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Diploma in Hairdressing - Level 1Apply Now »
Location: The RoundHouse
Years: 1
Interview: Y
Course Summary
This course is designed to meet the needs of students who want to work in the hairdressing sector. You will learn, develop and practise the skills required for employment and career progression. The course leads to a City & Guilds qualification, recognised by employers worldwide.
Entry requirements
You need to be highly motivated and demonstrate a keen interest in your chosen subject. Offers of a place on the course are dependent on your qualifications and practical aptitude. You will need:
- a minimum of five GCSEs at grade E/F or above including English and/or Maths (grade 2/3 or above) and Science.
You will have an interview and initial assessment in maths and English and will attend a taster session. Parents and carers are welcome to attend the interview but not the initial assessment. If you are successful, you will be allocated a place to study.
Course Content
- Introduction to the hair and beauty sector
- Presenting a professional image in a salon
- Shampooing and Conditioning Hair
- Colour in the Hair and Beauty Sector
- Styling Women’s Hair
- Styling Men’s Hair
- Plaiting and Twisting Hair
- Colouring Hair using Temporary Colour
- Creating a Hair and Beauty Image
- Following Health and Safety in the Salon
- Working with Others
- Reception Duties
- The Art of Dressing Hair
How will I be assessed?
You will complete one assignment for each mandatory unit and one assignment for each chosen optional unit, along with practical observations/assessments. Assessment is ongoing throughout the course.
Are there any additional costs or specialist equipment required?
There is a kit and uniform to purchase: full details will be given at your interview.
What can I do after this course?
You can take your skills to the next level on courses such as the NVQ Levels 1 and 2 in Hairdressing.
Careers
You can begin to pursue a career in junior roles in the hair and beauty sector.
Did you find the course information on this page useful?
Aaron Ledster
Real-life challenges prepare Derby College student barbers for the salon
Barber Aaron Ledster says Derby College puts students in real-life work place situations to get them familiar with the challenges of the future.
He said his NVQ Level 2 in Barbering provided experience of a professional salon as a stepping stone into the workplace.
Aaron said students were asked to come to the salon on a Saturday – to get used to the hours – where they trained, while paying customers had their hair professionally cut.
Within a week of starting his course he said students were "thrown in at the deep end" and asked to bring in customers.
The 23-year-old, who now works at Knight and Co in Ilkeston, said he enjoyed barbering in his Year 10 work experience at school. But rather than immediately following that career, he said he was persuaded to go to college to do 'A' levels. He decided to drop out after a year – "I'd just had enough" – and went to Derby College instead to take his NVQ.
He said the lecturers asked individuals exactly what they were hoping to achieve so they could tailor their studies to suit them.
After college, Aaron moved from a salon in Heanor to another in Ilkeston, where he worked with a Brad Knight, a friend from his school days, who had himself trained as an apprentice barber at Derby College.
When Brad set up his own business, Knight and Co in Ilkeston, Aaron moved in September last year to work with him. Aaron said his key aims are to enjoy his job and to build a strong personal customer base.
Downstairs there was a fully functioning salon where people would come in and pay. We had to come into college on a Saturday, just to get us used to doing that, and we'd go downstairs. We'd be training on our dolls' heads, or washing each other's hair, or practising on each other's hair, while there were clients having their hair cut. "You learnt a lot of customer skills and got used to being in a salon in a professional environment. It helps you when you get into the workplace because you've got that experience.
