Becky you've got Valerie in for a….

COMMENTARY: Vicky is the educational lead

for an independent training provider, specialising in hairdressing and beauty therapy.

She is briefing a group of level 2 and level 3 learners, prior to a busy day in the salon.

She is using this session to help learners make connections between the maths they have

learnt on the programme and their practice in the salon.

PRACTITIONER: Obviously, you’ll do your consultations yourself. The people doing cutting,

I want you to focus on what cuts you’re doing, what degrees and angles you’re using.

For the people doing colours, it will be your ratios of colours, what you’re mixing the

levels of peroxide you’re putting together. And then you all have to take your own bills.

COMMENTARY: The session will help reinforce some essential concepts in a practical setting.

It will also allow learners to reveal their current understanding and provide Vicky with

some opportunities for formative assessment.

PRACTITIONER: So you’re doing your cut today. Tell me how face shapes would affect the choice

of cut and what we’re trying to achieve overall using a face shape.

LEARNER 1: We always do the cut depending

on the face shape, so it flatters the look of the client. So for example, if the face shape

was oval you’d do the cut more squared off just so it doesn’t emphasise the roundness of the face.

LEARNER 1: There’s four main different cuts. For example,

you’ve got your one length, which you pull straight down from the head causing no graduation

– so you’re cutting at zero degrees. This is a one length. So you cut straight

across. So there’s no graduation, no layering in there.

PRACTITIONER: So Becky, if we’re doing a one length cut, what angle are going to do it at?

LEARNER 2: Right down to nothing PRACTITIONER: So it’s zero degrees.

PRACTITIONER: So what are we doing today Nathan?

LEARNER 3: So what we’re doing is, we're just going to do a one length.

LEARNER 3: So we’re going to be taking off just all the ends.

PRACTITIONER: Yes, so we’ve got a one length cut.

So what angle are you going to hold the hair at?

LEARNER 3: Zero… that's just to get rid of any graduation.

PRACTITIONER: Zero degrees, removed graduation.

PRACTITIONER: So what kind of cut is it if we’re going to put layers into it?

LEARNER 4: It would be long grad PRACTITIONER: Long graduation

And what angle do you roughly hold the hair at for a long graduation?

LEARNER 4: About 125 to 135 PRACTITIONER: So, 125 to 135 degrees,

depending on the angle that you actually need.

LEARNER 1: We’re doing a short graduation cut. So Diane likes it nice and tapered in

at the back, and then longer on the front to give it the height when it’s all dry,

but then shorter round the front again. And slightly over the ears, but not too much.

LEARNER 1: This one’s got layers in, so this one, it would be shorter here and

longer here – so it will fall over it. Whereas this one, it’s all one length.

PRACTITONER: Okay so were doing about an inch off altogether in the nape. So what angles

are we going to be using? LEARNER 1: Pull out at 90…

So this is your 90 degree, then your fingers would be angled at that 45.

PRACTITIONER: ...at 90 LEARNER 1: And then cut at 45.

LEARNER 1: You pull the hair out at 90 and then you cut at 45.

PRACTITIONER: Okay, so you’re going to have to watch your angles as you come round here,

the two areas that you need to concentrate on are behind the ears…

PRACTITIONER: I think we try our best to link practical and theory together, whether that’s

hairdressing or maths. Because as a group, if we stereotype, hairdressers are practical

people. So they want to be in that environment learning, so we always try and bring theory

into the practical room wherever possible. You’ve got to link it in to make it interesting

to them and make them understand where it fits in.

PRACTITIONER: And how much are you taking off? LEARNER 3: 2, 2 and a half inch

PRACTITIONER: When we teach them we teach inches and centimetres.

When we’re talking about cuts, strangely enough it always seems to be

that clients and students, even the younger ones, talk about inches with cutting.

We have to each them to understand that you know...

PRACTITIONER: There’s a difference between 1 and 2 and a half… so how much are we taking off?

LEARNER: 2 and a half inches. PRACTITIONER: 2 and a half.

PRACTITIONER: Estimation is something, I think that is getting them to

understand the difference between guessing and estimation.

They think estimation means to guess. So when they’re working they use a lot of estimation,

estimating length – is the client happy with that? They need to make that estimation.

PRACTITIONER: And what’s it called it when you bring it forward?

LEARNER 3: Forward graduation PRACTITIONER: Forward graduation

PRACTIONER: Some things they can’t estimate. Colours, ratios have to be exact.

PRACTITIONER: Are we thinking an all over colour, is that what you’ve had in the past?

PRACTITIONER: Is that a good match? LEARNER 5: Yes, I think is.

PRACTITIONER: So if your natural base is a 6, what’s your

undertone? What’s the underlying tone that’s going to run through it?

LEARNER 5: 6, is it....orange? PRACTITIONER: Yes, orange

PRACTITIONER: So existing colour, so we need to look at what’s on the ends.

What kind of colour do you think is on the ends?

PRACTITIONER: Blends in quite well doesn’t it? LEARNER: Yes compared to this one,

which was a bit too dark.

PRACTITIONER: Existing colour on the ends is 6GB.

So now we need to think about the percentage of white.

I don't even think we’re at 30%. LEARNER 5: No.

PRACTITIONER: So is that going to really affect your colour choice?

LEARNER: No, compared to if it’s higher. We’d have to do...

PRACTITONER: You'd have to change your ratios to meet… LEARNER 5: Or your colour as well

PRACTITIONER: Good, yes, the grey needs.

So I’d put zero, because there is grey but it’s not affecting the service.

So if we look, we’re going to go with, 5BG and 5N. So how much 5BG are you going to use?

Remember it’s of a global colour.

LEARNER 5: It’s Topchic isn’t it? PRACTITIONER: Yes.

PRACTITIONER: So what ratio is it? LEARNER 5: 1:1

PRACTITIONER: So it’s a 1:1 ratio, so what are we going to mix?

How much solution do you think you’re going to need? Quite a bit?

LEARNER 5: Yes, quite a fair bit. PRACTITIONER: Okay

LEARNER 5: So, if I say did...

...I feel better if I say too much. PRACTITIONER: I’d rather you had too much

than not enough. LEARNER 5: Say 40 to...

PRACTITIONER: 40 mls... LEARNER 5: 10, 10 mls?

PRACTITIONER: To 10 mls. What peroxide are you going to use?

LEARNER 5: If you use the wrong peroxide or you put too much in, or the wrong ratio,

then it won’t work or it might damage the client's hair.

PRACTITIONER: That would lift slightly and cover grey – but we don’t need to worry

about that. So we only need the... LEARNER 5: Like 4?

PRACTITIONER: 3 percent. LEARNER 5: 4, 3?

PRACTITIONER: So 3 percent. And how much 3 percent are we going to mix?

LEARNER 5: Well, 50 mls. PRACTITIONER: 50 mls.

PRACTITIONER: Perfect.

LEARNER 5: I’ll just write it on here. PRACTITIONER: So if you write it on there,

and then you can start mixing your colour.

PRACTITIONER: Most students would say that

they're not comfortable at all with ratios. Same with percentages or anything like that.

But they’re all a lot more comfortable than they think, as long as it’s practical.

So if I ask them to mix a colour they can do it, but if I ask them to do it in a classroom

setting, on a sheet of maths doing ratios, they’d all say ‘I can’t do that’.

But in a practical setting they do it every single day, so they have to be extremely comfortable with it.

COMMENTARY: Firstly, Charley needs to mix the colours required

to achieve the overall tone that she has selected. In this case it’s

the permanent colours 5BG and 5N, and they will need to be combined in the ratio 4 to 1.

COMMENTARY: Previously, she had estimated that she would need about 50 grams of this

colour solution all together, to which she will add the peroxide.

LEARNER 5: I’ve just mixed 40mls of 5BG and then I’ve mixed 10mls of 5N.

COMMENTARY: The amount of peroxide required depends on the manufacturer’s specifications,

and for these colours it’s in the ratio 1:1.

LEARNER: And then I reset the scales and then put 50mls of 3% in, which is the peroxide.

PRACTITIONER: We’re dealing with students from lots of different places.

So some students will mix colour using millilitres, so they use

a little jug and they pour it in, whereas our students are using scales.

LEARNER 5: So when we’ve put the bowl on, we reset the scales so then it brings it back to zero.

And then we can get an accurate measurement of how many millilitres of the colour we’ve

got, to make sure it takes properly on the head, on the client.

PRACTITIONER: So basically, we’ve just gone over everybody's consultation,

we go through every single learner

to make sure that they know exactly what they’re going to be doing with their clients

and we like to go through the theory aspects to link what they’ve done in the classroom,

into the practical session.

I think they all adapt to the maths really well when it’s practical.

They don’t even know they're doing it until you actually pull it out.

I think it really surprised them today with such a big focus on maths in the practical

session, of how much they had actually done.

PRACTITIONER 2: What do you usually pay Lyn?

CUSTOMER: It’s family and friends, because Sarah’s my daughter.

PRACTITIONER 2: Lovely, and then go to your discount, family and friends, yes, and your sale.

LEARNER 1: That’s £6 today

COMMENTARY: Like any commercial salon, the learners become aware of the importance of

timing and how as a team, they need to coordinate the different processes taking place

so that the salon works effectively as a unit.

PRACTITIONER 2: And is it a full head of colour and a cut? LEARNER 5: Yes it is.

PRACTITIONER 2: Okay, there you go, there’s your total.

LEARNER 5: So that’s £38 today then please.

PRACTITIONER: Well done for today, some really good work.

COMMENTARY: To end the session a debrief.

PRACTITIONER: Charley, we’ll start with you.

What maths did you do, do you want to share with the group what we covered?

LEARNER 5: I used ratio to mix my all over colour. And then in my cut with my layerings I used

angles and then also with my one length bringing it just straight down.

PRACTITIONER: I think it’s quite interesting to see and hear their reflections on

how much maths they know now - that they do every day

in their lives, that they didn’t actually think they did.

I think if we’d asked them cold this morning, ‘how much maths will we do today’ they

would have gone ‘not much’. I think it’s quite interesting at the very end to see that

there was so much they’d done and how much they’d taken from it

and how much they found it interesting because it was practical.

PRACTITIONER: The cut that you did Charley,

which angle did you use?

LEARNER 5: With my one length? PRACTITIONER: So with your one length, because

that was the main one that you focused on. LEARNER 5: Zero.

PRACTITIONER: So you were zero, you were right to the bottom weren't you.

So with your long graduation, thinking that long graduation can be

anything from 125 to 135 degrees, where do you think you’re sat?

[Learner thinks]

LEARNER 5: About 125 ish? PRACTITIONER: Yes, it probably was for the

angle you were cutting at, definitely. Way up here somewhere, so you can see the

different ranges that were working through.

PRACTITIONER: So Nathan what did we cover with you today?

LEARNER 3: Just the cutting on a long length.

So just zero graduation, so straight down. PRACTITIONER: Straight down. What was your

biggest challenge today? LEARNER 3: Just a lot of hair

PRACTITIONER: The length and a lot of hair. So it’s acceptable, to make sure you get that

zero degrees, to get that client to stand up. If it’s a small child it might be easier to

get them to sit on a stool, but it’s acceptable to make them stand because you

need that hair as flat to the head as you possibly can. Fab.

PRACTITIONER: Becky? LEARNER 1: The uniform bit was pulled out of the

head at 90 and just cut straight across.

PRACTITIONER: To keep that nice round shape. LEARNER 1: Yes.

PRACTITIONER: Brilliant.

PRACTITIONER: So you all covered other areas of maths.

Taking your bills at reception, making sure the clients get the correct change

and they’ve got the correct discounts that are in there. And all the other things that you have

to make sure at reception - that you're booking the times in for their repeat services and things correctly.

So you did really well today, both in your hairdressing skills and

the linking in with the maths that we did. So well done.

CUSTOMER: Thank you very much. LEARNER 5: Thank you very much. See you later, lovely to meet you.

CUSTOMER: Nice to meet you too, thank you. LEARNER 5: Bye.