Positive Approach Limited

Positive Approach Academy for Hair Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Jacquie Brown, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection date(s): 18–19 September 2019

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: 14 Oswald Road Scunthorpe DN15 7PT Monitoring visit: Positive Approach Academy for Hair Limited, 18–19 September 2019

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Context and focus of visit

From October 2018, Ofsted undertook to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of apprenticeship training provision which began to be funded from April 2017 or after by ESFA and/or the apprenticeship levy. This monitoring visit was undertaken as part of those arrangements and as outlined in the ‘Further education and skills inspection handbook’, especially the sections entitled ‘Monitoring visits’ and ‘Monitoring visits to providers that are newly directly publicly funded’. The focus of these visits is on the themes set out below.

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Context and focus of visit

Positive Approach Academy for Hair Limited is an employer training provider which has its head office in Scunthorpe. It provides training to apprentices in 17 locations across the country, with the largest sites being in Scunthorpe and Norwich. The provider first received funding to deliver apprenticeships in January 2018. It currently has 157 apprentices enrolled on standards-based and framework programmes in hairdressing and barbering. Of these, 110 are on level 2 professional hairdressing programmes and 40 are on level 3 hairdressing programmes.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have a clear understanding of the labour market in which they operate. They are aware of the national shortage of hairdressers and have developed their provision to meet this need. They have developed and implemented an effective curriculum which enables apprentices to learn new knowledge, skills and behaviours. Leaders ensure that they meet the requirements of an apprenticeship. They make sure that apprentices receive their entitlement to off-the-job training and are able to develop their English and mathematical skills on functional skills courses if they do not have an appropriate qualification.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have put a suitable recruitment and selection process in place to ensure that they recruit the most appropriate apprentices. The vast majority of apprentices are aged 16 to 18 and are new to the industry or are adults progressing to the next level of apprenticeship.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers provide appropriate resources to support high-quality training for apprentices. Staff have significant vocational experience. They access useful training to update their subject knowledge and to develop the use of strategies to deliver high-quality teaching, training and assessment. However, managers have not Monitoring visit: Positive Approach Academy for Hair Limited, 18–19 September 2019 recruited enough English and mathematics tutors. This impacts adversely on the development of apprentices’ English and mathematical skills in vocational sessions.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors have a strong understanding of what employers need, and they design the curriculum well to support employers’ businesses. Their expertise enables them to model the right curriculum and emphasise the most appropriate knowledge and skills needed by apprentices when working in employers’ salons.

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Reasonable progress

Managers use frequent reviews to manage the performance of staff effectively. They accurately identify the strengths and areas for improvement for each member of staff. They put actions in place, with appropriate timescales, to improve the provision.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have developed appropriate governance arrangements to provide support and challenge to senior leadership. They have recently appointed an external governor who has significant experience in hairdressing and in teaching, training and assessment.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors use a range of assessment methods effectively to check if apprentices have remembered or mastered a technique. They ensure that when apprentices work with employers, they have the knowledge and skills to perform a technique accurately. Tutors ensure that apprentices access high-quality off-the-job training which they plan well into the curriculum. This supports apprentices to develop new knowledge, skills and behaviours quickly. Tutors provide apprentices, staff and employers with a good understanding of the requirements and arrangements for the end-point assessment.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices make the expected progress on their apprenticeships. Tutors monitor the progress of apprentices effectively through frequent progress reviews. This enables them to identify any apprentices who have fallen behind and to put support in place. Apprentices are aware of their progress and know what they need to do to improve. Apprentices on functional skills courses develop their English and mathematical skills and make appropriate progress towards achieving their qualifications.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors and assessors have a strong understanding about which components they teach and when and why they teach them. Apprentices are clear why they learn things in the order that they do.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors do not plan careers guidance well enough. As a result, apprentices do not know the full range of their possible next steps, such as wider industry options. By the end of their apprenticeships, they have an insufficient understanding of the business side of the industry. Monitoring visit: Positive Approach Academy for Hair Limited, 18–19 September 2019 At the start of the programme, tutors identify apprentices’ prior knowledge in English and mathematics effectively. However, they do not use this information consistently in vocational sessions to develop apprentices’ skills. Tutors do not adequately record apprentices’ prior vocational knowledge and skills. As a result, a few tutors do not take account of what apprentices can and cannot do at the start of their programmes when planning learning.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers ensure that appropriate safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ duty policies and procedures are in place . However, they have been slow to implement a ‘Prevent’ duty risk assessment and action plan. As a result, it is too soon to see the impact of the plan.

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Reasonable progress

The designated safeguarding lead has completed appropriate safeguarding training to be effective in the role. Three trained deputies provide good support to the designated safeguarding lead. Managers have suitable safe recruitment processes in place which ensure that staff are appropriate to work with apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

Managers ensure that staff and apprentices complete effective safeguarding training. As a result, staff know how to safeguard apprentices, and apprentices know how to keep themselves safe. Apprentices have a basic understanding of the risks of radicalisation and extremism. They have a good understanding of health and safety requirements in the workplace.

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Reasonable progress

Managers have an effective process in place to track and monitor safeguarding concerns, and they work effectively with external agencies. Monitoring visit: Positive Approach Academy for Hair Limited, 18–19 September 2019 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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