WOMEN can have their hair or nails done and enjoy afternoon tea at the Winsford campus of Mid-Cheshire College.

The bringing together of hair and beauty with catering is one of the initiatives introduced by college interim principal Val Bailey, who has been in charge since principal Richard Hollywood stepped down this summer.

The college achieved the top Ofsted rating of outstanding in all areas following an inspection in 2008.

However that rating had fallen to inadequate in all but one of the areas looked at by Ofsted following an inspection in January, and Val is looking to improve standards.

“We have taken the beauty operation which was at Hartford and transferred it to Winsford so we now have hair and beauty there, which from a curriculum point of view sits together really well,” she said.

“It incorporates nails and message, and is now called Escape.

“We used to have a very small catering area at Hartford, and have taken that to Winsford as well.

“The idea is that we will offer to clients who come in to come and have their hair or nails done and have afternoon tea or a light lunch.

“The students will be serving and waiting on, doing their course at the same time, and we are trying to mirror for our students what happens in the real world.”

The Winsford campus was under-used, she said, and one of her aims was to see it fully utilised to meet the educational and pre-employment needs of the people of Winsford.

“We are looking at the Winsford site to see what we can do in terms of perhaps linking with Cheshire West and Chester Council, in terms of adult courses, in terms of helping people back into employment,” she said.

“This is new for Winsford, because it has been quite empty over the last year or so.

“In Winsford there is no real post-16 education, and for me the important thing is that we gradually build it up so we have a much more comprehensive offer in Winsford as of next year for the 16 to 18-year-olds.