Students in Key stage 4 were given the opportunity to visit the Learning Curve Hair and Beauty Academy. The visit was set up to show interested students a training provider in central Leeds that is easily accessible and offers hairdressing, beauty, and barbering opportunities. The visit took place on 27 January 2026.
On the visit students were given an initial talk by Alison Leonard (Business Development Officer) about the different courses on offer and about career pathways. Students then had a tour of the facilities, seeing the beauty salon, hair salon, classroom and nail areas. Students met with a course tutor and were given the opportunity to speak to the academies current students about their courses and experiences at the college.
Student feedback was very positive, with a 100% of students saying: the visit made them aware of an alternative to mainstream college and would recommend the visit to other students.
“I learned that communication skills are important for Beauty ” Year 10 student
“I will apply here for September” Year 11 student
Feedback from Alison Leonard (Business and Development Officer) at the college about our students visiting the college can be seen below.
“It was lovely to welcome you all to the college and I felt that it went really well.
The learners were highly engaged throughout the session and showed a genuine interest in both the courses and the opportunities the college has to offer. It was great to see the level of enthusiasm and the thoughtful questions they asked, which reflected their curiosity and motivation.
I hope that the visit was helpful for them as they consider their next steps, and we very much look forward to welcoming some of them to the college in September on their chosen courses.” Alison Leonard (Business and Development Officer)
The provision has smaller classes (12 students maximum) and a flexible timetable compared to most mainstream colleges. Overall, it is a very supportive provision. Out of the students who attended, two said they would be making a direct application to the Learning Curve and preferred it over the larger Leeds City College.
The visit met the needs of students, as several students with anxiety showed a preference to this smaller individual setting and if not taken by school may have never visited the provision to inform their post 16 choices.
Raj Gill (Director of Careers)