Ready to Learn the Finishing Trade?
Applications for September 2027 are open. Apply online in 10 minutes.
Level 1 Diploma in Painting & Decorating
Learn the trade that finishes the job. Preparing surfaces, applying paint, hanging paper, getting a clean, professional finish that lasts. This is your introduction to painting and decorating, hands-on in the workshop with real materials, backed by the health and safety knowledge every site needs. A skilled trade with steady demand, and a route to running your own business.
Got a question? Ask us
How you’ll learn
Prep It. Paint It. Finish It Right.
Painting and decorating is the trade that makes a job look finished, and getting it right takes real skill. You’ll learn surface preparation and application, the foundations of a clean, professional finish, working hands-on in the workshop with real materials and tools. Alongside the practical work, you’ll cover health and safety in construction and how the industry works.
You’ll build up your skills across a choice of practical tasks, producing work you can be proud of. By the end of the year you’ll have real painting and decorating skills, the site knowledge to back them up, and a clear route to a Level 2 Painter and Decorator apprenticeship, or towards running your own business.
Core Knowledge
- Health and safety in construction
- Introduction to the construction industry
Painting & Decorating Skills
- Surface preparation
- Paint application
- Decorating techniques
- A choice of practical tasks to gain the necessary credits
Entry and progression
What you need and where it leads
- Entry requirements
- This course Level 1
- Further study
Entry requirements
- Grade 4 in Maths or English (the other must be a Grade 2 or 3 minimum)
- A genuine interest in painting, decorating and finishing work
- Successful interview with our team
If you haven't yet achieved Grade 4 in both Maths and English, you'll keep working towards them alongside your course, built into your timetable.
Not sure you meet these? Talk to us and we will help you find the right starting point.
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Careers it can lead to
- Construction Operatives £30,800 a year
- Routine Inspectors and Testers £34,100 a year
- Elementary Construction Occupations £26,300 a year
- With further study or experience Painters and Decorators £29,200 a year
See all 7 careers
With further study or experience
- Plasterers £36,800 a year
- Glass and Ceramics Makers, Decorators and Finishers £27,100 a year
- Vehicle Paint Technicians £42,300 a year
Typical pay is the UK median for each job (Lightcast, October 2026).
Life on the course
See what it’s really like
Our facilities
Spacious, Well-Equipped Workshops
You'll train in dedicated workshops built for hands-on painting and decorating, led by tutors who've worked in the trade.
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Decorating Workshops
Spacious, well-equipped spaces for real prep, painting and decorating work.
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Expert Tutors
Every session led by tutors with real painting and decorating experience.
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Links With Local Companies
Real experience on live projects, plus national competitions.
Real Workshops · Real Finishes
Student Voice
“
I’ve gained loads of skills that’ll help me in life and in starting my career as a full-time painter and decorator. College has been a great experience—everyone’s treated equally, and the staff are really friendly and supportive. I’d definitely recommend it.
For parents and carers
Supporting your child’s journey
A Friendly, Welcoming Place
Students are often surprised by how friendly and welcoming college is. It's a supportive community where they'll build genuine friendships and feel part of something.
About student lifeQualifications That Count
These are nationally recognised qualifications with real academic weight. Your child will develop practical skills and knowledge that employers and universities genuinely value.
See the full unit listGCSE Support Built In
If your child needs to resit GCSE English or Maths, it's built into the timetable, not bolted on as an extra. They'll get structured support alongside their main course.
About student supportLearning Support
If your child has additional learning needs, our support team works with them from day one. Adjustments are put in place early so they can get the most out of their course.
About learning supportYour next step
Apply now, come and see us first, or ask us anything.
Want to visit first?
FE Open Event – 12th January 202712th January 4:30pm to 7:00pm
Got a question?
Ask us about the course, entry requirements or funding.
Call 0800 358 7575
What happens after you apply
1
You apply
Apply online and you’ll get a confirmation email.
2
You meet your tutor
We’ll invite you to an interview to talk through the course and your plans, and make sure it’s right for you.
3
You get an offer
We’ll email you a conditional or unconditional offer.
4
You get ready to start
Come to a taster session in the summer, then enrol in August, bringing your results.