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Parkdean Resorts UK Limited
Monitoring visit report
Unique reference number: 2626877
Name of lead inspector: Cath Jackson, Her Majesty’s Inspector
Inspection dates: 21–22 April 2021
Type of provider:
Employer
1 Gosforth Park Way
Address: Newcastle upon Tyne
NE12 8ETMonitoring visit: main findings
Context and focus of visit
From October 2018, Ofsted undertook to carry out monitoring visits to all newly
directly funded providers of apprenticeship training provision which began to be
funded from April 2017 or after by ESFA and/or the apprenticeship levy. This
monitoring visit was undertaken as part of those arrangements and as outlined in the
Further education and skills inspection handbook, especially the sections entitled
‘Monitoring visits’ and ‘Monitoring visits to providers that are newly directly publicly
funded’. The focus of these visits is on the themes set out below.
Parkdean Resorts UK Limited began to provide apprenticeships to its own employees
from January 2020. Currently, the company has five apprentices on standards-based
programmes in hospitality team member at level 2, customer service practitioner at
level 2, and business administrator at level 3. Apprentices work either in the
company’s head office or in holiday parks across the country. All apprentices are over
the age of 18.
The impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) has been taken into account in the findings
and progress judgements below.
Themes
How much progress have leaders made in Reasonable progress
ensuring that the provider is meeting all the
requirements of successful apprenticeship
provision?
Leaders have a clear rationale for the apprenticeship programmes that they provide. Their
strategy is to build on the company’s experience in the hospitality industry and meet the
demand for skilled staff in holiday park settings.
Leaders acted swiftly to protect apprentices’ jobs when some work roles were made
redundant due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Apprentices secured new roles in areas of the
business which interested them, and which have allowed them to continue their training.
Leaders ensure that training officers and line managers provide apprentices with training
that develops the skills and behaviours that they need to carry out their job roles and
achieve their apprenticeship standards. Managers and training officers benefit
from training to update and maintain their professional and vocational knowledge and
skills. Training officers hold suitable teaching qualifications, and managers with
responsibility for assuring the quality of apprenticeships have appropriate qualifications
and experience.
Monitoring visit: Parkdean Resorts UK Limited, 21–22 April 2021
2Managers use information about apprentices’ starting points to ensure that apprentices
are on the most appropriate programme for their job role and their development needs.
Staff accurately identify gaps in apprentices’ knowledge and skills at the start of the
programmes and devise a logically sequenced plan of learning for each apprentice.
Leaders and managers maintain appropriate oversight of the progress that apprentices
are making. Training officers monitor their apprentices’ development and report any
concerns to managers. Where apprentices have fallen behind, for example, due to the
impact of COVID-19 or breaks in learning, managers ensure that training officers help
apprentices to catch up.
Leaders ensure that apprentices receive their full entitlement to time for off-the-job
training. However, managers and training officers do not evaluate closely enough the
quality of apprentices’ off-the-job training. In a few cases, staff do not prepare
apprentices well enough for what they need to do, and apprentices do not make the best
use of their study time.
What progress have leaders and managers made Reasonable progress
in ensuring that apprentices benefit from high-
quality training that leads to positive outcomes
for apprentices?
Line managers provide high quality on-the-job training to apprentices in holiday parks and
at the head office. Apprentices develop substantial new knowledge, skills, and behaviours
as a result of this training. Business administration apprentices use their new knowledge
and skills to plan effective social media campaigns, and hospitality team member
apprentices train colleagues in reception skills. Apprentices become effective and valued
employees and take on extra responsibilities.
Training officers ensure that apprentices benefit from workplace experiences that enable
them to meet the requirements of their apprenticeship standard. Training officers liaise
closely with line managers to make sure that hospitality team member apprentices have
an appropriate balance of customer-facing work and administration tasks.
Training officers check how well apprentices can relate their new knowledge to their job
roles and workplaces. They accurately identify any emerging gaps in apprentices’
understanding and skills. Training officers inform line managers promptly about any issues
and set actions for apprentices to take if they fall behind.
Staff train apprentices to use the digital skills that they need for the apprenticeship and
their job roles. This enables apprentices to become adept in using their employer’s
systems. Staff help apprentices to improve their communication skills. For example,
hospitality team member apprentices develop their confidence in dealing with the public,
such as when greeting customers as they check in to holiday parks. Customer service
practitioner apprentices learn how to adapt communication to different audiences
through, for example, composing accurate and professional emails to customers and less
Monitoring visit: Parkdean Resorts UK Limited, 21–22 April 2021
3formal emails to colleagues. Training officers are less effective at helping apprentices to
develop their knowledge and skills in mathematics.
Apprentices produce work that meets the level required for their qualification and a few
apprentices exceed that level. Training officers encourage apprentices to undertake
independent research to develop their knowledge. However, a few apprentices lack the
study skills that they need for independent research, and struggle to link their findings to
their job roles.
How much progress have leaders and managers Reasonable progress
made in ensuring that effective safeguarding
arrangements are in place?
Leaders and staff promote a culture of working safely across the organisation. Managers
ensure that safeguarding policies and procedures are in place and that staff and
apprentices are aware of these.
The designated safeguarding lead and designated safeguarding officers are appropriately
qualified. Leaders ensure that staff are subject to Disclosure and Barring Service checks to
ensure that they are suitable to work with apprentices.
Leaders have established links with police forces in the regions in which holiday parks are
situated and are aware of local issues and risks. They ensure that apprentices and staff
have a suitable understanding of the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism.
Apprentices feel safe. They know how to report issues if they have any concerns about
their safety. Apprentices have a basic understanding of safeguarding and of the dangers
of radicalisation and extremism, but little awareness of any local risks.
Monitoring visit: Parkdean Resorts UK Limited, 21–22 April 2021
4If you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted.
The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted)
regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young
people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and
inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family
Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher
training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education
and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council
children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding
and child protection.
If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print
or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.
You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format
or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence,
visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/, write to the
Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email:
psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk.
This publication is available at http://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/.
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Monitoring visit: Parkdean Resorts UK Limited, 21–22 April 2021
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