Kayleigh Sidsaff
Study Type: Higher Education
Study Location: The Roundhouse
Subject Studied: Teacher Training, Coaching and Mentoring
Hair and beauty teacher returns to Derby College Group to do CertEd.
Hair and Beauty teacher Kayleigh Sidsaff didn’t intend to go into education when she first left her school, Heanor Gate Spencer Academy.
But after gaining her CertEd with Derby College Group, Kayleigh is now a qualified teacher at that very school.
Kayleigh, 26, said: “I wanted to go into a job in hair and beauty, but my teacher who taught that subject at school told me she didn’t want me to leave!
“So, she helped me get a teaching assistant apprenticeship, which I did with Derby College, followed by a Level 3 Education and Training course there, and I’ve been at Heanor Gate Spencer Academy (HGSA) ever since.”
Keen to gain fully qualified teaching status, Kayleigh recently returned to college, enrolling on the part-time two-year CertEd course at the Roundhouse.
She added: “I liked going back to Derby College and doing the course. I was learning something new and really enjoyed the teaching theories side.
“The HE support I received has also improved my English as I’m not from an academic background. What I learned on the CertEd has come in useful when I’m lesson planning and organising the curriculum.
“I was the only hair and beauty teacher on my course. The others taught subjects such as engineering, science, maths and English, so it was interesting to share our teaching experiences.”
One of the biggest challenges for Kayleigh was fitting her college coursework around the demands of teaching full-time. She added:
“It was the hardest part. There was so much reading, research and essay writing, but I still had marking and planning for school to do as well.
“My tutor Rhiannon was kind and supportive. She didn’t mind me contacting her out of hours and allowed me extra time to finish my assignments if and when I needed it.”
HGSA has its own training salon and teaches hair and beauty to pupils from Year 10 up to sixth form.
Kayleigh added: “I enjoy helping people learn and really like teaching them the skills behind hair and beauty. It’s quite biology-based.
“Hair and beauty training can lead to so many good careers, such as working as a therapist on board cruise ships.”
I was learning something new and really enjoyed the teaching theories side.