Inspectors spent two days gathering evidence and speaking with staff, governors, apprentices and employers.
The University of Portsmouth’s degree apprenticeship provision has achieved the top rating in two of the three areas in which it was inspected when Ofsted conducted a New Provider Monitoring Visit.
Inspectors spent two days in March gathering evidence, observing educational activities, speaking with staff, governors, apprentices and employers and reviewing policy and process.
They assessed the University on three themes, and found that:
- “Significant progress” has been made in Leadership and Management and Quality of Education, meaning progress has been rapid and is already having a considerable beneficial impact on learners.
- “Reasonable progress” has been made in Safeguarding, meaning our actions are already having a beneficial impact on learners, and improvements are sustainable and are based on our thorough quality assurance procedures.
Paul Hayes, Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor, said: “We are delighted with this outcome. It is well deserved and reflects well on the hard work being undertaken to ensure the University continues on its journey to providing high quality apprenticeship programmes”.
The University has delivered degree apprenticeships since 2016, and currently has around 900 apprentices on programme, across 12 standards.
The Degree Apprenticeship team with Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor Paul Hayes. From left to right: Sophie Mansfield, Rebecca Dipancrazio, Amy Dymond-Hobbs, Paul Hayes, Claire Middleton and Paul Goldthorpe.
Would you like to earn a salary while you get a Bachelor's or Master's degree, without paying tuition fees?
Degree apprenticeships allow you to work as an employee while you study part time. They combine academic study from a traditional university degree with practical on-the-job experience and employment skills you need for a successful career.
About Ofsted inspection of degree apprenticeships
In April 2021, degree apprenticeships became part of Ofsted's remit for inspection. All universities delivering apprenticeships were classed as 'new providers' and therefore fell into Ofsted's scope for New Provider Monitoring Visits.
Ofsted grades providers using the following system:
- Significant progress: progress has been rapid and is already having considerable beneficial impact on learners.
- Reasonable progress: the provider’s actions are already having a beneficial impact on learners, and improvements are sustainable and are based on the provider’s thorough quality assurance procedures.
- Insufficient progress: progress has been either slow or insubstantial or both, and the demonstrable impact on learners has been negligible.