Kleek Apprenticeships Limited

Kleek Apprenticeships Limited

Address: 55 Duke Street, Darlington, DL3 7SD Unique reference number (URN): 54248

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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 Strong standard

Leaders have established an inclusive culture that is embedded consistently across all academies and salons. They have a strong commitment to ensure that all apprentices, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are supported to achieve their full potential. Apprentices with disadvantages and barriers to learning achieve as highly as their peers.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders have recently developed a new inclusion policy, building on already existing strong practices, that more clearly defines apprentices in scope for additional support. Consequently, staff swiftly identity and swiftly support apprentices with a wider range of additional support needs.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Staff at all levels of the organisation are trained very well to implement an assess, plan, do and review approach to their implementation of inclusion practices. They are skilled at escalating support when it is most needed and in gradually withdrawing it when the need has reduced.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Apprentices receive a wide range of valuable support. These include breakfast clubs, small- group sizes, access to laptops for those who struggle with their handwriting and extra time to complete assignments.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders and managers have very effective oversight of the impact of their inclusion practices on apprentices’ progress. They intervene rapidly to provide additional support to any apprentices who start to struggle while on an apprenticeship.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Since the previous inspection, leaders have substantially increased their apprenticeship provision through the acquisition of existing training providers. A high proportion of apprentices from these providers had previously made slow progress and their skills development was not of the demanding standard expected at Kleek. Leaders swiftly implemented rigorous actions to support these apprentices and their progress and achievement have improved rapidly.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders have a clear ambition to be a leading provider in the hair and beauty industry which is supported by a well established and excellent reputation with employers. Employers value highly the time dedicated to developing apprentices’ communication skills alongside professional technical expertise. Leaders swiftly cease working with employers who do not provide apprentices with on-the-job training that is of a consistently high quality.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders have created a culture of continuous improvement. They have a comprehensive understanding of their strengths and areas for development. They analyse precisely the quality of the curriculum and identify accurately what they do well and what they need to develop. They ensure the actions that they take are highly focused and have a sustained impact on the quality of the curriculums. Staff are extremely proud to work at Kleek. They are very well supported by managers, who are considerate of their workload and wellbeing. Educators benefit from highly tailored professional learning which ensures that they develop their teaching skills and remain current with the latest hair and beauty techniques.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Governors have significant experience in education and safeguarding. They provide highly effective challenge and support. They have an accurate understanding of the strengths and areas for development through the frequent quality assurance activities they conduct.

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Achievement Strong standard

Apprentices, including those who face barriers to learning, develop their vocational and technical knowledge and skills exceptionally well from their individual starting points. Their practical work is consistently completed to a high professional standard.

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Achievement Strong standard

Educators prepare apprentices for their final assessments very effectively. Their continual reinforcement of high standards and professional values results in many apprentices achieving merit and distinction grades. Apprentices on the level 2 hairdressing professional apprenticeship, which constitutes more than 3 quarters of the total number of apprentices, achieve very highly.

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Achievement Strong standard

Achievement in level 1 English and mathematics functional skills is high. Apprentices working towards their level 2 qualification make at least expected progress from their starting points.

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Achievement Strong standard

Almost all apprentices progress to positive destinations. Many remain working in their salons with increased responsibilities. Apprentices have been nominated and performed very well in prestigious national competitions, such as the Hair and Beauty Awards Rising Star and WorldSkills.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders and educators are expertly skilled in the hairdressing and beauty therapy industry. Leaders understand their provision precisely and ensure apprentices benefit from consistently high-quality education and training. Leaders plan well-structured curriculums at their 6 academies and through work-based training provided at employers’ salons across the country. Educators plan learning using accurate assessments of apprentices’ starting points to tailor training. They make sure that apprentices have ample opportunities to practise and perfect their hairdressing or beauty therapy skills. Apprentices quickly deepen their knowledge and master practical techniques to a very high level.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Educators skilfully teach apprentices using a range of highly effective strategies. Apprentices use digital microscopes linked to laptops to identify and examine heat-induced damage, dandruff or folliculitis. This develops their analytical skills in providing accurate, well informed client care.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Educators provide helpful feedback to apprentices. Apprentices clearly understand what they have done well and use feedback to refine and improve their work rapidly. Educators successfully develop apprentices’ ability to evaluate their own practical skills and independently identify and correct errors. This prepares apprentices very well to work autonomously in salons. While educators highlight most spelling errors in apprentices’ notebooks, they do not routinely identify grammatical errors to help apprentices improve these important skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Educators demonstrate inclusive practices. Apprentices including those with barriers to learning, benefit from such strategies as learning in small groups, using coloured paper, using fidget devices and having frequent movement breaks. Leaders have planned an accessible functional skills curriculum which includes one-to-one support and digital sessions that extend learning.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Leaders and managers have designed an ambitious wider curriculum beyond the core knowledge, skills and behaviours that apprentices acquire during their apprenticeships.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Through an intensive induction programme, apprentices complete a wide range of assessed modules on topics such as the risks of radicalisation and extremism, equality of opportunity, and how to apply British values in their personal and working lives. Educators frequently reinforce these topics. Apprentices readily recall their learning which helps them to keep safe.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Staff at all levels both at academies and in workplaces set very high professional and personal standards for apprentices. Apprentices embody these expectations by arriving promptly to lessons and work and treating clients with the utmost professional courtesy and respect.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Apprentices enjoy a wide range of enrichment events. They visit trade shows to see the latest industry products, trends and techniques from top stylists. They enter competitions where they demonstrate their skills, win recognition and build their own, and their salons' brands.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Apprentices receive expert and timely careers advice throughout their training. They discuss their career aspirations at induction and continue to discuss at frequent reviews how they can meet their goals. Educators provide apprentices with information on further qualifications or other roles in the hair and beauty sector such as barbering or colour expert training.

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

Apprentices are extremely proud to learn at Kleek. They experience the same high standard of training no matter where they are working or studying with this national provider of hairdressing and beauty therapy. They know that by accomplishing an apprenticeship at Kleek, they will have achieved and mastered the highest level of hairdressing or beauty therapy skills.

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

Apprentices securely acquire extensive new skills in hairdressing and beauty therapy during their training. They benefit from highly valuable one-to-one support and coaching from expertly qualified and experienced educators. Apprentices establish and retain a loyal clientele in the workplace as they develop and hone their new skills.

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

Apprentices appreciate the variety of ways in which they can learn. They value the inclusive practices put in place to support them to develop their knowledge, skills and behaviours, working at a pace that is individualised to them. Apprentices who have previously had negative experiences of education, including emotionally-based school avoidance, particularly value the opportunity to complete their apprenticeship in employers’ salons.

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

Leaders persistently promote equality and diversity to help all apprentices recognise that everyone is unique. Apprentices quickly feel that they belong and can thrive at Kleek. During Pride month, apprentices demonstrated support for the LGBTQIA+ community by creating hidden rainbow hair-colouring techniques symbolising hidden protected characteristics.

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

Apprentices develop their sense of citizenship by engaging in charitable projects. They donate equipment, hairdressing products and money to a charity working with children suffering with cancer and alopecia. Apprentices participate in a recycling project to prevent plastic items from salons going to landfill.

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

Apprentices enjoy opportunities to develop their leadership skills through being selected as Kleek ambassadors. By developing effective marketing and social media skills, ambassadors grow in confidence and are well prepared to promote the hair and beauty industry to local schools and employers.

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Next steps

Leaders and those responsible for governance should sustain their work and continue to further develop and enhance their provision so that the training they provide has a transformational impact on all apprentices’ achievement, in particular for apprentices on the level 2 beauty therapy apprenticeship.

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Team inspectors:

Charles Searle, Ofsted Inspector Alison Gray, Ofsted Inspector Joanne Stork, His Majesty's Inspector Sarah Seaman, His Majesty's Inspector Rebecca Iverson, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

Leaders should ensure that educators routinely identify grammatical errors in apprentices' note books to help them improve these important skills.

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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 senior leaders, educators, governors, apprentices and employers during the inspection.

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About this inspection

Kleek Apprenticeships Limited (Kleek) originally formed in 1999 as Saks Education becoming Kleek in 2023. Kleek provides level 2 and level 3 apprenticeships across England in hairdressing, barbering and beauty therapy. They have academies in Darlington, Maidstone, Colchester, Newcastle, Stockton and London. Around half of apprentices are trained at the academies and half are trained by educators in their salons. Staff work with over a thousand employers.

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About this inspection

At the time of the inspection, there were 859 apprentices in learning. Most were studying on hairdressing apprenticeships. There were 624 on the level 2 hairdressing professional apprenticeship and 154 on the level 3 advanced and creative hair professional. There were 25 studying on the level 2 barbering professional, 30 on level 2 beauty therapist, 18 on level 3 advanced beauty therapist and 8 on level 3 wellbeing and holistic therapist.

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About this inspection

Three quarters of apprentices were aged 16 to 18 and the remainder were 19 years and over. Around half of apprentices had an identified special educational needs and/or disability, or other barriers to learning. There were 390 apprentices working towards achieving mathematics and/or English functional skills qualifications.

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About this inspection

Managing director: Tina Ockerby 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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