Hairdressing – Level 1

Required qualifications

To be accepted onto the course, you will need a minimum of 3 GCSEs at Grade 2 or above, or equivalent, including both English and maths, or you will have passed a Routes/Entry Level qualification and had a successful interview with the team.

What skills will I develop?

Over the course of the year, you will develop both your practical skills and in-depth knowledge and understanding through a variety of units including:

• Introduction to the hair and beauty sector
• Presenting a professional image in a salon
• Shampoo and conditioning
• Create an image using colour for the hair and beauty sector
• Hand care
• Styling women’s hair
• Styling men’s hair
• Plaiting and twisting hair
• Colour hair using temporary colour
• Create a hair and beauty image
• Follow health and safety in the salon
• Salon reception duties
• Working with others in the hair and beauty sector

You will also gain a City & Guilds Level 2 Award in Contact Dermatitis Prevention.

Careers

Completing our Level 1 course would provide you with the skills needed to become a salon assistant, which would only allow you to assist others in the salon and carry out simple services excluding technical services such as colouring or cutting.

However, when you have successfully completed our Level 1 course, you will have the opportunity to take all of the transferable skills learned throughout the year and progress onto one of the following Level 2 courses:

• Level 2 Diploma in Barbering
• Level 2 Diploma in Women’s Hairdressing

Gaining a Level 2 qualification would then help you on the road to becoming a fully qualified hairdresser or barber and open you up to a world of opportunities and a wide range of careers.

Work experience

Work experience is a compulsory aspect of the course, and throughout the academic year you will be required to complete a work experience placement of at least 40 hours within a salon.

Through work experience, you will learn valuable interpersonal skills, such as independence, confidence, and commercial awareness, and the placement is designed to allow you to apply what you learn at college into a real-world environment.

English and maths

If you don’t have a Grade 4 or above in English, maths, or both, you will be required to attend weekly GCSE classes during your time at college alongside your hairdressing course. This is a mandatory requirement for those who are aged 16-18 at the start of the course and will typically mean you attend college for an extra day each week.

Those with a Grade 4 or above in English and maths will still need to work on English and maths tasks on ‘CENTURY’, a skills development website, during tutorial sessions.

Within our Level 1 course you will also develop your English and maths skills through written and verbal communication as well as ratios, percentages, angles, and time.

Other important information

Wearing the right uniform and having the right kit are compulsory requirements of the course.

You will be expected to purchase a uniform including a branded polo top and sweatshirt, a black tunic, black trousers (no leggings), and black flat shoes. You will also be expected to purchase kit including training heads, scissors, combs, clips, and brushes.

Uniform and kit packages will be discussed with you further at interview and order forms will be made available during enrolment. All uniform and kit will need to be purchased through the college’s suppliers and not independently.

Depending on your individual circumstances, you may be eligible for financial support to help you cover the cost of both the uniform and the kit. You can read more about the different financial support on offer at the college here.