Halls of Ivy Beauty Academy Limited

Halls of Ivy Beauty Academy Limited Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead inspector: Rebecca Jennings, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection dates: 30 and 31 October 2024

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider Address: 191 South Street Romford London RM1 1QA Monitoring visit: Halls of Ivy Beauty Academy Limited, 30 and 31 October 2024

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Context and focus of visit

Halls of Ivy Beauty Academy Limited was inspected in September 2023. At that time, inspectors judged the overall effectiveness of the provision to require improvement.

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Context and focus of visit

The focus of this monitoring visit was to evaluate the progress that leaders and managers have made in resolving the main areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection.

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Context and focus of visit

At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 13 apprentices on the level 2 hair professional standard, 11 apprentices on the level 2 barbering professional standard, seven on the level 2 beauty therapist standard, five on the advanced beauty therapist standard and fewer than five apprentices studying the advanced and creative hair professional standard.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous inspection, leaders have started to monitor effectively the progress that apprentices make through the curriculum. They check the progress of each apprentice during frequent meetings with tutors. This allows leaders to identify quickly when any apprentices fall behind with their work and then make suitable arrangements for them to catch up.

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Reasonable progress

A dedicated English and mathematics tutor works with apprentices who need to achieve qualifications in these subjects from the start of their course. They plan for apprentices to complete their qualifications in the first year of their course and put additional support in place for apprentices who need it. Apprentices achieve their qualifications on time.

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Reasonable progress

The English and mathematics tutor relates topics to the beauty industry with skill. For example, when teaching apprentices to calculate percentages, they make links to offering discounts to customers who book multiple treatments. When teaching angles, they discuss the angles apprentices need to hold clippers when cutting hair. As a result, apprentices understand the importance of this knowledge.

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Reasonable progress

During reviews of apprentices’ progress, tutors and employers reflect on the development of apprentices’ knowledge and skills in hair or beauty. However, staff do not consistently discuss with employers the progress that apprentices make in English and mathematics. As a result, too many employers are not clear when apprentices will achieve these qualifications or how to support them. Monitoring visit: Halls of Ivy Beauty Academy Limited, 30 and 31 October 2024

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Reasonable progress

Tutors have started to provide feedback on apprentices’ written work that challenges them to improve their work to achieve a distinction. In lessons, tutors identify elements of apprentices’ practice that are at a pass level and what they need to do to achieve a distinction. They provide useful examples of how to reach higher grades, for example by suggesting that apprentices offer clients bespoke treatments such as root smudging and face-frame foils. As a result, most apprentices nearing the end of their course know what they need to do to achieve a merit or distinction in their final assessments.

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Reasonable progress

The proportion of learners who achieve merit and distinction grades has increased. Most barbering apprentices and a notable proportion of apprentices studying hair achieve merits or distinctions. However, leaders recognise the need to improve the number of apprentices studying beauty who achieve high grades. They have recently made changes to the beauty curriculum, for example to include more opportunities for apprentices to practise and improve their customer care skills, but it is too early to judge the impact of these changes.

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Reasonable progress

In most reviews of apprentices’ progress, tutors and employers state what apprentices need to do to improve. However, they do not consistently discuss what apprentices need to do to achieve merit and distinction grades. Where this is done well, employers know that their apprentices are aiming for distinctions and know how to support them through additional training and opportunities to practise their skills. In these cases, apprentices improve their skills to a high level.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous inspection, leaders and managers have started to monitor attendance and punctuality at training sessions. They now have a better understanding of apprentices’ attendance. They know which courses have lower levels of attendance, and they analyse where levels are not high enough. Reports show that the attendance of apprentices has increased to a suitable level.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have introduced an attendance policy, which apprentices agree to at the start of their course. Leaders set clear expectations for apprentices’ attendance at training and at work. Apprentices are aware of the implications if they do not attend work or training on time. For example, they understand that they might inconvenience or upset clients, and could lose their custom. Where any apprentices arrive late or have low attendance, staff involve apprentices’ employers and parents or carers where appropriate. These actions are starting to have a positive impact on the overall attendance and timekeeping of apprentices. Monitoring visit: Halls of Ivy Beauty Academy Limited, 30 and 31 October 2024 Leaders and managers report on attendance levels at board meetings. However, there is limited challenge from the board to senior leaders to improve levels further.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous inspection, leaders have introduced into the curriculum useful sessions in which they discuss apprentices’ aspirations and a range of career opportunities available in their chosen industry. They help apprentices, many of whom are aged under 18, to write CVs and tell them about the types of jobs they can apply for when they complete their apprenticeship.

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Reasonable progress

Staff share with apprentices information about how to start a business, including self-employment, licensing and insurance. Barbering apprentices gain an insight into what they can do in the future by attending an event at which industry experts showcase their skills.

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Reasonable progress

When talking to apprentices about their options, professional tutors often explain their own career journey to reinforce to apprentices the options available to them. In a few instances, employers explain routes for their apprentices to study up to level 7, for example, to be able to give treatments such as injectable therapies. As a result, many apprentices are aware of the training they can complete in the future.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders share information about different careers with apprentices in the hair or beauty sector via an online platform. This contains information about courses apprentices can take up to level 5 in either hair or beauty and the different areas in which they can specialise. For example, beauty apprentices learn that they could become an advanced aesthetic practitioner or freelance make-up artist. However, this resource is still in the early stages of development and does not contain enough information for apprentices who want to take a route outside of owning a salon. As a result, a few apprentices do not know what steps they need to take to achieve their career goals. Monitoring visit: Halls of Ivy Beauty Academy Limited, 30 and 31 October 2024 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

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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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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