Halls of Ivy Beauty Academy Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Halls of Ivy Beauty Academy Limited

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Inspection dates: 18 to 21 September 2023

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Apprenticeships Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this provider

Halls of Ivy Beauty Academy Limited (HOI) is an independent training provider based in Romford, east London. HOI began teaching apprenticeships on its direct contract in 2018.

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Information about this provider

At the time of the inspection, there were 25 apprentices studying the level 2 hair professional hairdressing standard, six apprentices studying the level 2 hair professional barbering standard, 10 apprentices studying the level 2 beauty therapist standard, three apprentices studying the level 3 advanced and creative hair professional standard and two apprentices studying the level 3 advanced beauty therapist standard.

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Information about this provider

More than half of the apprentices are working towards qualifications in functional skills in English and/or mathematics, mainly at level 2. Thirty-eight apprentices are under 19 years of age.

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Information about this provider

Apprentices are located across London and Essex. They study their courses at training centres in Romford and Chelmsford. The provider does not work with any subcontractors. 18 to 21 September 2023

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices do not have good enough attendance and punctuality to their lessons. Staff do not set a culture of high expectations of attendance and punctuality. They do not monitor punctuality or challenge lateness suitably. As a result, apprentices’ attendance remains low, and they miss out on learning opportunities available to them.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices who attend have positive attitudes to their studies. They value learning new skills that are relevant to their job roles. For example, level 2 barbering apprentices learn a range of male grooming treatments, including wet shaves, trimming beards and cutting hair. Hairdressing apprentices learn hair cutting techniques, such as sectioning and layering, to create different styles for straight and curly hair.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices take part in different local community and social action projects. For example, hairdressing apprentices work with a national homeless charity enabling people experiencing homelessness to access salons. Apprentices also make wigs for children with cancer who suffer hair loss. Consequently, apprentices contribute effectively to society.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices feel safe in learning and work. They know that staff care about them and their welfare. They appreciate learning in small groups and the one-to-one support teachers give them. They feel able to approach staff with their worries or concerns and trust that staff will deal with these promptly.

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better?

Leaders have developed a suitable curriculum offer that successfully meets employers’ needs in the hair and beauty sector. They work closely with a range of employers to design the content of their programmes. This ensures that teachers teach content to apprentices that reflects up-to-date trends in hairdressing, barbering and the beauty industry.

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better?

Apprentices benefit from learning in commercial, industry-standard salons. Teachers teach apprentices new knowledge, skills and behaviours that enable them to achieve recognised qualifications and enhance their career prospects in the sector. For example, apprentices in beauty therapy programmes learn about new facial treatments such as microneedling and microdermabrasion techniques. Apprentices apply these effectively in their job roles. Employers value the new skills they learn.

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better?

Managers and teachers sequence the curriculum logically. For example, in beauty therapy, teachers teach anatomy and physiology before introducing different face and body treatments. Within lessons, teachers teach content effectively. For example, apprentices first learn about different skin types and then explore different layers of the skin and their functions. As a result, learners can link more complex knowledge within topics to what they have learned before. 18 to 21 September 2023

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Teachers are suitably qualified, and most are practising professionals. In lessons, teachers skilfully use questioning, provide helpful explanations, and use models and diagrams to clarify new concepts. For example, in hairdressing practical sessions, teachers demonstrate how to correctly hold scissors and use different styling tools when layering and blow drying hair to create volume. Apprentices build their knowledge and technical skills through regular practical sessions and assessments. As a result, they feel suitably prepared for their final assessments.

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In most cases, teachers provide apprentices with helpful feedback on their work. For example, beauty therapy teachers ask challenging questions so that apprentices think more deeply about the content of their assignments. As a result, most apprentices produce work of an appropriate standard.

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Teachers do not consistently set high expectations of apprentices or ensure that apprentices know how to gain high grades. They do not provide effective support and guidance from the start of their apprenticeship on how to gain merit or distinctions. Consequently, only a very small number achieve distinctions in their final assessments.

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Teachers do not review apprentices’ progress frequently enough with employers. In progress reviews, they do not set developmental targets for apprentices. They focus on completing generic tasks rather than the specific knowledge and skills apprentices need to develop. As a result, in a few cases, employers are unclear on how to support their apprentices to improve at work.

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Leaders have developed a well-structured programme for apprentices to support their personal development beyond their qualifications. Staff provide suitable information to apprentices in weekly sessions on a range of wider life topics, including keeping safe in training at work, fundamental British values and sexual harassment. Apprentices also access online resources to further develop their understanding of these topics. Consequently, most apprentices have a suitable understanding of how these topics relate to their lives and work.

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Apprentices are aware of the different careers and training opportunities within the hair and beauty industry. However, staff do not provide them with sufficient guidance to help them access these. They do not inform apprentices sufficiently about other options, such as further training and/or higher education programmes.

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Since the monitoring visit, leaders have established suitable external governance arrangements. Those responsible for governance have started to challenge and support senior leaders to improve their performance, particularly in safeguarding and quality of education. However, leaders have not yet fully implemented the actions from governance meetings. For example, they do not share sufficiently detailed information about learners’ progress. As a result, governors do not have a clear enough understanding of where key strengths and weaknesses exist. 18 to 21 September 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Make sure that staff teach English and mathematics early in the apprenticeship so that apprentices complete their training on time.  Make sure that staff set and maintain clear and high expectations of learners’ attendance and punctuality.  Make sure that teachers have high expectations of apprentices. Teachers should support apprentices to achieve high grades in their final assessments and prepare them effectively from the start for this.  Make sure staff track and monitor learners’ progress effectively so that they can support learners to achieve on time.  Make sure that apprentices receive broad and impartial careers advice and guidance so that they are aware of the different options available to them at the end of their apprenticeship.  Improve the accuracy and detail of information provided to governors so that they can challenge leaders on the quality of the training that apprentices receive

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Provider details

Address 191 South Street Romford RM1 1QA

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Directors

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Date of previous inspection

Main subcontractors Not applicable 18 to 21 September 2023

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the company director, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous inspection report. The inspection was carried out using the further education and skills inspection handbook and took into account all relevant provision at the provider. Inspectors collected a wide range of evidence to inform judgements, including visiting learning sessions, scrutinising learners’ work, seeking the views of learners, staff and other stakeholders, and examining the provider’s documentation and records.

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Inspection team

Saher Nijabat, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Kate Lou Ofsted Inspector Kanwaljit Dhillon Ofsted Inspector 18 to 21 September 2023

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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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