The period saw the School drive forward development of the new Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy Diploma, in collaboration with a number of local high schools and employers. Another curriculum innovation – in conjunction with the School of Access and Continuing Education – was a new Gateway programme with a strong focus towards hairdressing and beauty skills. The School also became active in helping to establish closer links between industry and higher education by becoming a member of the Association for Spa, Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy (ASHB) in Higher Education.

Yet another successful period for the School saw the number of full-time HE learners almost double, while the School’s Apprenticeship programme, which benefits from links with more than 100 local employers, enjoyed continued popularity.

Awards

Competition success remained impressive, with Level 3 student Joe Slinger beating more than 250 candidates to scoop the coveted National Hairdressing Student of the Year Award. Joe’s win is the latest in a string of national successes that have earned him the right to compete for a place in the British UK junior squad for the 2008 World Championships in Chicago. At the UK Skills final in May, Louise Jolly won the Gold Award for Advanced Aromatherapy.

The School was delighted to be invited to host the regional finals of the UK Skills competition, at which it played host to competitors from 32 neighbouring colleges. The School is a regular host to the event, testifying to both the quality of our facility and to the professionalism of our staff.

Enrichment

Students benefited from an exciting programme of enrichment activities that included a trip to the Beauty North Exhibition at Manchester Central to discover the latest industry trends and innovations as well as opportunities to become involved in event demonstrations to showcase our provision to the local community.

The School’s own commercial salons, including the increasingly popular Cutting Edge at Bispham, continued to provide students with an authentic working environment in which to develop their skills.