Ofsted Highlights Positive Impact and Inclusive Culture of LSST’s Adult Learning Programmes
By Kunal Chan Mehta | Article Date: 16 October 2026
LSST’s latest Ofsted inspection highlights numerous strengths in LSST’s construction training, learner support and work to help adults progress towards employment or self-employment.
Matt Garvey, Head of Further Education and Business Development at LSST, said: “I’m extremely proud of the work our Further Education team has done to support learners and help them build practical and site-ready skills for the workplace. The Ofsted inspection gives us a fantastic platform to build on that momentum and keep elevating the learner experience we offer.”
Ofsted rated LSST’s adult learning, inclusion and overall governance at the ‘Expected standard’ – together with meeting all safeguarding requirements. Throughout the report, inspectors positively mentioned LSST’s inclusive ethos across its management and finance, painting and decorating and traffic marshal courses. The report also highlighted LSST’s modern facilities, focus on skills development and employability and clear pathways into employment and self-employment as key strengths of its further education provision.
Ofsted Highlights
- Outcome: LSST achieved the ‘Expected standard’ across Inclusion, Leadership & Governance and Adult Learning Programmes – alongside meeting all Safeguarding standards.
- 100% CSCS Pass Rate: Every learner on LSST’s painting and decorating programmes earned their CSCS card – making them fully site-ready.
- Breaking Barriers for Women: LSST was praised for expanding female participation in construction through targeted recruitment, mentor networks and tailored female PPE.
- High Course Completion: Almost all adult learners – many starting from low educational baselines – successfully complete their training and qualifications.
- Direct Employer Links: Strong partnerships with industry leaders deliver mock interviews, site visits and direct recruitment pathways.
- Business Setup Support: Hands-on training includes practical guidance on tax, invoicing and business registration to help LSST learners launch as sole traders.
- Holistic Learner Support: LSST recognised for providing vital support, mental health care and basic necessities to support disadvantaged adults.
Training for work – and self-employment
Inspectors also highlighted how LSST helps adult learners turn construction skills into a livelihood. Alongside practical training, students learn how to price jobs, invoice customers and register as sole traders, giving them the knowledge to work for themselves as well as pursue employment.
Foteini Meleti, Senior Programme Manager at LSST, said: “For some learners, the next step is applying for a job. For others, it may be taking on work independently. In any case, we support our learners to understand the practical skills involved and to feel better prepared to take their next career step.”
Opening doors for women in construction
The Ofsted report also highlighted LSST’s relentless drive to widen participation and tear down the institutional barriers holding women back from trade careers.
Across the UK, women represent just 15% of the total construction workforce (CIOB 2023) – a figure that collapses to a dismal 1.5% for hands-on site-based trades (ONS 2024). LSST radically defies those numbers: 20% of LSST Skills Bootcamp cohorts are female, disrupting industry norms by more than ten times the national trade benchmark.
“Real women empowerment isn’t an invitation to step onto a construction site. For us, it’s building an environment where women own the space with absolute authority,” said Foteini Meleti. “By pairing high-calibre practical training with female-fitted kit and visible role models, we aren’t just breaking trade stereotypes – we are helping women build high-earning and wholly independent futures on their own terms.”
Inspectors also praised LSST’s leadership for building a truly inclusive ecosystem – radically overhaul recruitment, pairing learners with female mentor networks and deploying tailored female-fitted protective equipment so women can train confidently and fully.
🎬 Hear from Nicole about how our Painting and Decorating Bootcamp helped her set up her business in construction
Strong employer links
Industry backing stands out as a core strength in Ofsted’s report, with employers confirming LSST learners are thoroughly prepared to step straight into active construction roles. By embedding regular touchpoints into the programmes – ranging from mock recruitment drives to live project walkthroughs with sector leaders like MACE, Morgan Sindall Infrastructure and Wates – LSST ensures its adult learners transition seamlessly from training directly into the workforce.
Ezekiel Afolabi, who works across LSST’s construction programmes, said: “Strong and sustained employer involvement helps our learners connect their training with the expectations of the workplace. Guest talks, mock interviews and opportunities to see construction projects in practice can help learners understand the range of routes into the industry.”
🎬 WATCH: Launch Your Construction Career in London
Watch LSST’s practical training in action and see how adult learners develop site-ready confidence, master hands-on techniques, and connect directly with leading construction employers.
A growing Further Education offer
LSST’s Further Education provision has also expanded through a £500,00 adult-skills funding from the Greater London Authority as part of the London Talent Pathway, construction Skills Bootcamps in West Sussex and matrix Standard accreditation. The institution was also named a Distinguished Provider of Adult Education by the Mayor of London in 2025.
Matt Garvey said: “Our first two years of Further Education have been both exciting and rewarding. All of us at LSST are proud of our achievements and the positive impact we have made on so many lives. We look forward to driving the success of adults seeking to retrain in construction and their exciting role in the development of London’s skyline.”
“Building on from our Skills Bootcamp, LSST is now offering adults the chance to develop qualifications in Painting & Decorating alongside support to become self employed,” added Matt. “Unlike Skills Bootcamps we shall be delivering all year with up to ten start dates points for adults across the city.”
Ready to build your career on your own terms?
Adults who live in London, are unemployed or on low incomes and would like to retrain in construction should visit: www.lsst.ac/start-your-career-in-construction/
Read the Ofsted report here: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/33/2814824
References
Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) (2023) Diversity and Inclusion in Construction: UK Industry Benchmark Report. Bracknell: CIOB.
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2024) EMP13: Employment by Industry and Sex (UK Construction Sector). London: ONS.
For further details or media inquiries, contact LSST’s Public Relations Manager via kunal.mehta@lsst.ac.
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