At Fashion-Enter Ltd and the Fashion Technology Academy, continuous professional development is central to maintaining the quality of teaching, learning and learner support. Following the Academy’s Ofsted inspection under the new framework in November 2025, Fashion-Enter undertook a focused programme of professional development to further strengthen tutors’ pedagogy and their ability to consistently apply expert teaching techniques for apprentices and learners with varied abilities.
A key strand of this development has been understanding how the Academy can provide a graduated and responsive learning experience that recognises both lifelong and newly identified additional needs. To support this work, Fashion-Enter invited Jonathan Cobb and Antonio Munoz from The SEND Foundation to deliver a specialist CPD session for the Fashion-Enter team, focused on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The session, held 8th September 2026, provided staff with practical insight, activities and resources designed to strengthen the way tutors and staff identify, understand and respond to different learner needs.
FEL’s Fashion Technology Academy was among the early providers to experience an Ofsted inspection under the new education inspection framework in November 2025. The resulting report identified two areas where further development was required. One area related to strengthening the Academy’s governance and educational direction, which led to Fashion-Enter further reviewing its Non-Executive Director provision and appointing Kurt Hintz to strengthen its educational leadership and challenge.
The second area focused on professional development, specifically the continued development of tutors’ pedagogy and the consistent application of expert teaching techniques when working with apprentices and learners with varied abilities. While Fashion-Enter already had strong learner outcomes and positive learner feedback, the organisation chose to treat the recommendation as an opportunity to look more deeply at how it could further improve its provision. CEO Jenny Holloway recognised that the question of “varied abilities” required more than simply responding to formally identified SEND. It required the team to consider how teaching could remain alert and responsive to the changing needs of individual learners throughout their learning journey. This led Fashion-Enter to undertake a deeper exploration of SEND and graduated approaches to learning and to identify specialist expertise that could be applied directly to its practical teaching environment.
The resulting CPD session with The SEND Foundation gave Fashion-Enter staff the opportunity to explore SEND through a practical, contextualised approach. Jonathan Cobb and Antonio Munoz delivered a highly interactive session which encouraged tutors and staff to consider how different needs may present themselves in an educational environment and how teaching practice can respond appropriately. The session was particularly relevant to Fashion-Enter because of the Academy’s practical, hands-on learning environment. Learners are developing technical skills through garment construction, machinery, pattern cutting and other practical activities, meaning that tutors need to be able to adapt instruction, communication, demonstration and support while maintaining high expectations.
The CPD helped staff consider how a graduated approach can be embedded into everyday teaching rather than treating additional support as something separate from the learning experience. The training also reinforced the importance of accurate and consistent recording. This provides an important evidence base for understanding learner needs, identifying appropriate interventions, monitoring progress and ensuring that support remains responsive as circumstances change.
The response from staff to the session was extremely positive. Rather than relying solely on theoretical input, the CPD used resources and activities to encourage participation and discussion, helping tutors connect the subject matter to their own teaching practice. Jenny Holloway said: “A huge thank you to Jonathan Cobb and Antonio Munoz from The SEND Foundation for one fantastic CPD session today.” She highlighted the quality of the resources, the engaging activities and the level of participation from teaching staff, describing the session as an “embedded learning experience” for the whole team. Jenny also welcomed the way the trainers were able to contextualise some of the more complex or “grey” areas surrounding SEND and emphasised the importance of recording information effectively. Her recommendation to other independent training providers and further and higher education institutions reflects the value Fashion-Enter placed on the session and its relevance to organisations working with learners with different abilities and needs.
For Fashion-Enter, the CPD is not simply about responding to an Ofsted recommendation. It forms part of a wider culture of continuous improvement. The Academy already has strong learner and apprenticeship outcomes, including a 100% timely achievement rate for apprenticeships, alongside strong Level 1 and Level 2 achievement rates. However, Fashion-Enter recognises that strong outcomes do not mean that provision should stand still. The SEND CPD therefore represents an evidence-based response to the Academy’s commitment to continually improving the learner experience. The focus is on ensuring that tutors have the knowledge and confidence to recognise individual differences, adapt their teaching where appropriate and provide support that enables learners to access the same high-quality practical education.
Jenny reflected following the session: “Great resources, fun activities, total engagement from all the teaching staff and an embedded learning experience for us all. For all ITPs and FE/HE institutions I honestly highly recommend these two guys! They managed to contextualise grey areas and stressed the importance of recording everything. Highly appreciated! We shall definitely be in touch again.”
The positive response demonstrates Fashion-Enter’s commitment to making professional development meaningful, practical and directly relevant to the experience of its learners. The Academy will continue to build on this learning as it strengthens its approach to SEND, pedagogy and inclusive teaching.