Mission Statement “Providing excellence with passion and integrity”
Julie Collins BTec ND, ICSF,Cert Ed, City & Guilds MDPF (English Master) and Tina Parkes NDSF, FBFA, CERT ED, Dutch Master, AIFD, LCGI established the Academy of Floral Art in 2008 to create an unique training experience in Floristry and Flower Arranging and created courses both for professional floristry development and for recreational enjoyment.
As well as offering our own Academy high spec courses we are also a City & Guilds centre of training enabling us to offer professionally recognized qualifications, level 4 and 5. Our main courses are delivered at our studio which is set in a beautiful, inspirational location in Dunchideock just outside Exeter. Plus we hold classes in Bristol, Totnes , Exeter and Newton Abbot, Devon.
In all the courses we aim to proved you with a complete experience, that depending on your requirements will address:- academic and career development, connections and friendships, fun and creativity, time for you in a relaxed and friendly environment.
Since the Academy was set up we have now we have expanded our team to include Amanda Randell and Kathryn Delve.
We are very proud of our students and their success through our flower school:-
Out of the British Master Florists in Britain today the Academy of Floral Art has trained 40%.
Four students and one tutor won 5 gold medals and were awarded the best in show for both the junior and senior competitions (2014) at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
RHS Hampton Court Flower show 2014, students received Gold.
We have a large number of students running successful florist shops, freelance businesses and teaching at colleges around the country.
We are passionate about floristry and teach you to a very high level so that you have confidence to go out achieve you dream.
You will receive an excellent standard of teaching as we have highly qualified floristry teacher team, including UK and Dutch Floristry Masters.
Our floristry courses are designed to be flexible so that they fit in with your lifestyle; we run weekends, weekday and fast track courses, all broken down into subject units.
The Academy has design floristry courses that will teach you the most up to date design styles and techniques, to make you a leading florist.
As a student of the Academy you become part of our Floristry family and we give you lifelong Floristry support via our student face book group.
We have international connections with teachers in Europe, Australia, USA, Romania to expand your international horizons.
We are also on the British Floristry Association (BFA) education panel and keep you up dated on current events and floristry subject areas.
We organize trips UK and aboard to key floristry events throughout the year so that you are completely up to date on current design and trends.
We encourage you to enter competitions to raise your profile at key floristry and flower Arranging events: New Covent Garden college competition, World Skills, RHS Chelsea, RHS Hampton Court, Fleurex, County Shows, NAFAS
Plus we keep our class sizes small so that you get plenty of one to one attention with the tutor.
COURSES
Beginners Floristry Level 2
A great starting point for a career in floristry, our floristry course is designed to equip you with the skills, techniques and confidence to make beautiful designs, suitable for gifts, decorating venues and tables, bridal design and funeral and sympathy pieces.
We have designed a perfect floristry course suitable for beginners which will inspire your creativity. The courses are based on pure practical and are broken down into 4 practical units (Arrangement, Funeral, Wedding and Hand-tied) that are either run over 10 weeks (one day a week), weekends (once a month) or weekly (5 days) per unit. Each unit is designed to give you an in depth knowledge of all practical floristry designs so that you will be able to obtain a job in a florist or start your own business.
These floristry courses have no course work or classroom assessments, so giving you lots of time in the lesson to become an amazing florist. Plus you can build the course over a time span that suits you, as you only need to complete and pay for one unit at a time, making it a very flexible qualification.
Our floristry qualification will give you an Academy of Floral Art Master Training Programme Level 2 in Floristry (our equivalent to a C&G level 2 Diploma). We are a college member of the British Floristry Association (BFA) and our level 2 and 3 is recognized by the BFA so our students are able to become a BFA members.
Advanced Floristry Level 3
This is an exciting level of floristry where you move away from tutor lead designs and can start to explore your own style with the help from the teacher and class. We explore techniques and mechanics in more complex work to give you confidence and skill to create any design. This course has no course work or classroom assessments, so giving you lots of time in the lesson to develop your creative style and study different mechanics and design ideas. Plus you can build the course over a time span that suits you, as you only need to complete and pay for one unit at a time, making it a very flexible qualification.
Our full level 3 qualification will give you an Academy of Floral Art Master Training Programme Level 3 in Floristry (our equivalent to a C&G level 3) and you will need a level 2 floristry qualification or florist shop experience in order to start at this level. On successful completion of our level 3, we can take you further on your journey with our City & Guilds level 4.
Our classes are held weekends 9.30am – 4.00pm
C&G Level 4 Floristry
Welcome to the Academy master training programme. We offer a unique way of developing your skills and knowledge with flexible access to the City & Guilds Level 4 Higher Diploma in Floristry.
We have created the academy master training programme Level 4 units which you can select individually as part of your personal development or
build to achieve a full City & Guilds Level 4 Higher Diploma qualification tailoring the course to fit your lifestyle or business.
The units will develop your skills and knowledge in the specific area, re inspiring, invigorating and developing you as a leading floral designer.
If you would like to build the units into the full qualification then you have three years in which to complete the City & Guilds Higher Diploma qualification (this will need to include sitting the exams). Each unit can be paid for individually all the content and assignment/s are linked to the City & Guilds programme and you will need to complete the whole unit before moving onto the next unit.
C&G Level 5 Floristry
City & Guilds Master Diploma in Professional Floristry (level 5)
Welcome to the unique Academy Master training program. We offer a unique way of developing your skills and knowledge with flexible access to the City & Guilds level 5 Master Diploma in Professional Floristry.
We have created the Academy Master training program level 5 units which you can select individually as part of your personal development or build to achieve a full City & Guilds level 5 Master Diploma qualification tailoring the course to fit your lifestyle or business.
The units will develop your skills and knowledge in the specific area, re inspiring, invigorating and developing you as a leading floral designer
If you would like to build the units into the full qualification then you have three years in which to complete the City & Guilds Master Diploma qualification (this will need to include sitting the exams). Each unit can be paid for individually and will receive an Academy certificate of completion, all the content and assignment/s are linked to the City & Guilds program and you will need to complete the whole unit before moving onto the next unit.
So what could this do for you? Well our level 4 and 5 students have 100 per cent pass rate for this exam, awarded the highest marks for practical and theory exam, won gold medals at Chelsea, won the student competition two years running at Covent Garden Market and created our stand at Hampton court July 13 (silver medal) and Gold 2014. As well as running successful businesses or teaching in national colleges.
So if this sound right for you and you have successfully completed a level 4 floristry qualification or had equivalent industry experience contact us to arrange a telephone interview with Tina Parkes.
Contact Details
Telephone number: 01392 834893
Email address: Tina@academyoffloralart.com
Website: www.academyoffloralart.com
Registered Office:
8 Dunchideock Barton,
Dunchideock,
Near Exeter,
Devon,
EX2 9UA
