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16-18 College

Hair and Beauty

Bring joy to the world by creating a beautiful hair style or a make-up look that everyone will want to recreate. Our 16-18 year old Hair and Beauty courses are known for being enjoyable jobs, which are different from each day.

At West Lancashire College, you will be taught in our state-of-the-art Hair and Beauty Lounge; consisting of a hair salon, sauna room and beauty workspace. Taught by our experienced teachers, you will learn the principles of hair, beauty, make-up and most importantly, how to provide the very best customer service.

Hairdressing and Barbering students will benefit from an exciting collaboration with Andrew Barton London Education (ABLE), a highly regarded VTCT-endorsed initiative founded by Andrew Barton, celebrity hairdresser. The partnership provides students with exclusive industry insights, expert-led training and career focused skills to prepare them for success in the sector.

Next Event

College Tours

West Lancashire College Wednesday 2nd September 2026 Thursday 1st July 2027 Find out more

Beauty Therapy Level 1

Our Beauty Therapy Level 1 course has been developed to provide students with the stepping stones to start a successful career in the industry.

Length: 1 Year
Study: Full Time
Start date: 2nd September 2026
Location: West Lancashire College

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Beauty Therapy Level 2

The Level 2 diploma in Beauty Therapy is a qualification that has been specifically designed to develop your practical skills.

Length: 1 Year
Study: Full Time
Start date: 2nd September 2026
Location: West Lancashire College

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Beauty Therapy Level 3

The Level 3 course in Beauty Therapy is designed to give you all the skills required to become a professional Beauty or Spa therapist.

Length: 35 Weeks
Study: Full Time
Start date: 2nd September 2026
Location: West Lancashire College

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Hairdressing Level 1

Our Hairdressing Level 1 course has been designed for students that are beginning their journey in the industry. The course will provide students with the foundations required to progress onto our Level 2 course, as well as within their career.

Length: 1 Year
Study: Full Time
Start date: 2nd September 2026
Location: West Lancashire College

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Hairdressing Level 2

Our Level 2 Diploma in Hairdressing aims to provide students with a range of essential practice skills and knowledge, which will ultimately help you to seek employment or further training.

Length: 1 Year
Study: Full Time
Start date: 2nd September 2026
Location: West Lancashire College

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Hairdressing Level 3

This course is designed to provide you with a range of specialist practical skills and technical knowledge, which will equip you to gain future employment or further training and development within the hairdressing sector.

Length: 1 Year
Study: Full Time
Start date: 2nd September 2026
Location: West Lancashire College

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100%*

pass rate for Hair and Beauty Level 1

*data from Proachieve September 2024

100%*

pass rate for Beauty Therapy Studies Diploma Level 2

*data from Proachieve September 2024

Good

Ofsted Report 2024

Neil Farrell

Head of Curriculum for Creative Service Industries

Having studied Sport and Exercise Science through college and university, I began my career in the sport and active leisure industry before moving into the education sector. During my time at West Lancashire College, I have managed a wide breadth of Curriculum areas and different types of learning provision. This has included 16-18 provision, adult education, apprenticeship provision, Higher Education, community learning programmes through to provision for adults and young people with SEND. I strongly believe that education has the power to transform lives and that everyone should have access to high quality educational opportunities.

Emma Forgie

Hairdressing Lecturer

I am a passionate, experienced educator with a wealth of knowledge and experience in industry, with Master Colour Expert status. I love being a part of students' success and creativity for the ever-growing industry, as well as helping create hairdressers of the future.

Alison Barford

Hairdressing Lecturer

I have worked in the hairdressing industry for over 30 years, with 15+ years as a hairdressing educator. I enjoy seeing our students reach their potential and progressing in the hairdressing industry. I also enjoy developing my own skills and passing this on to students. As a lecturer, I ensure students reach their full potential and achieve their hairdressing qualifications by managing and providing an effective learning environment. Students will gain the essential knowledge, skills and confidence to prepare them to work in the hairdressing sector.

Daniel Rawlinson

Barbering Lecturer

I decided to set into the Barbering industry after a stint of working as a Hairdressing in 2000 as the industry was taking off. I began to work in men's grooming in a well-known Liverpool shop called Voodoo, in their shaving department and it was from there, that I embarked on education. I went to Southport College for my Level 2 and Berry College for my Level 3 in 2009, for 2 years where I completed my assessments. Once I was qualified as a teacher, I was head hunted to work in India and Sri Lanka for various brands. Afterwards, I came to West Lancashire College in 2019 to teach barbering full time here.

Claire Procter

Beauty Therapy Lecturer

I have been in the Spa and Beauty industry for more than 20 years. I completed my training at Skelmersdale College and enjoyed every minute of it. My career started working on board a cruise ship as a Spa and Massage Therapist. This enabled me to travel around the world visiting many countries doing the job I love. After this I lived and worked abroad finally returning to the UK being self-employed. I have worked at West Lancashire College for 19 years and teach level 1 – 4 in beauty therapy. This is a growing and ever-changing industry where there is always new treatments and techniques to learn. Being a teacher is very rewarding especially when seeing the learners achieve their qualifications and move on to employment within our industry

Samantha Pillai

Beauty Therapy Lecturer

I have worked in the Beauty industry since 2001 in which I have gained a lot of experience and knowledge to pass onto our students. I joined Steiner Transocean and became a senior spa therapist on board their luxury cruise liners, before turning to teaching for the last 13 years. I have a strong passion for the beauty industry and a keen eye for detail in everything that I do

Natascha

Hairdressing Alumni Student

I studied the Level 2 Hairdressing course at West Lancashire College, where I really enjoyed learning new skills I never thought I would have. Both of my tutors, Emma and Alison, supported me throughout and helped me overcome my fears and “I can’t do it” mindset. I was selected to take part in a Creative Hair Team within my course, and since joining the team, my skills improved significantly. I was excited to see what my future in the hairdressing industry would hold.

Maisie

Hairdressing Alumni Student

I chose to study the Level 2 Hairdressing course because it allowed me to be creative while learning. My tutors were very supportive and helped me to progress, as well as build confidence in all aspects of the course. At the start of the year, I was selected to be part of the Creative Hair Team, and since then, I have seen significant improvement in both myself and my hairdressing skills. After completing Level 3, I aimed to work in a salon and eventually run my own business.

Lilly-Mae

Beauty Therapy Alumni Student

I studied Beauty Therapy at West Lancashire College and received excellent support from my teachers, Claire and Sam. I am now working as a Beauty Therapist at Ragdale Hall Health Spa.

Sophie

Beauty Therapy Alumni Student

I chose to study Beauty Therapy because I really enjoyed the topics the course offered. The practical elements were my favourite, as they allowed me to see where I could improve my skills. The support I received from my tutors was excellent. In the future, I hope to work in a salon.

Lydiah

Beauty Therapy Alumni Student

I have always been interested in Beauty and think it’s a great industry to go into. I have really enjoyed the electrical treatments, as they are very interesting. I also loved taking part in the Lancashire Colleges’ Skills Competition. My next steps will be working full-time at the spa where I am completing my work experience.

Torrie

Hairdressing Student

I chose to study Hairdressing because I have always loved doing hair from a young age, and I like the idea that my job will help people feel beautiful and confident every day. I have really enjoyed meeting new friends and learning about the different colouring techniques, including experimenting by colouring a doll’s head green. After college, I would like to secure a full-time job as a hairdresser.

Wiktoria

Hairdressing Student

I’ve wanted to be a Hairdresser from a young age. I’ve really enjoyed the work experience in the on-site Hair and Beauty Lounge, taking part in the NCG Competitions where I achieved success, and learning from the Stylebook guest speaker.

Claire

Hairdressing Student

Having completed Level 1 Hairdressing while in school, I wanted to further develop my skills and passion for the industry. I’ve really enjoyed the work experience in the on-site Hair and Beauty Lounge, where I’ve been able to learn new techniques, work with real clients, and make new friends.

Kara

Beauty Therapy Student

I chose to study Beauty Therapy because I have a strong interest in working in the industry. The course has helped me develop my skills significantly, and the on-site work experience in The Hair and Beauty Lounge has been an excellent opportunity to put my learning into practice.

Millie

Hairdressing Student

As I want a career in Hairdressing, this course was the perfect choice for me and my future career. I have really enjoyed my work experience in the on-site Hair and Beauty Lounge, working with real clients and developing my skills. It was also exciting to take part in several competitions, including AHT, NCG, and the Lancashire Colleges’ Skills Competition.