Shears Academy Limited

Shears Academy Limited

Address: 2 Eros House Shops, Brownhill Road, Catford, London, SE6 2EF Unique reference number (URN): 2626863

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, learners are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect providers for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The provider has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The provider has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have built a highly inclusive environment where they welcome apprentices from a range of backgrounds. They have a clear commitment to support young people to start their careers in the hair industry. Leaders help to reduce any barriers to this by, for example, helping potential apprentices to get their first jobs in salons.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders identify quickly if apprentices have any barriers to learning through a thorough interview and induction. They get to know apprentices well.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders put effective support in place to meet apprentices' needs. Staff, who are experienced and trained in supporting learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities, provide helpful individual support to apprentices with English and mathematics during practical sessions.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders attend relevant meetings with local authorities to report on the progress of apprentices who are known to social care. They appropriately discuss any additional needs with employers. Leaders offer additional training sessions for apprentices who face temporary barriers and, where necessary, extend apprentices' training time so they can achieve.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff frequently check on the progress of apprentices and review how much support they need. They are careful to make sure that apprentices only receive support when they need it. However, leaders recognise that they need to ensure that their records of the support that apprentices receive need to be kept up to date.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders know the areas of strength and the priorities for development of the provision. They take effective action when they need to make improvements. They have prioritised improvements in the best interest of apprentices. For example, they have improved the quality of the personal development curriculum since the previous inspection and made sure that apprentices are aware of the career opportunities available to them.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders ensure that assessors are hairdressing experts. Assessors take part in frequent professional development opportunities, such as Brazilian blow out and colouring techniques training. Staff have manageable workloads and appreciate the wellbeing training that leaders provide.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders know the employers they work with very well and work effectively with them to make sure that the apprenticeship meets their needs and those of the apprentices. They ensure that apprentices' on- and off-the-job training aligns. Leaders and managers suitably support and challenge each other to make improvements. However, they acknowledge that further scrutiny of their performance would enhance their oversight of the provision.

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Achievement Expected standard

Leaders made an appropriate and timely decision to stop offering the level 3 apprenticeship. The few apprentices who started this qualification did not complete it, which has negatively impacted achievement rates.

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Achievement Expected standard

At the time of inspection, leaders solely offered the level 2 hairdressing professional apprenticeship. Most apprentices on this standard achieve and a notable proportion achieve distinction grades. However, a few apprentices do not achieve in the expected timeframe. Apprentices with special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve very well.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices make swift progress from their starting points and produce high-quality work across a range of cutting and colouring techniques. Apprentices who need to achieve their functional skills qualifications gain these.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices are well prepared for their next steps in their careers. They continue working in their salons, perfecting their skills, attending extra courses such as hair extension training, and work on building a client base.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders understand the strengths and areas for development of their curriculum. They assess apprentices frequently and effectively to help them prepare for their final assessments. Leaders monitor apprentices' performance in examinations closely, recognising where apprentices achieve distinction grades, and adapt the curriculum to focus on any areas where apprentices achieve less well.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Managers and assessors design the curriculum content so that apprentices become successful hairdressers. They structure the curriculum so that apprentices can take on responsibilities in their workplaces quickly and progress from shampooing to cutting and colouring.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Assessors use resources very effectively. They demonstrate cutting angles clearly using foam heads and use real hair swatches of different classifications to help apprentices understand the characteristics of different hair types. Assessors skilfully link theoretical concepts into practical sessions, such as colour choice, level of lift, and depth and tone. This helps apprentices remember what they have been taught.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff support apprentices thoughtfully to align their on- and off-the-job training. For example, during training sessions, apprentices practise the colour techniques they plan to use on clients during upcoming appointments at work.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders make sure that apprentices are able to take part in their training. For example, they offer alternative days to attend training if apprentices are needed in the workplace. They provide additional sessions and one-to-one support if apprentices need extra practice with new skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

While leaders work closely with employers to plan the curriculum, they recognise the need for employers to provide more detailed input into reviews of apprentices' progress.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders provide an appropriate curriculum to support apprentices with their wider development needs. For example, they raise apprentices' awareness of protected characteristics and teach them how to meet the needs of clients from different backgrounds.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices attend well. Leaders monitor attendance closely and alert employers promptly if apprentices do not attend. Employers are aware of what their apprentices may have missed and what they need to work on so they can catch up.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices often have opportunities to attend extra training and events. For example, staff invite them to attend industry exhibitions, hair extension courses and keratin smooth training, which broadens apprentices' awareness of current trends, the latest products, tools and equipment.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Managers and assessors inform apprentices about a range of career pathways available to them. They make sure that apprentices are aware of the routes to these pathways and how their skills are transferable across the sector.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices have not experienced any bullying, unlawful discrimination, harassment or victimisation during their training. They work and study in safe and professional environments. They know who to go to if they have any concerns and feel they would be taken seriously.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Apprentices train in a well-resourced commercial salon. They are taught by working hairdressers, who teach them up-to-date knowledge and about the latest hair products and trends. Apprentices become more inquisitive as they see what they can accomplish and start to belong to a hairdressing community. They thrive putting the new skills and techniques they learn into practice in a realistic salon setting. Apprentices gain communication skills that help them to provide high-quality client care that their employers value. Apprentices speak confidently with a wide range of customers when cutting, colouring and styling their hair, articulating clearly the products and treatments they use and why. They present themselves expertly and act highly professionally in the salon environment.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Apprentices feel welcome, regardless of their prior experience or background. Those with barriers to learning receive effective support from staff to complete their course and become highly competent hairdressers, even if they require more time than expected. They enjoy learning in small groups and value the individualised teaching they get from staff. The staff who know the apprentices well.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Staff help to protect apprentices from any risks they may face and teach them skilfully about healthy relationships and lifestyles. Apprentices gain useful knowledge and a qualification in supporting wellbeing during their studies.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that employers consistently contribute to reviews of apprentices' progress so that they recognise the progress apprentices make and what they need to do to improve. Leaders should make sure that apprentices achieve their apprenticeships in the expected timeframe. Leaders should strengthen governance arrangements to provide more in-depth scrutiny of their performance.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty's Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspection activities: Inspectors spoke with apprentices, employers, leaders, assessors and support staff during the inspection.

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About this inspection

Inspectors confirmed the following information about this provider: Shears Academy is an independent learning provider specialising in hairdressing apprenticeships and training. It is based in Catford in the London borough of Lewisham. Apprentices are employed in hairdressing salons across south-east London and Kent.

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About this inspection

At the time of inspection, there were 17 apprentices on the level 2 hairdressing professional standard. There were 7 apprentices aged under 18. Fewer than 5 apprentices were studying towards qualifications in functional skills English and/or mathematics.

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Lead inspector:

Rebecca Jennings, His Majesty's Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other providers can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The provider reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The provider is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The provider needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk . Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Urgent improvement

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

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