VLUK
Strategic Partner
As part of Bradford Academy’s drive to provide viable education for learners on a wide range of
pathways we have created links with VLUK. A company that facilitates educational qualifications
based at sporting venues across the county.
Background
Bradford Academy holds a contract to deliver sports programmes within professional football and
sports clubs within 60-90 minutes of Bradford Academy.
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The delivery of the programmes is subcontracted to VLUK
o Established in 2007, Virtual Alliance Ltd, trading as VLUK, provides full time sportsbased courses throughout the UK. In 2015/16, VLUK has over 1000 learners on Level 2
and 3 programmes at 50 Professional Sports Clubs.
For 2016, the subcontracting is considered “whole programme”. In line with the latest
guidance from EFA, from September 2017, the subcontracting will not be whole programme
and will be delivered in BA infrasture with BA staff delivering part of the programme
o Please refer to the EFA compliance register in Bradford Academy which demonstrates
compliance with EFA guidance at all times
Curriculum
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Provision on behalf of BA predominantly focusses on level 3 BTEC National Extended Diploma
in Sport (Performance and Excellence) with some learners studying level 2.
In 2016/17, there are 175 learners on roll at Bradford Academy who are undertaking their
study programme through VLUK
These study programmes are across 4 delivery sites – Bury, Bury Football, Feta, and Pro
Football
Compliance
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VLUK employs teachers, coaches and assessors in all of the delivery sites. Some work across
multiple sites to allow their roles to be full time. This is fully compliant with EFA funding
requirements.
Ongoing Monitoring and Learner Records
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VLUK, is part of the Virtual Alliance Group, which owns and operate The Sports Brain platform.
o The Sports Brain is used extensively to deliver and monitor achievement in all
programmes at all sites and is available to BA at all times.
VLUK
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Learner records are available to BA at all times. This includes all documentation relating to all
aspects of the learners records and is updated on a live platform
Infrastructure
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BA have established an infrastuture to allow this programme to operate. The infrastructure
includes a senior member of teaching staff (Business and Development Manager who holds
NPQH and QTS) and a senior member of associtate staff. The areas which they monitor ona
weekly basis at all sites is: EFA compliance, Administration, Attendance, Achievement,
Behaviour and Safety, Teaching and Learning, Ofsted (SAR / SEF), Links to BA, Contract growth
and sustainability and Infrastructure developments
Visit Forms are used to QA the provision.
Weekly Checks
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The business manager undertakes weekly site checks across all sites (on a rotation) and meets
with staff regulalry. This is to ensure full EFA compliance and in particular that ZERO learners
are outside of the 90-minute radius for distance to travel. In actial fact, in 2016/17 ALL learners
are within 50 minutes of BA (The majority within 45)
o During the visits learning walks, learner discussions, parent recruitment, student
badges, site presence, attendance checks, safeguarding checks, BTEC quality checks
as well as other detailed monitoring is undertaken.
o Please note some visits are no-notice visits so VLUK (and the sites) are inspected
fairly
o All visits comply with EFA funding regulations and use an electronic form to complete
and collate statistics including a check on Learner Agreements and DBS records for all
learners / staff across all sites
SAR and Self Evaluation Formulation
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VLUK are contracted to provide a Quality Assurance Report (QAR) to BA at regular intervals
(November, April and End of Year)
Upon receipt of the QAR, BA selects several learners for each site where progress could be
an issue and a detailed lesson observation with a specific leaner focus takes place including
parental discussion, site lead, tutor and student discussion as well as intervention planning
The QAR that VLUK provides is based on live data and observations and will be used with
Ofsted
A Vice Principal within VLUK undertakes this function and meets with staff at BA on a
regular basis
VLUK
BTEC Quality Checking
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The lead BTEC nominee, the subject nominee and the Business and Development Manager
meet monthly to assess the provision and ensure compliance
On each site visit a check on the IV process at each site is undertaken and recorded on the site
visit form:
o Have the students completed what the assessor says they have completed on the unit
tracking record? (state a learner name and give detailed examples)
o IV records are checked against tracking documentation (see learner work and on
separate documentation check it was IV)
o Are any actions stated by the IV followed up?
Safeguarding
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The business manager and a VLUK Vice Principal are Named Person Trained. These operate
across all sites with standardised referrals, and record keeping embedded at all sites. All
records of learners are compliant with safeguarding procedures and if any issues arise with a
learner then the clubs and learners have a points of contact
Each site operates as a mini school and has full safeguarding records maintained including a
single central record for that site
All staff are expected to be PREVENT and Child Protection trained annually and the SCR for
each site reflect this. This ensures that BA duty of care to its learners is compliant eith EFA and
DfE legislation
Trips and visits at each site are risk assessed using BA EVC systems implemented at each site
Note – 2016/2017 – The provision at BA is NEW. Therefore, no commentary exists for prior
attainment or progress measures – this to be provided by VLUK throughout the year and
evaluated accordingly.