Award-winning celebrity hairdresser Lee Stafford has praised the “amazing job” done by hair students from Chichester College who showed off their talent at a gala event.
Salons in and around the area gathered at a special ‘Dinner with Lee Stafford’ evening which took place in the college’s 64 Restaurant with guests invited to tuck into a three-course dinner served up by catering and hospitality students.
The student group, which is combined of apprentices and full-time students, were able to present their models as they showcased techniques — from twisted tong curls to hair up as well as colouring.
They are trained at the college’s Lee Stafford Education Academy by a team of lecturers who get ongoing training and professional development from Lee and his team of experts.
And the star crimper said he very much enjoyed the evening and was hugely impressed by the efforts off the students both in the salon as well as the kitchen. He said: “It was a great evening, and created a real buzz with local employers. It was the kind of event that gives students something to reach for. I thought it was great seeing the students preparing — they looked so competent in the way they were working and they did an amazing job, especially considering some of them are only six months into their courses.
“The food and service were brilliant, too. I think it was a real quality evening which just shows what a really great job Chichester College is doing across the board.”
And Shelagh Legrave, who is the chief executive of the Chichester College Group, was on hand to take in the night’s offerings and she was quick to praise the students for their work.
She said: “I was very impressed by the standard of work on show. The hair students produced some outstanding looks, which really demonstrated their talent and commitment. And that was reflected in the superb dinner that our catering students served, which was delicious. All of the students and staff involved with the evening should be extremely proud of the high standards that they are achieving. It is inspiring to see.”
Meanwhile. Chichester College Group and Worthing College have formally merged, in a move which will bring significant benefits to the region.
The merger means the Chichester College Group (CCG) will now provide high quality learning opportunities for around 25,000 students across four colleges — Chichester College, Crawley College, Brinsbury College and now Worthing College.
And Legrave said: “We are delighted to welcome Worthing College to our family of colleges. There are many similarities between the Group and Worthing College, not least a commitment to delivering high quality A-level provision.
“We look forward to working in partnership with local businesses and organisations to ensure we are able to deliver a diverse and employer-led curriculum that meets their requirements.”
Paul Riley will continue in his role as Principal at Worthing College and will join the Group’s leadership team. He added: “I am delighted that our merger has finally come to fruition. I believe it is in the very best interests of staff, students and the wider community we serve. It will enable us to enhance our existing student support services to provide wrap around pastoral care for all of our students.
“We recognise and welcome CCG’s strengths in ‘Student Voice’ to enrich experiences and maintain an unrelenting focus on the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Our staff will also benefit from a richness of opportunity for sharing best practice with colleagues from across the group.
“The merger will also ensure the continuation of high-quality teaching and learning and the extensive curriculum offer at Worthing College with a wealth of progression opportunities for students, helping shape the skills agenda both regionally and nationally.”
