Babington Reviews 

I started learning with Babington in September 2022 and although I had a pretty uncertain start with my previous skills coach leaving and not being assigned a new skills coach for a few weeks later, I have found my new skills coach very useful and supportive. Although assignments at the beginning were taking some time to be marked, this soon changed when the staffing issues were resolved. My skills coach is willing to help wherever possible and she is always available when I have requested last minute calls/meetings. She is experienced in all subject areas and gives examples based on her own work and experience.

I had been out of education for several years before starting my Level 3 HR Support Apprenticeship with CIPD included. It took me a while to adjust getting into routine of studying again. Babington supported me greatly with this. The course I did was completely remote, with regular catch ups with my skills coach who helped me with deadlines, learning tips as per my learning style. I enjoyed my course and found that it helped me progress within my role in HR. I found doing the CIPD alongside the apprenticeship was a great way to gain my CIPD qualification. The apprenticeship learning fit really well with the assignments. I would recommend Babington to anybody looking to do an apprenticeship and would look at studying through them again for any future qualifications.

I have found my coach extremely personable, supportive and experienced in all subject areas. She has been willing to help at the drop of a hat to share her broad knowledge, or just give moral support. The BUD system is straight forward and easy to use. I do think that Babington could benefit from more Workshops giving students from different sectors the opportunity to share experiences.

The ILM 3 provided me the knowledge and skills I had to demonstrate as a manager. I would recommend the course to anyone willing to better themselves professionally. A fantastic support was also provided - great tutors dedicated to your goals and objectives.

Great service from Babington. I did a L3 Business administration apprenticeship, I have gained a huge amount of knowledge and can't thank my skills coach enough.

The support from my coach was second to none. He was understanding and supportive and helped me manage my apprenticeship with my current job. I achieved a distinction and this was down to the support from my coach!

I think Babington have provided me with immense knowledge and have increased my skillset and job opportunities. My skills coach, Lucy, was beyond amazing. There are usually teachers or mentors that will live in your mind forever because of their positivity and ability to teach, and Lucy is one of them. I was constantly provided with help, learning resources, and I was constantly provided with positivity about my work and my abilities. This has been beyond beneficial and actually helped me obtain a promotion. Amazing experience and amazing skills coach - overall a positive experience and would recommend.

I worked with my Babington Skills coach Elaine during my Operations or Departmental Manager diploma and standard qualifications. I had excellent support from Elaine throughout the process, understanding when to check in to provide support, and having regular catch up sessions to stay on track.

I'm really grateful to Elaine and the wider Babington team for supporting me on this stage of my professional journey.

Babington were extremely supportive throughout my learning journey, specifically my coach Elaine Porter, she shared her knowledge and experience to guide me through the programme. Achieving a distinction in my apprenticeship and an ILM diploma highlights the dedication and amazing support I received from Elaine. The apprenticeship provided me with the skills and understanding to support my advancement within my organisation; all skills learnt are the building blocks for further self awareness and development. I would recommend Babington to any potential students who can be assured they will receive the support required to be successful in their apprenticeship.

i loved taking part in this apprenticeship - Babington were amazingly supportive and my coach was always on hand to provide support and guidance as required

I have done a number of different level qualifications and Apprenticeships through Babington and this has supported my whole career.
Each time has been professional and well delivered.
I would absolutely recommend Babington.

Babbington currently support my apprentice teams within a huge organisation, I am super impressed with the way that they work - their coaches come onto site and I honestly feel as though they are apart of our regular in house team, they have a direct link to the operation and have a wide span of knowledge when it comes to our products and services, this link is particularly important for us as the apprenticeship and our operation are so closely interlinked, however in the past it hasnt always worked as seamlessly. They push our apprentices to be accountable for their work, coach them fantastically and are always on hand for any support that they would need... there is always someone on hand to answer any questions that we have... I truthfully don't have a bad word to say and would recommend Babbington to any large organisation.

I have been on an apprenticeship with Babington since October 2023, Babington are useless. They are extremely disorganised, failing to meet every target they set for providing us information by email, Teams calls, marking submissions and more. For example, submissions are supposed to be marked within a couple of working days, I have not had any marked for 3 months. The teacher makes basic mistakes in every lesson and keeps contradicting the books, when this is pointed out he says the books are wrong. The skills coach goes massively overtime in the calls, assuming they happen at all, one of my colleagues has not had a call yet with the skills coach as the skills coach has cancelled all seven that were booked. We are asked to fill out forms and then not emailed the forms. Deadlines are constantly missed.

Dreadful IT, no support for apprenticeship. Extremely disorganised and misleading.

I signed up in March 2023 for a course. The administration missed on deadlines and some were exceptionally rude as didn’t know what they were doing at all. It took them a month to complete correctly the paperwork! But the troubles did not really stop here. Took them over a month to get the link to the live tutoring right. There were new links and old links and they could not make their mind which one would be used. When they finally got it the recording link was then constantly showing error in opening. 6 moths in the course still have no record of the recordings to refer to or any contact with the tutor. Seem to have completely disappeared.
But if only this was the problem. The trainer, Jane Tansey who is supposed to help and assist the Apprentice would refuse to communicate by email and email any of the guidance, for instance what is required to complete the off-job hours, what evidence is required and she didn’t possess any knowledge on what is required by AAT, etc. She would be raising her voice when doesn’t suit her to answer direct question or accuse the apprentice of being rude, she would avoid support as she simply has been put there to spend an hour every so often and tick boxes. Absolute waste of space and time.
Oh, and Karl Edwards is another Babington delightful character. It is very difficult to get in touch with Karl, it took more than 6 months to get anyone form the Functional skills team. Although numerous emails no response was received. Exams were not booked although it stated they were booked. No links were received for the exams and no guidance whatsoever. The telephone presented for contact was belonging to someone else as there was a female voice recording and never answered. Complete waste of time and disappointment.
Not only as soon as the government finding was received, they have withdrawn the course and all communication suspended, leaving both the employer and the apprentice in a limbo.
IT’S A SCAM. AVOID AT ANY COST!

I took my rottie and staffing there I got my rottie back verry thin and three months latter I had to put her down

Terrible terrible provider. Had 7 different tutors as staff keep leaving. They have just made half the staff redudant and pulled a training programme mid through studying with no comms. Don't return emails or calls, absolutely shocking service. AVOID

Dreadful communication. I had to withdraw from the course due misinformation from Babington staff. This meant I missed out on other course option with a different eduction provider.

Also, the staff were unable to use Teams. Many issue setting up basic meeting. Also, the course leader had a private conversation on Teams with a member of the cohort which should had been secure.

Disappointed as the course seems to have good subject matter, but the execution is frustrating.

I remember looking at other options before investing time and money in Babington.

I worked at Babington as a Skills Coach and I found the induction to be below acceptable. I also got frustrated time and time again at the lack of adequate training following induction. Every Coach is drowning in work and they have an incredibly high turnover of staff although management will never admit it however learners know because they tend to end up with multiple coaches. I left due to bad management and ridiculously high KPIs some of the worst I’ve ever seen in my career. I was going through a stressful time in my life and the support wasn’t there yet they preach about well-being and how supportive they are. As a business they are all about the money. I’ve had a fair amount of employers and roles and Babington are in the top 5 worst. I actually feel ashamed that they are on my CV.

I would give 0 stars if possible. My government department paid £20,000 for my level 7 apprenticeship with Babbington. In exchange I got a skills coach who would help with English and maths, I have GCSE As in both so unnecessary. Plus a pile of Kaplan books which would have cost in total around £300. Plus about 3 hours of tuition per exam- they call it a ‘boot camp’. For my CIMA case study they asked me to submit 2 mock exams. They marked just one of them (well no marks in terms of numbers, just a few comments) and gave it back 2 days before the exam (took 2 weeks to mark?).
Contrast this with what Kaplan, BPP or other proper provider would give. A fully taught course with around 12 hours of tuition per exam. 3 or more fully marked mock exams for the case study. And because it is an apprenticeship it is the same price Babbington charge.
Someone in Babington has persuaded the government that this is a proper course, it isn’t. Shame on you Babington.