated ‘Good’ in the sub-categories of quality of education, personal development, leadership and management, and apprenticeships – and received an ‘Outstanding’ rating for behaviour and attitudes.
The report opens: “Apprentices enjoy their courses. They have very positive attitudes and demonstrate high levels of commitment to their studies. They develop respectful relationships with staff and peers. They value highly the professional networks they develop while studying their apprenticeship. They relish learning from their peers and discussing their varied workplace experiences.”
Inspectors also highlighted the strong support systems in place for apprentices: “Apprentices highly value the support they receive from staff to help them keep on track with their studies. Staff frequently check in with apprentices. They swiftly identify apprentices who are falling behind and meet with them to provide support to help them to catch up. Tutor assessors use progress reviews and one-to-ones effectively to monitor apprentices’ progress and set apprentices helpful targets. Apprentices make good progress.”
The report spotlights how Spencer Apprenticeships help their apprentices better prepare to support young people – “Leaders continually listen to the apprentices’ workplace managers and leaders and quickly respond to the needs that they identify.”
Facilitators were praised for their ‘expertise and experience’. Inspectors commented, “They use this knowledge effectively in lessons to help apprentices gain a solid understanding of topics. They provide apprentices with interesting workplace examples and different approaches that they can try themselves.”
The organisation’s commitment to inclusion was also praised. Inspectors acknowledged the effectiveness of their support for learners with additional needs: “Apprentices with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the support that they need to be successful on their courses. These apprentices make progress in line with their peers.”
Tammy Elward, Director of SALT, was thrilled with the report: “We are pleased that the report shares all of the things we are proud about in our provision. Our curriculum is carefully designed to reflect the real demands of the roles our apprentices step into, and this report affirms that they are leaving us well-prepared, confident and capable. This achievement is a tribute to the expertise of our staff, the dedication of our apprentices, and the strong partnerships with schools that underpin everything we do.”
Paul West, CEO of Spencer Academies Trust, also shared: “We are delighted that our Apprenticeship provision has been recognised as of such high quality, in our first ever inspection. Apprentices following a programme with Spencer, are guaranteed an excellent level of support and care, and have clear opportunities for progression in their chosen career.”
Congratulations to the Spencer Apprenticeships team!