The Finishing Academy for Young Ladies, Adults, and Gentlemen at Willington Hall Hotel, Cheshire, and Combermere Abbey, Shrophire

Counselling and guidance...

First aid...

...even essential car maintenance skills.

The Finishing Academy, traditional values for the modern world

Trained as an actress and a dancer Diana, a former BBC Breakfast TV presenter, is an acknowledged expert on image and style and has coached MPs, businessmen and TV presenters to hone their presentation skills. "Confidence and self-belief are two of the greatest gifts you can give anybody and the aim of our Finishing Academy courses is to provide the self-esteem that is so often sadly lacking."

The topics covered on the courses range from the more traditional deportment and etiquette, through to essential skills for modern day living such as career counselling, first aid, self defence and even essential car maintenance.

The Finishing Academy courses are designed to help people of all ages make the most of themselves, for themselves. The techniques we teach can help you further your career and help provide confidence to strengthen relationships. Etiquette skills in business deals can make the difference between winning or losing a contract.

The venues at which we hold the courses are very special too. Willington Hall in the heart of Cheshire, the stunning Combermere Abbey and splendid Scottish Castles, make our courses a unique lifetime experience you will keep with you forever.

Click here for the Finishing Academy for Young Ladies

Click here for the Finishing Academy for Ladies

Click here for the Finishing Academy for Young Gentlemen

Click here for the Finishing Academy for Gentlemen

Click here to see our exclusive venues

Click here to see what the media are saying

Click here for booking and pricing information

Click here to see more about the people involved

For further information or to request a booking for for any of our courses please call Penny on 01270 611123. Alternatively email info@finishing-academy.co.uk for more information.

The finishing school, that most traditional of educational establishments that magically transformed young girls into the graceful young ladies of yesteryear, is back and thriving in 21st century Cheshire. But 'The Finishing Academy', a concept created by Cheshire businesswomen Diana Mather and Penny Edge, does not require its students to board or sign up for lengthy periods of tuition and training. Instead today's thoroughly modern misses can brush-up on a whole host of basic skills and learn some new ones in a fun-filled five day course at Willington Hall, a country house hotel deep in the Cheshire countryside which was the venue for the first Finishing Academy trial. "We started the Finishing Academy with the intention of filling that significant gap that had been left by the demise of the finishing schools," explained Diana. "We were always being asked by mothers if there were courses available to help give their 16+ year old daughters confidence and that extra bit of polish".
"I think girls today still want to learn basic etiquette and know how to behave appropriately in any situation, but they don’t want to spend a year doing it. Girls leave school and want to travel, so our five day courses give them a broad look at life skills as well as just learning to walk with poise or hold your knife and fork properly." Trained as an actress and a dancer Diana, a former BBC Breakfast TV presenter, is an acknowledged expert on image and style and has coached MPs, businessmen and TV presenters to hone their presentation skills. "Confidence and self-belief are two of the greatest gifts you can give anybody and the aim of our Finishing Academy courses is to give 16+ year olds that self-esteem that most are sadly lacking." Penny, who runs a successful Recruitment and Training business added: "When Diana and I started talking about this project it wasn't long before I saw an interesting business opportunity. We had estimated a significant demand for a type of training that had simply gone out of fashion. So we decided to seek out professional consultants and trainers in everything from deportment to dining to see whether we could satisfy that demand". "Most girls are never given formal tuition on how to entertain, how to produce a seven course meal or how to communicate at all levels. Every parent wants their daughter to have the confidence to walk into a room and light it up. But girls need help to achieve that level of confidence and that is where the Finishing Academy comes in. We want to give them the confidence to help them throughout their lives". "It is now clear that 95 per cent of the girls that have approached us for more information about the Finishing Academy are from public schools so we are confident that is a market that could keep us busy. We are also talking about courses for women in their 20s or 30s who may simply want to boost their confidence or those who want to brush up on their social skills after being out of circulation for some time". The two day trial run of the Finishing Academy (seen on BBC North West News) started with a French cookery class during which they learned how to prepare a selection of straightforward recipes that were healthy, nourishing yet simple to create. The girls had the opportunity to taste the results over lunch when their culinary creations were served up. Afternoon activities included career counselling during which the girls were given advice on how to choose the right courses for a career of their choice followed by a Skin, Hair & Body Care session which provided hints and tips on making the most of their hair and looks. Deportment filled an hour before afternoon tea when the girls were shown posture and learning to stand straight and walk well not only promotes good health but projects poise, confidence and self-assurance. Day One closed with a session on presentation skills when the class were shown how improving their presentation techniques would explore hidden talents. Day Two again started with a cookery lesson, this time Thai cuisine and was followed by a session on nutrition in which the importance of a well balance diet to health and energy was stressed. The Surviving Family & Friends session that followed was particularly popular with the class because the Finishing Academy experts gave useful tips on dealing with parents and effectively communicating with friends. A dance class designed to promote body-brain co-ordination in addition to enhancing fitness kept the girls occupied for an hour before afternoon tea and the day closed after a Basic First Aid Class. Anyone wishing to enrol should call Penny Edge at PAGE on 01270 611123 or Diana Mather on 07976 719721. Business etiquette training for adults, women, ladies and young gentlemen in exclusive locations in Cheshire, Shropshire and Scotland. Ladette to Lady. Girls. The Finishing Academy training young girls, deportment, style, and lifes essentials in a modern finishing school held at Willington Hall Hotel in the heart of the Cheshire countryside. Business etiquette training for adults, women, ladies and young gentlemen in exclusive locations in Cheshire, Shropshire and Scotland. Ladette to Lady. Academy. The Finishing Academy training young girls, deportment, style, and lifes essentials in a modern finishing school held at Willington Hall Hotel in the heart of the Cheshire countryside. Ladette to Lady. Willington. Business etiquette training for adults, women, ladies and young gentlemen in exclusive locations in Cheshire, Shropshire and Scotland. The Finishing Academy training young girls, etiquette, deportment, style, and lifes essentials in a modern finishing school held at Willington Hall Hotel in the heart of the Cheshire countryside. Ladette to Lady. School. Business etiquette training for adults, women, ladies and young gentlemen in exclusive locations in Cheshire, Shropshire and Scotland. The Finishing Academy training young girls, deportment, style, and lifes essentials in a modern finishing school held at Willington Hall Hotel in the heart of the Cheshire countryside. Ladette to Lady. Academy. The Finishing Academy training young girls, deportment, style, and lifes essentials in a modern finishing school held at Willington Hall Hotel in the heart of the Cheshire countryside. Ladette to Lady. Girls. The Finishing Academy training young girls, deportment, style, and lifes essentials in a modern finishing school held at Willington Hall Hotel in the heart of the Cheshire countryside. Ladette to Lady. School. Business etiquette training for adults, women, ladies and young gentlemen in exclusive locations in Cheshire, Shropshire and Scotland. The Finishing Academy training young girls, deportment, etiquette, style, and lifes essentials in a modern finishing school held at Willington Hall Hotel in the heart of the Cheshire countryside. Ladette to Lady. Deportment. Business etiquette training for adults, women, ladies and young gentlemen in exclusive locations in Cheshire, Shropshire and Scotland. The Finishing Academy training young girls, deportment, style, etiquette , and lifes essentials in a modern finishing school held at Willington Hall Hotel in the heart of the Cheshire countryside. Ladette to Lady. School. Business etiquette training for adults, women, ladies and young gentlemen in exclusive locations in Cheshire, Shropshire and Scotland. The Finishing Academy training young girls, etiquette, deportment, style, and lifes essentials in a modern finishing school held at Willington Hall Hotel in the heart of the Cheshire countryside. Ladette to Lady. Style. Business etiquette training for adults, women, ladies and young gentlemen in exclusive locations in Cheshire, Shropshire and Scotland. The Finishing Academy training young girls, etiquette, deportment, style, and lifes essentials in a modern finishing school held at Willington Hall Hotel in the heart of the Cheshire countryside. Ladette to Lady. Finishing. Business etiquette training for adults, women, ladies and young gentlemen in exclusive locations in Cheshire, Shropshire and Scotland. The Finishing Academy training young girls, etiquette, deportment, style, and lifes essentials in a modern finishing school held at Willington Hall Hotel in the heart of the Cheshire countryside. Ladette to Lady. Academy. Business etiquette training for adults, women, ladies and young gentlemen in exclusive locations in Cheshire, Shropshire and Scotland. The Finishing Academy training young girls, etiquette, deportment, style, and lifes essentials in a modern finishing school held at Willington Hall Hotel in the heart of the Cheshire countryside. Ladette to Lady. School. Business etiquette training for adults, women, ladies and young gentlemen in exclusive locations in Cheshire, Shropshire and Scotland. The Finishing Academy training young girls, etiquette, deportment, style, and lifes essentials in a modern finishing school held at Willington Hall Hotel in the heart of the Cheshire countryside. Business etiquette training for adults, women, ladies and young gentlemen in exclusive locations in Cheshire, Shropshire and Scotland.

External Links of interest: