Firm defends Ofsted ‘fails’
PARENTA, a Maidstone com- pany providing services, includ- ing government-funded training for the childcare industry, has been found to be providing an inadequate service. An Ofsted inspection in July
found both outcomes for learn- ers and quality of provision in its Foundation Learning pro- grammes were inadequate. However, the company, which
has headquarters in Ashford Road, Maidstone and Sitting- bourne, says it will appeal, and claims that the assessment was based on just 1% of its work. At the time of the inspection
there were 22 students on the programme, funded by the De- partment of Education’s Educa- tion Funding Agency. Retention of students and achievement of their key objec- tives were low – 30 per cent left without completing the programme. Achievements of childcare qualifications and functional skills in maths were satisfactory, but skills in Eng- lish and personal and social development were very low. But Nick Williams, director at Parenta Group, said: “We be- lieve that inaccurate data was used to calculate success rates, which are significantly higher than those indicated. Even using their base data, the pub-
Ofsted did find that in the well-planned lessons, learners responded with interest and enthusiasm. Tutors provided clear verbal and written feed- back on work. Among the improvements Ofsted wanted to see was an analysis of why learners left the programme early. Mr Williams added: “Child-
Parenta director NickWilliams
lished success rates are wrong. “The inspector also believed
that we should be providing IT key skills as part of our child- care course, and marked us down significantly for not doing so.We have since proved to them that this is not a re- quirement of the course, and to penalise us for not providing it is therefore incorrect. “We have placed an appeal
with Ofsted, and await their re- sponse. We are also requesting another inspection as soon as is practical, and we are confident that theOfsted judgement is in- correct. “We feel we have fallen vic-
tim of the old inspection frame- work, which was changed two days later to a new process.”
care training accounts for around half of Parenta’s activities in the childcare market, with other services including administra- tion software, marketing and di- rect debit solutions. “Parenta provides training to around 1,500 learners at any one time, across the UK. These are almost all vocational quali- fications delivered in thework- place, and our Ofsted grade for this is satisfactory. “We have invested heavily in
this area since that grading, and the recent audits of this provi- sion place our service as satis- factory or good. “The Foundation Learning provision accounts for 16 stu- dents (around 1% of our learn- ers), and this is the provision that was the subject of the recent Ofsted inspection. It is impor- tant to place it in perspective as its findings do not reflect the service provided by the other 99% of the company.”
Council facing
kerb fall claims MAIDSTONE Council is facing claims from at least 14 people who have tripped and fallen on the new High Street paving. The council is aware of 45 complaints from pedestrians who have come a cropper on the new granite paving, of which 14 had submitted claims for compensation. However, tens of thousands
of people had walked on the paving without any incident since it was completed in June, the council heard. Council leader Chris Garland
said: “By early July, we had identified a trip hazard in the bus, taxi and loading bays, which we marked with yellow, and then black, paint and the new asphalt surface will en- hance the contrast. Many peo- ple have enjoyed the new High Street and the regeneration project has been an undoubted success which has seen the town teeming with people.”
Tree ‘could shear’ DOREEN Chesney has applied to fell a protected hornbeam tree at 25 Goldstone Walk, Walderslade. Her planning application, which will be determined by Maidstone Council, says one of the tree’s three trunks has a pro- nounced lean towards her garage and moved in high winds.
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