An Ofsted inspection of Bournemouth University’s (BU) apprenticeship provision in June 2024 has judged it to be Outstanding.
The result judged the effectiveness of teaching and the learning environment on BU’s apprenticeship programmes, with BU judged to be outstanding in all categories of quality of education, behaviours and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and apprenticeships.
BU runs degree apprenticeships in a range of subjects from health and social care, and a Level 7 Senior Leader Apprenticeship run through BU’s Business School.
In health and social care, a depth of options include nursing, operating department practitioner, and advanced and enhanced clinical practitioner apprenticeships.
On judging the quality of BU’s provision, the Ofsted report said, “Leaders have established excellent strategic links with healthcare providers and the NHS to ensure that the curriculums they provide support regional and national skills needs. Lecturers are very skilful at ensuring that apprentices understand and remember what they have been taught.
“Apprentices value the highly supportive learning environment that leaders have
created. Leaders use the university’s research expertise to inform the highly effective training of staff. Apprentices see lecturers as aspirational role models who encourage them to enjoy their training and become highly motivated.”
Professor Philip Sewell, Director of Apprenticeships and Skills at Bournemouth University, said, “We’re so proud of all the work that goes in to making sure our apprentices are highly trained and ready for their future careers. We work with local businesses and organisations to make sure we’re teaching the skills that employer’s need and feed in our own research, utilising our facilities, to give apprentices the best possible experience while they are learning with us which results in high achievement rates.”
“Degree apprenticeships have grown as a very viable alternative to the traditional higher education route, and I would encourage anyone interested in progressing their skills to look at what BU has to offer.”
Emily Hughes, Managing Director of Evoko, who has been working with BU’s apprenticeship team said, “Being recognised as an Outstanding provider in a first inspection as a new provider is a significant achievement to be celebrated. Working towards a first full Ofsted inspection can be a daunting and overwhelming experience. However, by placing a significant focus on staff, systems and process development, the university has delivered a consistent upwards trajectory in all data and quality measures which underpinned inspection readiness.”
BU is only one of five universities to achieve an Outstanding rating, and the only university in the South-West to do so. Other Outstanding universities are Brunel, Teesside, Huddersfield and Manchester Metropolitan.
For more information about apprenticeships at BU for both employers and prospective apprentices, visit https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/studying-us/types-study/apprenticeships
