Exceed Training Company Limited

Exceed Training Company Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Ian Frear, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

13 Crown Street Halifax HX1 1TT Monitoring visit: Exceed Training Company Limited, 27 and 28 July 2022

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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 the Education and Skills Funding Agency 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

Exceed Training Company Limited is an independent learning provider that began apprenticeship training in 2006 as a subcontractor for a local further education college. It secured its own directly funded contract through the Education and Skills Funding Agency to provide apprenticeship training in hairdressing standards from September 2020. The provider offers two apprenticeship standards. At the time of the inspection, there were 27 apprentices on the level 2 hair professional standard and 11 apprentices on the level 3 advanced and creative hair professional standard. Almost all apprentices were female with over three quarters under the age of 19.

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Significant progress

Leaders have designed a curriculum to successfully meet the needs of employers. They choose the content of the training to fully meet employer requirements and to develop apprentices’ knowledge and skills beyond the minimum requirements of the apprenticeship standard. Apprentices are able to choose to complete optional modules that meet their interests and aspirations. Leaders provide options to study either straightening, perming or hair extensions and, in some cases, apprentices study multiple disciplines to widen their skills as hairdressers.

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Significant progress

Leaders employ highly skilled and experienced hairdressing practitioners as tutors. They recognise that apprentices need to learn from professionals who are experts in their field. Staff receive extensive professional development such as training about fashionable hair colours, straightening techniques and hair treatment products. Almost all staff are salon owners or work in hairdressing salons alongside their teaching role.

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Significant progress

Leaders provide apprentices with helpful careers advice and guidance so that they understand their future career options. Apprentices know that to progress to the Monitoring visit: Exceed Training Company Limited, 27 and 28 July 2022 next level they must take on increased client lists and practise more technically challenging styles. Apprentices who aim to progress to the level 3 course recognise that this will prepare them well for enhanced, long-term career opportunities within the hair sector.

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Significant progress

Leaders have a rigorous recruitment strategy for apprentices. They hold regular Sunday salon open days so that apprentices can find out about the training. Staff conduct skills assessments to determine starting points and ask apprentices to complete work placements to determine apprentices’ employability skills. As a result, apprentices are well prepared for the demands of the apprenticeship and to work in the hairdressing industry.

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Significant progress

Those in a governance role are suitably qualified to carry out their role. Most are practicing hairdressers or from an education background. They provide rigorous support and challenge to leaders which promotes a culture of improvement. Leaders and managers have an accurate view of the strengths of the provision and the few areas where they need to make improvements.

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Significant progress

Teachers collect detailed information about apprentices’ existing skills and knowledge at the start of the programme. They use this information very well to plan and sequence their teaching to ensure apprentices make progress in developing the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to be successful hairdressers. Staff ensure that apprentices start by learning important knowledge, such as how to work safely in the salon and about successful client interaction before moving swiftly on to developing their knowledge of styling, advanced cutting and creative-colouring techniques.

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Significant progress

Teachers carefully synchronise high-quality off-the-job training with the on-the-job training that employers provide. As a result, apprentices make very good progress developing the skills and behaviours they need to be successful at work. For example, apprentices quickly improve the speed and accuracy of their cutting skills and they demonstrate enhanced customer care when dealing with clients. Apprentices rarely fall behind and if they do, teachers swiftly intervene to help them to catch up. If staff identify that apprentices require additional learning support, they quickly put this in place.

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Significant progress

Teachers use a range of effective assessment methods. They check that apprentices understand how to improve their posture and cutting techniques by observing them and providing them with high-quality feedback. They coach apprentices to improve by modelling the expert techniques and skills they need as practitioners. Apprentices aspire to achieve the same level of expertise as their teachers. Consequently, apprentices are ambitious and thoroughly prepared to work as skilled hairdressers. Monitoring visit: Exceed Training Company Limited, 27 and 28 July 2022 Teachers successfully develop apprentices’ English and mathematics knowledge and skills. Apprentices frequently use ratios and percentages accurately to calculate colour mixing, peroxide strengths and counteractions of tone. Teachers develop apprentices’ technical language very well and apprentices can use specific hairdressing terminology fluently.

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Significant progress

Leaders have rigorous quality assurance arrangements in place. Leaders successfully improve teaching by providing staff with high-quality and well-structured training. The recent training to improve the way teachers use information about apprentices’ starting points to plan training is already having a positive impact on the progress that apprentices make.

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Reasonable progress

Staff are well trained in safeguarding and receive regular updates to ensure their knowledge is up to date. Staff identify apprentices who are at risk and intervene swiftly to provide support. Those responsible for safeguarding are trained to an appropriate level and know when and how to escalate concerns to external agencies.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices are safe and know how to keep themselves safe. Teachers discuss topics such as the risks of drink spiking and sexual abuse with apprentices during ‘news and views’ sessions to deepen their awareness of the dangers that are relevant to them.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders rightly identify that they need to improve training for apprentices, so that they fully understand the risks that working in salons presents. Apprentices handle chemicals that are potentially explosive and they need to fully understand the risks and what to do if they have concerns. Monitoring visit: Exceed Training Company Limited, 27 and 28 July 2022 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

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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

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