Accredited Courses

Accredited Diploma Courses

Considering a career change?

As an AMUSF Approved Training Centre, Tresithick Upholstery is a provider of the Association of Master Upholsterer and Soft Furnishers Accredited Upholstery Diploma course. 

We offer our courses year round and are not restricted to the academic year. We do this in order to offer the student the greatest flexibility and freedom in completing the course alongside their other commitments. 

Stage 1

Craft Certificate

The introductory Craft Certificate – Stage 1 is a natural stepping stone to the Intermediate Craft Certificate - Stage 2 course. 

Stage 2

Intermediate Craft Certificate

The Intermediate Craft Certificate course covers further techniques of a more advanced nature.

Stage 3

Diploma

The Diploma - Stage 3 furnishes the student with the necessary skills and knowledge with which to consider either entering the industry or starting their own business.

Overview

At each stage, the course is designed to enable progression and to consolidate the practical techniques learnt. The practical syllabus exercises may be completed in the form of exercise frames or actual furniture items, or a combination of the two. Where practical, we encourage students to use actual items as these then have a lasting functional purpose (ie it is your furniture that you take away and use after the course), rather than using exercise frames, which are subsequently stripped and re-used by  future students. 

All tuition takes place in our workshop which creates a highly fertile practical learning environment. As our courses do not take place in strict accordance with the academic year, we do not accept intakes of multiple students all starting at the same time. Therefore, not all students will be working on the same item at the same time. You will therefore receive highly individual tuition, which is tailored to your needs, and conducted at a pace that suits you, the individual, and not a whole group; there is no pressure to ‘keep up’ with anyone else.

Moreover, at any one time in the workshop, as students will be receiving instruction, and working, on their own pieces you will gain much from learning alongside students who are at different stages of the course. We make the most of the training opportunities which are presented as a result of this approach by conducting discussions and demonstrations as appropriate, identifying specific problem areas and difficulties that students may typically encounter. If a student has already experienced the particular issue under discussion then we find this serves to revise and consolidate what has already been learnt , or if it is new to you, then it proves an excellent learning tool for future work.   

We offer the 3 stages either as stand-alone ‘modules’ with a gap (of months or years) in between each, or, if desired, you can proceed immediately onto the next stage. There is no obligation to undertake and complete all 3 stages.

Assessment

During the course the tutors track student progress and make notes which assist learning. On completion of each syllabus item, the exercise is discussed and de-briefed in a constructive way with the student using these notes, identifying particular strengths and weaknesses, and where difficulties (if any) were encountered so you can learn from the experience and take this forward to the next exercise. Formal assessment of students’ course work is made internally by the Principal Tutor based on the notes taken during the course. An AMUSF Continual Assessment and Feedback Form is completed prior to annual verification (you will receive a copy following verification).  Students’ work is verified, annually, by an External Verifier appointed by the AMUSF. Verification confirms the internal assessment and determines the pass level (Pass/Credit/Merit/Distinction).

Pass - 60% - 69%

Credit – 70% - 79%

Merit – 80 - 89%

Distinction – 90%+ 

""...Hi Sonja and Richard, I’m back home and wanted to let you know what a great week I had with you. Not only did I learn a great deal...but also learned how much there is to learn. Thank you for making sure I was able to fit in all the things I had said were important for me to target. It was pretty evident from the very first day that I would be back for more. Your teaching and hospitality are supreme!

Your teaching and hospitality are supreme!