8 Weeks Comprehensive Hair Cutting & Hair Colouring Course for Beginners
Everything You Need to Start Your Hairdressing Career in One Programme
This 8-week course gives you a complete foundation in both cutting and colouring. You’ll learn the 9 Alan d foundation haircuts across the first four weeks, covering techniques from long hair through to short, then move straight into a full colour programme covering everything from root coverage and full-head colour through to foils and balayage. By the end, you’ll have the practical skills to start working in a salon environment with confidence.
Alan d has been training hairdressers and barbers for over 60 years. The academy sits right in the heart of the City, and the training environment mirrors a real working salon. You’ll start on mannequins to build your technique, then progress to live models as your confidence develops.
This course suits complete beginners and those looking to gain a basic knowledge and insight into the industry. If you’re joining a partner in a business and need a working understanding of both cutting and colour, or you simply want to explore hairdressing before committing to a longer qualification, this is where to start.
8 Weeks Comprehensive Cutting & Colouring for Beginners – Key Course Details
Duration
8 weeks full-time (40 days part-time)
Location
London (1 Hayne Street, EC1A 9HG)
Next Start Dates
9th March
8th April / 6th May / 1st June
29th June / 27th July / 24th August
21st September / 19th October / 16th November
Schedule
Monday-Friday, 10am-3:30pm
Qualification
Alan d Comprehensive Cutting & Colouring Course for Beginners Certificate
Full Price
£6,360 inc. VAT
Payment Plan
£1,000 deposit and 5 weekly payments of £1,072
Additional Costs
Optional professional kit (you keep it). No uniform required
Class Size
Maximum 10 new learners per month
What You’ll Learn
Teaching Approach
Training at Alan d is hands-on from the start. The 8 weeks are split into two distinct phases: four weeks of cutting and four weeks of colour. It’s a logical structure, and it works. Each phase kicks off with the theory you actually need (not hours of it), then you move straight into practical work on mannequins before progressing to live models.
From day two, you’ll have hair in your hands. That’s where the real learning happens, and that’s where most of your time stays.
Curriculum Highlights
Cutting Programme (Weeks 1–4)
- The 9 Alan d Foundation Haircuts
- Consultation skills: identifying the right shampoo and conditioning products for different hair types
- Shampooing techniques including professional head massage
- Blow-drying techniques for smooth and curly finishes
- Correct tool selection for each styling technique
- Client care and salon protocol
Cutting Programme (Weeks 5–8)
- A 1-day colour seminar covering the basics of colour theory: understanding different colour types from semi-permanent through to quasi, permanent, lighteners and bleach
- The theory behind colour choice and product selection
- Root coverage techniques
- Full-head colour application
- Foil techniques
- Balayage
- Working on mannequin heads before progressing to live models
Hands-On Experience
You start with mannequins, both in the cutting phase and the colour phase. It’s not just a warm-up. Repeating each technique until it clicks is how you build the kind of muscle memory that holds up when you’re standing in front of a real client.
When your trainers are happy with where you are, you’ll move on to live models from Alan d’s model bank. Real hair behaves differently from a mannequin’s hair, as there are different textures, conditions, hair that’s been coloured ten times or never touched. That’s where everything you’ve practised starts to make proper sense.
Assessment
This is a certificate course. There are no formal exams or online testing. Your progress is monitored by your trainers throughout the programme and you’ll receive ongoing feedback as you develop your skills. Upon completion, you’ll receive the Alan d Comprehensive Cutting & Colouring Course for Beginners Certificate.
Is This Course Right for You?
Entry Requirements
None. You don’t need any prior qualifications or hairdressing experience to enrol. Spoken English is essential since you’ll be communicating with clients and following instructions during training.
This Course is Ideal For
- Complete beginners who want to gain a broad foundation in both cutting and colour before deciding on a career path
- Those looking to gain a basic knowledge and insight into the hairdressing industry
- Anyone joining a partner in a salon business who needs a working understanding of cutting and colour
- People who have had some basic training in cutting and colouring but felt it wasn’t comprehensive enough
What You’ll Achieve
Your Qualification
Upon completion, you’ll receive the Alan d Comprehensive Cutting & Colouring for Beginners Certificate. This is an institutional certificate demonstrating your competency across a full range of foundation cutting and colouring techniques. It’s recognised within the industry as proof of practical training, though it’s worth noting this is not a VTCT-regulated qualification.
Skills You’ll Develop
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to perform the 9 foundation haircuts confidently and deliver a full range of colour services, from root touch-ups and full-head colour through to foils and balayage. You’ll understand how to consult with clients, select the right products, and work to professional standards in a realistic salon environment. You’ll also have hands-on experience using salon-only professional brands, giving you vital product knowledge you can take straight into the workplace.
Where to Go Next
This course provides a strong foundation for progression to the Level 2 Certificate in Cutting Hair or the Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Hairdressing, both of which give you a nationally recognised qualification and the advanced skills to become a fully qualified stylist.
Our Hairdressing Academy
Located in Hayne St, EC1, Barbican, adjacent to Farringdon Elizabeth Line, Barbican exit, our London Hairdressing School is in the heart of the City of London making it easily accessible by public transport. You will learn in a realistic working environment using salon-professional only products.
Course Investment
Tuition Fee
Full Price: £6,360 inc. VAT
Payment Plan
Secure your place with a £1,000 deposit, then pay the remaining balance in 5 weekly instalments of £1,072, starting from your course start date.
- Deposit to secure your place: £1,000
- Week 1 (start date): £1,072
- Week 2: £1,072
- Week 3: £1,072
- Week 4: £1,072
- Week 5: £1,072
When taking out a payment plan with Alan d for your course, there are no interest charges, no credit checks and no third-party finance. Just a straightforward weekly payment plan.
What’s Included
Your course fee covers all tuition, ongoing support throughout your training, and your certificate upon completion. You’ll train on both mannequin heads and live models as part of the programme. You’ll also use salon-only professional products throughout, giving you hands-on experience with the brands you’ll encounter in professional environments.
Additional Costs
Professional equipment kits are available as an optional extra (you keep these permanently). Dress code is smart casual, no uniform required.
Learn from Industry Professionals
Academy Expertise
Alan d has over 60 years of combined industry experience training hairdressers and barbers. The academy is a VTCT-approved centre, which means training and assessment meet nationally recognised vocational standards. Class sizes are kept small, typically between 1 and 8 students per instructor, so you’ll get individual attention and personalised feedback throughout your course.
A maximum of 10 learners start each month, and you’ll be training alongside students on various programmes. This course is taught by all our educators across both the cutting and colouring phases, each with extensive salon and teaching experience.
FAQs
Yes, this course is ideal for newcomers as well as those who’ve had some basic training in cutting and colouring but felt this training wasn’t comprehensive enough.
The 8-week course is a practical foundation. You will leave with solid cutting and colour skills and an Alan d certificate. The Level 2 NVQ is a formally assessed qualification that takes longer, covers a broader range of skills, and is nationally recognised by employers across the UK. If you want to work professionally in a salon long-term, the NVQ is the qualification most employers look for. The 8-week course is a great starting point, but it’s worth knowing what each one gives you before you decide.
You will have the basic knowledge to work on the salon floor. However, you could expand your skillset and take the Level 2 Certificate in Cutting Hair or the Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Hairdressing. These courses can help you work towards becoming a fully qualified new stylist.
Yes. The course works well for complete beginners, but it’s also suited to people who’ve had some training that didn’t feel thorough enough. If you can already cut a little or have dabbled in colour, you’ll still get plenty from the programme, the depth of the Alan d curriculum goes beyond most basic training.
That depends on the route you take after the course. You’ll have the practical skills to assist in a salon environment straight away. Most students who want to work independently or take on their own clients progress to the Level 2 NVQ, which gives them the nationally recognised qualification that opens more doors. Either way, you’re building towards it from day one.
You’re welcome to bring your own kit as long as it’s in good condition. If you don’t have one, professional equipment kits are available to purchase through the academy — and anything you buy is yours to keep.
Alan d requires a minimum attendance rate of 80% per week. If you know you’re going to be late or absent, you need to notify the academy manager by email or phone no later than 9am on that day. Repeated unexplained absences can affect your progress and, in serious cases, could result in dismissal from the course without a refund. If you have a health issue, ongoing medication, or any personal circumstances that might affect your attendance, it’s worth speaking to the academy manager at the start of your course so they can support you properly.
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