It’s a snip—Joshua Galvin hairdressing academy gets Ofsted’s ‘cutting edge’ praise

This year is shaping up to be one of the best ever for trainee hairdressers with a success rate of 97 per cent of those on traineeships at one vocational college in east London getting apprenticeships.

Now Bethnal Green’s Joshua Galvin Academy has received a ‘highly favourable’ Ofsted report and been rated as ‘good’ in every area of inspection, which praised staff “dedication for putting the needs of learners at the heart of their business”.

The Ofsted report said: “Vocational tutors make sure that learners receive the individual help they need to make good progress. Learners develop good personal and vocational skills and are able to work confidently and efficiently in busy professional offices and hairdressing salons.”

The academy in Hollybush Gardens, off Bethnal Green Road, has also been awarded the Investor in People status again, while staff have gained Investor in Diversity status and the Matrix Quality Standard award.

“What pleases me is the recognition that we have an ‘open door’ with a sense of learning,” academy chairman Martin Kolton said.

“Our ‘equality champions’ make sure all our learners get the best we have to offer. We support every one of our individual learners.”

The academy trains learners in hairdressing and the ‘cutting edge’ skills of the barber trade.

Its professional trainers are now gearing up to help young people waiting for their hairdresser exam results to consider what options to take.

The recruitment team takes on school-leavers aged 16 and 18 who want a career in hairdressing starting with a traineeship.