The University of Bolton’s degree Apprenticeship Provision has been rated ‘good’ after an Ofsted inspection.

A team of six Ofsted Inspectors, led by one of His Majesty’s Inspectors, visited the University on Deane Road between May 14 and 17 and looked at a range of degree apprenticeships, including those in nursing, health, and engineering.

According to the Ofsted report, the University has been awarded good for its overall effectiveness as well as good in all areas including in the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and apprenticeships.

The report has complimented the University in several ways.

It states: “Apprentices enjoy their experience at university. They acquire valuable knowledge, skills and behaviours. Employers appreciate the significant contribution apprentices make to their workforce.

“Apprentices benefit from highly relevant curriculums. Employers actively contribute to the content, design and, in some instances, the teaching of the curriculum.

“Most apprentices appreciate the high standard of education and training they receive. They enjoy being taught by experienced vocational experts.

“Lecturers successfully develop apprentices’ character, resilience and their wider professional skills.

“Lecturers create a calm and focused learning environment, putting on additional sessions to help apprentices improve their performance to benefit themselves and their team. Apprentices attend regularly and are punctual. 

“Apprentices know how to keep themselves and others safe when at university and in the workplace.”

The leaders were highly praised for the work they do to support apprentices.

The report states: “Leaders are passionate about providing specialist apprenticeships that benefit the communities they serve.

“They offer pathways to enhanced career opportunities that apprentices may not be able to access via traditional routes.

“Lecturers have specialist knowledge and a wealth of academic and vocational experience.

“Most lecturers use an effective range of teaching strategies to motivate apprentices and to help them grasp key concepts.

“Leaders have made significant changes to the management of apprenticeship provision and have transformed the culture.

“Leaders recognise the importance of professional development for lecturers. They have created a centre for higher education research and practice to focus on the quality and improvement of teaching.”

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The report has also shared ways in which the University can improve.

It states: “Ensure apprentices experience a consistently high standard of teaching through lecturers providing stimulating lectures and carefully checking apprentices’ learning.

“Improve the organisation and quality of assessment and feedback on a minority of apprenticeships so apprentices can manage their workload effectively and know what they need to do to improve.”

Leadership and management was also graded “good”. The inspectors recognised that leaders have “taken swift incisive actions” to bring about improvements. 

After the inspection, Ofsted said leaders have developed a culture of continuous improvement across the organisation and place apprentices’ experience, development and progress first.

Professor George E Holmes DL, President and Vice Chancellor of the University of Bolton, said: “I am delighted that thanks to the ongoing hard work of the team and their passion, commitment and dedication, the University’s degree apprenticeship provision has received such a positive outcome following the recent Ofsted inspection.

“I am especially pleased that the inspectors recognised that there is a culture of continuous improvement here at the University of Bolton.

“We will continue to put our learners at the heart of everything we do. This fact is evidenced year on year at the University by our top levels of student satisfaction relative to other universities in the Greater Manchester and North West region.”

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