Best Practice Network Receives Successful Ofsted Outcome 

Best Practice Network (BPN)  is delighted to confirm that we have received a successful report following an Ofsted monitoring visit.

All providers of apprenticeship training provision are required to receive regular monitoring visits and inspections from Ofsted. The Ofsted visit focused on three themes and made the following findings:

How much progress have leaders made in ensuring that the provider is meeting all the requirements of successful apprenticeship provision?

✔Significant Progress

Ofsted found that "the fact that leaders focus solely on a sector in which they have provided training for many years is a significant strength. The BPN apprenticeship programme builds on this experience by using BPN’s existing relationships, resources and expertise to construct highly effective curriculums and a high-quality service to employers."

When introducing new apprenticeship programmes, Ofsted found that BPN "ensure that well-qualified and experienced staff are in place and learn from their experience of running other apprenticeships. For example, when introducing apprenticeships for teaching assistants this year, they included training and information about the final assessments early in the apprenticeship."

Ofsted found that the BPN apprenticeship team have "well-established and highly-effective relationships with employers" and are "highly evaluative and self -critical [and able to] identify accurately areas for improvement and take effective actions to make these improvements."

Regarding learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, Ofsted found that BPN "plan the support for these apprentices thoroughly and monitor the effectiveness of this support very well."

What progress have leaders and managers made in ensuring that apprentices benefit from high quality training that leads to positive outcomes for apprentices?

✔Significant Progress

The report found that BPN "work closely with apprentices and employers to identify what apprentices already know when they start their apprenticeship" [and take into account] "the specific demands and responsibilities of the apprentices' job."

BPN Apprenticeship Tutors were found to "take account of employers’ and apprentices’ priorities when developing the curriculum... leading to additional training in the workplace or adaptations to the curriculum."

As part of the visit, Ofsted interviewed apprentices who were found to be "well-prepared for the next steps in their careers" having been "provided with useful information about the options they have to develop their career once they finish the apprenticeship."

Ofsted went on to praise the "high-quality curriculum" in each apprenticeship which was described as being "taught well by tutors using a very good range of very useful resources."

How much progress have leaders and managers made in ensuring that effective safeguarding arrangements are in place?

✔Reasonable Progress

Ofsted found that BPN had established a culture of safeguarding based on "the importance of preparing apprentices to work with young children and build a curriculum that contains the knowledge apprentices need to keep the children in their care safe."

Furthermore, BPN Apprenticeship Tutors were found to " monitor apprentices’ safety and welfare through monthly reviews, including evaluating their workload and provide valuable support by, for example, liaising with social workers, regular telephone support for apprentices and financial support."

Read the full Ofsted report here.