Skills and Enterprise Development Academy (SEDA) - Ofsted

Focused monitoring visit: Skills and Enterprise Development Academy (SEDA), 14 December 2010 3 of 5
when recruiting learners and makes good use of an initial screening tool to identify
learners who may need to be signposted to another provider. The individual learning
plan is clearly linked to the initial training plan.
Learners respond well to the early identification of their strengths and areas for
improvement; for some learners this is the first time their strengths have been
acknowledged. The skills for life programme is very well structured, developing
background knowledge followed by practice tests. Learners undertake appropriate
additional activities if they do not achieve a suitable score on the practice test.
Assessors have effectively incorporated skills for life activities into the main
programme. Awareness training for staff is good, with the skills for life coordinator
ensuring assessors are kept up to date with new developments and supplied with
helpful additional resources.
Leadership and management
What progress has SEDA made in improving the
effectiveness and use of management information systems?
Significant
progress
Managers now engage in effective data gathering and review activities. All key staff
have a good understanding of the progress of various cohorts of learners, and are
clear about actions to maintain and improve progress. Weekly assessor visits are
swiftly translated into meaningful and accessible data that allow managers and
assessors to act appropriately when learners fall behind with their training. Managers
review progress frequently, and senior management team meetings have a clear
focus on learners’ progress and success. Information systems have been well
structured to produce clear reports for managers and assessors to access. All key
data reports are available remotely as well as in the networked learning centre.
What progress has been made in ensuring that staff have
appropriate development and training for equality and
diversity and safeguarding matters?
Reasonable
progress
Although equality of opportunity was satisfactory at the previous inspection, staff
development was judged to be insufficient, and safeguarding arrangements did not
include formal risk assessments of employers’ premises. A clear equalities policy is
now in place and this is shared with employers and other partners. The board of
directors sets improvement targets and effectively monitors equality and diversity.
The board has a good gender balance and from January 2011 another female board
member will take up a post. Staff are clear about how to deal with sensitive
emotional or cultural issues and, where appropriate, a female member of staff will
attend a support session or assessment. Learners are given formal opportunities to
raise any concerns on at least three occasions and also have contact details of key
members of staff. Learners feel well informed and comfortable about raising any
concerns they may have. Good progress has been made in broadening the gender
balance among learners. The proportion of female learners has significantly
increased and is now at 37% compared with 8% at the inspection. SEDA has also
increased the range and diversity of businesses it now works with. The routine use of