More Than a Beauty Workshop: A Term of Creativity and Confidence at Ysgol Bryn Alyn

From bath bombs and braiding to henna and nail art, pupils at Ysgol Bryn Alyn built confidence, explored creative skills and discovered where practical interests could lead.

2 min read

When people hear “health and beauty workshops”, they sometimes assume the sessions are mainly about appearance.

What we saw at Ysgol Bryn Alyn was very different.

Across the term, pupils tried bath-bomb making, hair braiding, heatless styling, hair masks, lip scrubs, festival face painting, henna, nail art and special-effects make-up. The activities were enjoyable, but they also gave pupils a reason to experiment, ask questions and learn practical skills without feeling as though they were back in a formal lesson.

Done Together CIC was one of the organisations delivering as part of Wrexham County Borough Council’s Extended School Day pilot. Our role was to coordinate and deliver a programme shaped around the interests of pupils in Years 7 to 9.

We knew from the start that the sessions needed to be hands-on. Long explanations would lose the room. Pupils wanted to get involved quickly, use the materials and see a result before the hour disappeared.

Learning by doing

Bath-bomb making was an early favourite. Pupils measured ingredients, mixed colours and scents, worked out what had gone wrong when a mixture was too dry and tried again.

That problem-solving happened naturally. Nobody needed a worksheet explaining resilience. They simply wanted their bath bomb to hold together.

The same thing happened during the hair and beauty sessions. Pupils practised techniques, watched demonstrations and helped one another. Some were confident immediately. Others began by observing, then gradually joined in once they could see there was no pressure to get everything right first time.

We worked with specialist practitioners who brought real skills and experience into the classroom. Renata shared hair-braiding and styling techniques, Sophia introduced pupils to henna, and Amber demonstrated simple nail-art designs including flowers, hearts, animal print and ombré effects and Leila provided a fun arts and craft session with clay.

That outside expertise mattered. Pupils were not only trying a fun activity. They were meeting people who had turned creative skills into work.

Quiet conversations about confidence and careers

We did not turn every workshop into a careers lecture. That would have missed the point.

Instead, conversations happened while people worked.

Pupils asked how practitioners learned their skills, what equipment they used and whether something could become a job or small business. We talked about salons, freelance work, creative careers and the less glamorous side of working for yourself, including costs, hygiene, preparation and dealing with customers.

Those conversations landed better because they were connected to something happening in front of them.

The sessions also gave pupils different ways to succeed. Not everybody feels confident writing, presenting or answering questions in front of a class. Some pupils shine when they are given materials, a practical task and space to work things out.

That confidence deserves to be noticed.

What the term showed us

Attendance remained strong across most of the programme, with some sessions attracting more than 20 pupils. The room was often noisy, busy and full of half-finished creations. That was usually a good sign.

The most successful sessions were the ones where pupils could begin quickly, make choices and leave with a finished result or a technique they could try again.

This was not about training a room full of future beauticians. It was about creativity, confidence and showing pupils that practical interests can connect to real skills and future possibilities.

Sometimes that starts with a carefully braided section of hair.

Sometimes it starts with a bath bomb that refuses to come out of the mould.

Both count.