The standards
The standards an accredited partner school meets: premises and hygiene, tutors, syllabus and practical hours per pathway, student records, assessment, complaints and the yearly audit.
Published in full so that students know what a badge means and schools know what they are signing. Each standard is checked at accreditation and at the yearly audit.
1. Premises and hygiene
A dedicated training room or reserved stations; sterilisation equipment appropriate to the pathway (autoclave or equivalent for tools); single-use consumables where the pathway requires; first-aid provision; a written hygiene procedure displayed and followed.
2. Tutors
At least three years' verified industry experience in the pathway taught, with references we check; one tutor to no more than eight students in practical sessions; tutors named on the school's page.
3. Syllabus and hours
The network's practical syllabus for each pathway, with minimum supervised hours: esthetics 120, massage 150 (more where licensed), beautician 120, nails 60, makeup 40, spa therapist (multi) 240, reception placement 40. Hours are minimums for our certificate; regulators' minimums override where higher.
4. Records
A logged hours record per student, signed by the tutor per session, retained five years, available to us on request for verification by employers.
5. Assessment
A practical assessment per pathway observed by a tutor not involved in that student's training, marked against the network's checklist; a resit allowed once without charge.
6. Students
Fees published before enrolment; a written refund policy; no placement fees charged to students for job introductions; complaints handled in writing with escalation to the Institute.
7. Audit
A yearly visit or, for remote schools, a video audit with records; badge withdrawn for a failed audit not remedied within ninety days.