Beauty and the best: Hair and beauty provider graded ‘outstanding’ across the board

An Essex-based training company specialising in hairdressing and beauty therapy courses has been upgraded from ‘good’ to ‘outstanding’ by education inspectors. 

Ofsted visited Debut Training in June for the first time in five years to inspect the quality of training on offer to just over 200 learners and apprentices at the provider’s five academies. 

They judged the provider ‘outstanding’, the top grade possible, for all areas including the quality of education, leadership and management and personal development, up from a stack of ‘good’ grades last time.

Managing director Carla Hales told FE Week the inspection was “intense” but she was “thrilled with the result.”

“Everything we do is based around what we call our ‘training for purpose’ programme. So everything we do has a reason why we do it, whether that be to change learners’ lives, change their progression opportunities and make sure they excel to a high standard so they are career ready when they walk out the door,” Hales said.

Inspectors said learners and apprentices had an “exceptional understanding” of additional topics alongside their courses, such as business, finance, literacy and numeracy, environmental sustainability and citizenship. 

For example, hairdressing apprentices are taught to adapt the way they talk to customers with a hearing impairment and beauty therapy apprentices know not to provide Muslim clients with refreshments during Ramadan. 

“This helps apprentices develop empathy and understanding for people from all walks of life,” the inspection report said, highlighting how many learners progress to self-employment in the industries.  

Most adult learners study the level 3 nail technology and beauty therapy courses, although learners also have access to level 4 courses in advanced beauty therapy and aesthetic practice.

Apprentices meanwhile train towards level 2 standards in hair professional and beauty therapy. At the time of the inspection, nearly two-thirds of apprentices were under 19 years of age. 

Tutors at Debut Training regularly inform learners about local safety risks, such as how to stay safe at night, drink spiking and the dangers of domestic violence during sporting events. Inspectors said learners also understood safety risks in the workplace, such as “working in proximity alone with clients.”

Managers at the training provider “role model extremely good business practice” and “have a forensic understanding of the sector” which Ofsted said helped learners’ skills and professional behaviours. 

“Managers role model the high levels of support for staff that tutors in turn provide to learners and apprentices,” the report said. 

Hales added: “This was a whole team collective effort, this wasn’t me. They work way over and above to help us achieve. Without them there’s no way we would have got this grade.”

Inspectors heaped praise on tutors’ use and value of English and maths in their teaching. For example in hairdressing, maths skills are developed when covering cutting angles and mixing tints. 

“Tutors use hairdressing and beauty-related examples extremely effectively. Apprentices who struggled at school increase their confidence significantly in English and mathematics,” the report said.