NHTA Limited

NHTA Limited

Address: 18 Pelham Road, Sherwood Rise, Nottingham, NG5 1AP Unique reference number (URN): 53671

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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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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a sound understanding of the quality of provision. Since their previous inspection, leaders have re-focused provision on their specialism of hairdressing and barbering. Leaders have carried out in-depth curriculum reviews to make sure course content is well sequenced and meets the needs of apprentices and employers. They have stabilised staffing and established a knowledgeable team of industry expert educators.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders track and monitor apprentices’ progress carefully through weekly tutor meetings and monthly caseload reviews. This has contributed to substantial improvements in apprentices’ outcomes.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders and educators collaborate effectively with employers to enhance apprentices’ experiences. Employers have a thorough understanding of the topics apprentices learn about. This enables employers to put in place relevant and closely aligned workplace opportunities for apprentices so they can master new skills.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

External consultants responsible for oversight know and understand the provider well. They work closely with senior leaders and mentor them to make improvements. For example, in what to focus on during observations of teaching.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders ensure educators benefit from appropriate professional learning. They support educators to gain suitable teaching qualifications and undertake workshops with industry experts, for example in cutting techniques. Leaders provide helpful individual feedback to educators about how to improve their teaching, such as in using strategies so that apprentices remember what they learn.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are considerate of staff workload and wellbeing. They keep caseloads reasonable, conduct check-in visits to training salons and hold team events. Tutors rightly value the trusting and collaborative culture in which they work.

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Inclusion Needs attention

In recent months, leaders have started to develop their inclusion strategy. Leaders now mostly use questionnaires and assessments to identify apprentices’ support needs promptly. However, leaders have not made sure that information from these assessments is then used effectively to plan and agree apprentices’ support strategies. In a few cases, educators do make adjustments. For example, they take extra time to explain written instructions, although this tends to happen on an unplanned basis.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders intend for educators to review the effectiveness of support strategies during progress reviews. However, currently this rarely happens. Leaders also hold frequent meetings with educators to discuss apprentices’ progress but this does not typically extend to cover apprentices' support strategies.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Educators have had training on the newly implemented inclusion assessment system. Leaders plan to provide further whole-team inclusion training this summer. As a result, there is currently a lack of clarity about what should happen to make sure all apprentices’ support needs are planned for, met and reviewed.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Despite the further improvements needed, leaders and educators ensure apprentices feel welcome and well cared for. They track pastoral matters, which helps leaders to know about any personal barriers to wellbeing which apprentices may face.

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Achievement Expected standard

Most apprentices, including those with additional needs, make appropriate progress from their starting points and pass their final assessments. Leaders are taking effective actions to increase the proportion of apprentices who achieve distinction grades in their final assessments. It is too early to see the impact of these actions.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices on level 2 and 3 hair professional courses build a secure and increasingly advanced range of technical knowledge and practical skills. Level 2 apprentices gain a strong foundation knowledge in client consultation, shampooing, styling, colouring, cutting and safe working practices. Level 3 apprentices apply advanced colour techniques, creative cutting and corrective techniques with greater precision, independence and commercial awareness. Apprentices generally produce written and practical work that meets expected standards for their level. They develop strong technical competence and professional behaviours such as communication and client-care skills, enabling them to progress into higher level roles or further technical training.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have taken effective action to improve curriculum, teaching and training since the previous inspection. They have implemented more frequent management meetings to monitor apprentices' progress and have been effective in raising standards of teaching. Leaders have an accurate understanding of strengths and key priorities for improvement.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Educators provide revised and coherently sequenced curriculums that builds apprentices' knowledge and skills logically over time. Level 2 apprentices learn foundational knowledge such as health and safety, consultation, and shampooing before they progress on to more complex topics such as styling, cutting and colouring techniques. Level 3 apprentices build on their level 2 knowledge and learn advanced precision cutting, smoothing, strengthening and styling techniques and creative colour conversion.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Industry experienced educators provide high-quality training through frequent workplace visits and well-structured teaching. They explain complex processes well, such as colour correction, clearly using high-quality visual aids, including colour wheels and charts.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Educators help apprentices consolidate their knowledge and skills well over time. They use individualised target cards so apprentices know the areas in which they need to practise and refine their skills, such as perming, hair-up techniques and colouring, in their workplaces.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Most educators use assessment effectively to check apprentices' understanding. They use structured booklets, retrieval activities and questioning to develop apprentices’ understanding, retention and recall of technical knowledge and skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Educators typically challenge any misconceptions carefully. If apprentices fail to section hair into quadrants to apply tint to the roots, for example, educators undertake probing questioning followed by a demonstration of the correct technique. This strengthens apprentices' grasp of technical procedures.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders implement a well-considered monthly programme of topics that reinforce concepts such as respectful conduct, online safety and healthy relationships. This helps apprentices understand how to keep themselves safe.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders set clear expectations for apprentices’ behaviour and conduct. Apprentices demonstrate professional conduct and motivation during training and in their salons. Apprentices' attendance is high. Leaders monitor apprentices' attendance patterns closely and respond promptly to any concerns.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices benefit from useful wider development on topics such as fundamental British values and the dangers of radicalisation and extremism. Most apprentices understand these topics appropriately. Leaders provide technical masterclasses that broaden apprentices’ professional knowledge and skills. However, opportunities such as competitions and volunteering are less well developed.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices benefit from suitable careers education throughout their courses. Leaders promote previous apprentices' success stories to raise apprentices’ aspirations about their future progression options. Educators frequently discuss next steps pathways with apprentices. As a result, apprentices can explain their next steps confidently, including progression to level 3 or to higher level roles. Apprentices understand how their apprenticeship provides transferable skills that will be useful to them in their careers in the long term.

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

Apprentices develop a strong sense of belonging as part of the salon teams in which they work. They feel valued and supported by their employers and educators. Apprentices report that their employers and educators are knowledgeable, responsive and help them to overcome any challenges they face.

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

Apprentices are well-motivated, thrive in their studies and are highly satisfied with their training. They especially value how well structured their training is, the strong links between theory and practical-based learning and the personalised approach of their studies.

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

Apprentices benefit from nurturing pastoral support and their educators generally make any adjustments required to meet their individual needs. However, apprentices' support needs are not routinely well planned by staff at the start of the training.

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

Apprentices learn to apply their knowledge and skills expertly in their commercial salon environments. They have high levels of technical competence. For example, they can apply tint using correct ratios and timing and use a range of foiling techniques, including slicing and weaving. Level 3 apprentices know about advanced principles such as complex colour theory and the impact of pH on hair cuticles. They interact well with clients and use appropriate technical and professional language.

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

Apprentices gain confidence quickly. They move from requiring significant support to working more independently, with some already managing full client columns and being requested by clients. Employers greatly value apprentices’ growing competence and trust them to carry out services correctly and carefully.

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

Apprentices develop useful employability skills, including time management, customer care, resilience and adaptability. They can, for example, cope with the competing demands of client care and front-of-house responsibilities while also having to complete treatments.

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

Apprentices develop their understanding on themes such as growth mindset, healthy relationships, stress and career development. They can relate these topics to their own lives and future careers in the hairdressing industry.

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Team inspectors:

Michael Worgs, His Majesty's Inspector Rochelle Saneria, His Majesty's Inspector

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Next steps

Leaders should implement staff training on inclusion and fully establish strategies to identify, plan, undertake and review apprentices' support needs. Leaders should provide educators with further targeted professional learning opportunities so that teaching is of a consistently high quality and expert. Leaders should continue to review the curriculum to incorporate meaningful additional learning opportunities that help apprentices to become more highly knowledgeable and skilled. Leaders should continue to work to increase proportion of apprentices who achieve distinction grades in their final assessments.

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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

Inspectors spoke with leaders, employers, apprentices and educators during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the provider:

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About this inspection

NHTA Limited operates across the East Midlands, West Midlands, and South Yorkshire. Training is delivered at employers' premises. Leaders also have an onsite training hub which is used for additional support as required.

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About this inspection

At the time of inspection, there were 69 apprentices, 32 of whom were aged under 18 years of age.

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About this inspection

Most apprentices study hairdressing courses. A total of 52 apprentices were studying the level 2 hair professional or the level 3 advanced and creative hair professional. Remaining apprentices were studying barbering, leadership or education courses.

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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. 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

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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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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