Crosby Management Training has completed its first inspection under Ofsted’s new five-point scorecard, the framework that replaced the old single-word grades (Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, Inadequate) from November 2025. The result: a Strong standard for apprentice participation and development, Expected standard across the remaining four judgement areas, and confirmation that our safeguarding standards are met.

For a provider now in its 29th year of trading (and one which was judged “Good” in every area at our last full inspection back in 2022) this is a result we’re proud to share, not least because it lands during a period of real growth: we’ve gone from 542 apprentices in 2022 to 821 today, across butchery, HR, L&D, coaching, management and senior people professional programmes.

A different Ofsted scale:

Ofsted has been clear that there is no direct read-across between the old grades and the new ones, so it’s worth pausing on what the new scale measures before getting into our results.

Rather than a single headline judgement, providers are now assessed area by area against five possible outcomes:

Grade What it means Exceptional

Practice of the highest standard nationally

Strong standard

Leaders are working above the standard expected of them

Expected Standard

The provider is meeting the professional standards required of it

Needs attention

Standards aren’t yet met, but improvement is achievable

Urgent improvement

Significant, urgent change is required

The important thing to understand is that ‘Expected standard’ is the benchmark for a well-functioning, high-performing provider.

It means we are meeting every statutory and professional requirement set out in legislation, not falling short in any single area. Strong standard, which sits above it, means inspectors judged us to be going further than that benchmark, in a specific area.

Our results:

Inspectors evaluated Crosby across broad headings, made up of five individually graded areas, plus a separate safeguarding judgement.

Area Grade Safeguarding Met Inclusion Expected standard Leadership and governance Expected standard Participation and development

Strong standard

Achievement Expected standard Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Inspectors confirmed that Crosby has an open and positive culture of safeguarding, in which concerns are actively identified and managed so that apprentices are made safer and feel safe.

What inspectors found:

Inclusion, leadership and governance.

Inspectors saw a provider that brings in external expertise to identify apprentices’ learning difficulties and support trainers to adapt their approach, with a graduated model that’s regularly revisited during progress reviews. On leadership, inspectors highlighted the strength of our employer relationships in specialist industries like food and drink processing and butchery, and a genuinely experienced governing board (including employer and apprentice representation) that holds leaders to account and digs into the detail of how achievement is being improved. Inspectors also commented favourably on how leaders look after their own people, from monitoring trainer caseloads to running regional colleague roadshows and many, long-standing and varied wellbeing events.

Apprenticeships.

This is where Crosby’s Strong standard sits, specifically for participation and development. Inspectors described a highly positive, inclusive culture in which apprentices feel valued, attend well and are highly committed to their studies, and praised how thoroughly British Values, the Prevent duty and careers guidance are woven into the programme from day one; including career development plans that apprentices build early and revisit throughout. On achievement, inspectors recognised that we had identified achievement rates on some apprenticeships as too low and had taken decisive action, including redesigning curriculums with employers, which has already reduced the proportion of apprentices leaving early. They also noted that our apprentices go on to take on real responsibility at work, with many gaining professional body membership (such as CIPD or the Institute of Meat), a promotion or a pay rise as a direct result of their apprenticeship. On curriculum and teaching, inspectors liked the practical, real-world way our trainers teach.

Our achievements and pass rates:

 

Year Achievement Rate (Crosby) Achievement Rate (National) Pass Rate (Crosby) Pass Rate (National) 2022/23 54% 55% 93% 97% 2023/24 66% 60% 95% 98% 2024/25 64% 65% 95% 98%

Ofsted assessed our achievement rate as close to the national average in each of the last three years and recognised that we’re focusing strongly on enhancing our scores.

What we’re focusing on next:

Inspectors set out four areas for continued development, which mirror our own improvement plan:

• Continuing to develop and implement inclusion strategies so that every apprentice with barriers to learning is supported to succeed.
• Continuing to work closely with newer trainers to make sure teaching is consistently well planned and delivered.
• Continuing to build on the strategies already improving retention and achievement.
• Continuing to be ambitious for our apprentices, including making sure all of them get access to the range of enrichment activities (from residentials to industry award ceremonies) that support their wider development.

Words from our leadership:

Paul Cadman, Crosby’s Chief Executive, said:

“In the words of Sir Martyn*, Expected Standard means you are doing right by your learners and that’s what we’re here to do, day in day out. At Crosby we delight in going the extra mile for our learners and their employers and Ofsted have recognised we do this and want us to do even more. This makes me very proud of my dedicated colleagues at Crosby, most of whom have been on this path for many years, always focused on our vision, mission and values. Of course, we want to do even better, be consistent across the board and this report does what Ofsted are here to do; help raise the bar. Thank you to the inspection team, thank you to our Board of Governors, our employers, learners and all of my lovely, talented colleagues.”

*Sir Martyn Oliver, Chief Inspector, Ofsted.

Governor quote, on behalf of Crosby’s Quality and Performance Board, said:

“We were both new to Crosby in 2022 so we’ve lived through the whole period since the last ‘Good’ report. It has been our pleasure to work with the truly caring and dedicated team at Crosby, always putting the learners and their employers first. The occupations we serve are often those within which apprentices move and change as a natural part of their progression or finding their way and Crosby doesn’t shy away from tackling this challenge and does so with care and compassion; this is admirable. We are delighted with this result and have been privileged to play our part along with our fellow Governors”

Sarah Meddings & Tammie Harwin

Read the full report You can read the full inspection report on the Ofsted reports website by searching for Crosby Management Training Ltd, URN 1278609.