FAQ

The right floristry course will depend on your experience and what you’d like to achieve.

If you’re completely new to flowers, our one day Taster Class is a relaxed introduction to floral design and a good way to learn a few essential techniques before committing to a longer course.

Our Floristry Foundation is ideal for beginners who want to build broader practical skills, while our six day Career Course is designed for those seriously considering becoming a florist, starting a floristry business or developing a more complete understanding of professional floral design.

For florists who are already working in the industry, our Wedding Intensive, Installations Intensive and Social Media Intensive offer more specialised professional training.

We also offer online floristry courses and Flower Class membership for those who would prefer to learn from home or continue their education after attending the school.

You can explore our Course Pathways here or contact us at hello@ukschooloffloristry.com for help choosing the most suitable course.

Many of our courses are suitable for complete beginners and do not require any previous floral experience.

Each course page clearly explains the recommended experience level, so please check the individual course information before booking. Our professional intensives with Joseph Massie are generally more suitable for florists who already have some experience and a good understanding of core techniques.

If you’re unsure whether a course is suitable for your current level, please contact us and we’ll be happy to advise you.

Yes. The Career Course is designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to professional floristry and is suitable for students who are seriously considering entering the floral industry.

You do not need to already be working as a florist, although some students choose to complete our Floristry Foundation first to build their confidence and familiarity with flowers before progressing to the Career Course.

Yes. Alongside our beginner and career courses, we offer a number of specialist classes for established florists and floral designers who would like to strengthen their skills, explore new techniques or develop a particular area of their business.

Our Wedding Intensive, Installations Intensive, Social Media Intensive and private tuition options are particularly relevant to those already working within the industry.

Yes. We offer several wedding floristry courses for different levels of experience.

Our Wedding Foundation introduces students to key wedding floristry techniques, while our Wedding Intensive provides more advanced, concentrated training for florists who would like to develop their wedding work further.

Please visit the individual course pages for current dates, availability and full details of the designs covered.

Yes. We offer private one-to-one tuition with Joseph Massie, as well as private tuition with members of The UK School of Floristry team.

Our 1-2-1’s can be tailored around your experience, interests and the areas of floristry you’d most like to develop. You can learn more about our 1-2-1 Tuition with Joseph here, or explore 1-2-1 Tuition with The UKSOF team here.

We also offer hour-long private coaching sessions via Zoom exclusively to Flower Class members. These sessions are designed to provide personal and bespoke guidance around floral design, creativity or business development.

All available courses can be booked online through our website. Visit our online store here to view current dates, availability and course fees.

Places are only secured once the required payment or booking fee has been successfully completed.

Payments are processed securely through our online store, and we accept all major credit cards.

For many of our courses, there are two payment options:

1. You can pay a non-refundable booking fee to secure your place, with the remaining balance due before the course begins.

2. You can pay the full course fee in a single payment when booking.

The payment options available for each course will be shown on the relevant booking page. You can read our full booking terms and conditions here.

For many courses, you can secure your place with a non-refundable booking fee and pay the remaining balance before the course start date.

The precise payment options and balance due dates vary between courses, so please check the individual booking page carefully before completing your purchase.

Availability varies, although some of our most popular courses, including the Career Course and specialist intensives, can fill quite quickly.

We recommend booking as soon as you’ve found a suitable date, particularly if you need to arrange travel, accommodation or time away from work.

Yes. Once your booking has been successfully completed, you’ll receive confirmation by email.

Further information about your course, including practical details and anything you may need to bring, will be sent to you before the course begins. Please check your junk or spam folder if your confirmation does not appear in your inbox.

Our in-person floristry courses are held at The UK School of Floristry in Salford, Greater Manchester.

The UK School of Floristry
The Makers Quarter
16 Worrall Street
Salford
M5 4TH

The school is conveniently located for Manchester city centre and Salford Quays. You can find further travel and accommodation information here.

Our standard teaching hours usually begin between 9.30am and 10am and finish between 4.30pm and 5pm, with a 30-minute lunch break.

Exact times may vary between courses. Once you’ve booked, you’ll receive an email confirming the schedule and providing further information about your class.

Yes, flowers and materials are included in the course fee unless otherwise stated on the individual course page.

We have all the tools, mechanics and additional materials you’ll need available to use during your course, although we’d encourage you to bring your own snips or floristry toolkit if you already have one and prefer working with familiar tools. You may also want to bring a notepad and pen for taking notes.

On most courses, you’ll be able to take home the individual floral designs you create. For larger group projects, students may also be invited to take home some of the fresh flowers at the end of the course.

If you’re curious about the tools Joseph regularly works with, you can also view his curated toolkit on Amazon here.

We have all the tools, mechanics and additional materials you’ll need available to use during your course, although we’d encourage you to bring your own snips or floristry toolkit if you already have one and prefer working with familiar tools. You may also want to bring a notepad and pen for taking notes.

If you’re curious about the tools Joseph regularly works with, you can also view his curated toolkit on Amazon here.

Yes, on most of the courses here at UK School of Floristry, you’ll be able to take home the individual floral designs you create. For larger group projects, students may also be invited to take home some of the fresh flowers at the end of the course.

Class sizes vary depending on the course and the type of designs being taught. We aim to create a supportive, practical learning environment in which students can see demonstrations clearly, ask questions and receive guidance from their tutors.
In most of our classes and workshops, there will be a maximum of 12 students.

Please contact us if you’ like to know the expected class size for a particular course.

Yes, upon completion of The Career Course & Career Course Mentored each student will receive a UK School of Floristry Certificate of Completetion.

If Joseph's name is on the course then he will be teaching the course, but as we are a busy flower school, not all of our courses are taught directly by Joseph. All of our professional classes are taught by tutors who have worked and trained under Joseph Massie, ensuring a thoroughly high standard of tuition. If you’d like to chat with a tutor prior to a course, or have any questions regarding course suitability, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. 

The techniques, designs and business topics covered vary considerably between courses.

Each course page includes a detailed description of what you can expect to learn. Our teaching places a strong emphasis on practical experience, sound technique, thoughtful design and helping students understand the reasoning behind the work they create.

Sustainability and responsible working practices are considered throughout our teaching where they are relevant to the techniques and designs being explored.

The specific mechanics and methods used will vary by course. Please refer to the course description or contact us if you would like more information about the techniques taught in a particular class.

We recommend wearing comfortable clothing and closed-toe footwear suitable for a practical day of working with flowers, water, foliage and floristry tools.

Floristry can occasionally be messy, so please avoid wearing anything particularly delicate.

For our full day courses, we’ll break for a minimum of 30 minutes each day, lunch isn’t included on the courses, unless otherwise stated on the course page.
You’re very welcome to bring a packed lunch, or we can suggest a few local options nearby.

Tea, coffee, herbal teas and a few sweet treats will be available throughout the day.lunch with you.

If you're driving, there are a few parking spaces directly outside the building however, as Makers Quarter is a shared building with a number of other businesses, these can fill up quickly and so unfortunately we can’t always guarantee availability.

If the spaces outside are taken, there are several additional parking options nearby. Two helpful postcodes for nearby parking are: M5 3WH | M15 4JY and both are within a short walk of the studio.

If you’re using public transport -the School is around a 10 minute walk from Cornbrook tram stop, which connects easily to Manchester city centre and the main train stations.
We’ve got some additional information on our Accommodation & Travel page.

Yes. The school is located in Salford, within easy reach of Manchester city centre and Salford Quays.

Further information about local transport, nearby stations and travelling to the school can be found on our Accommodation and Travel page.

Yes. We regularly welcome students travelling from across the UK and from overseas.

Our location provides access to Manchester’s rail, tram and airport connections. We recommend allowing enough time for your journey and booking refundable or flexible travel wherever possible.

Our Accommodation and Travel page includes information to help students plan their visit, including suggestions for areas and accommodation close to the school.

Accommodation is not included within the course fee and must be booked independently.

If you have any accessibility requirements, mobility considerations or additional learning needs, please do contact us before booking or attending.

We’ll be happy to discuss the course environment and consider how we can best support you during your time at the school.

Yes. We welcome students from different countries and backgrounds to attend our courses in Manchester.

Students are responsible for arranging their own travel documentation, visas, accommodation and insurance where required. Please contact us before booking if you need specific course information for your travel arrangements.

Students who would like to continue developing their skills may wish to explore Flower Class, our online floristry education membership.

Flower Class provides access to a substantial library of floral design tutorials, ongoing monthly education, business resources, a private community and live online sessions with Joseph.

Each month, members can join a live Coaching Call hosted by Joseph, where they can ask questions and receive guidance on floral design, creative development and business topics.

Students looking for more structured support after the Career Course may also wish to consider the Career Course: Mentored, which includes continued support from Joseph following the practical course.

Through Joseph’s work, students and former students may occasionally be invited to assist with larger installations, weddings, events or floral art commissions.

Previous school alumni have joined Joseph on projects at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, RHS Tatton Park Flower Show and a variety of other floral design projects.

The school also maintains a Work Experience List for former students interested in gaining further practical experience. Opportunities cannot be guaranteed and will depend on the requirements of each project, but students are welcome to register their interest by emailing hello@ukschooloffloristry.com.

Our courses can provide practical skills, technical understanding, creative development and greater insight into the realities of working within the floral industry.

However, there is no single route into floristry, and completing a course does not guarantee employment or business success. Many students use their training as the beginning of a longer journey involving continued practice, work experience, further education and the gradual development of their portfolio and business skills.

Yes. We offer a range of online learning opportunities for students who cannot attend the school in person or would like to continue learning from home.

These include First Steps with Flowers, Flower Class membership, our specialist online Masterclasses and a collection of educational publications and eBooks.

You can explore our online floristry courses here.

Courses at The UK School of Floristry provide hands-on, practical learning within our Manchester studio, with tutors present to demonstrate techniques and provide guidance as you work.

Our online courses allow you to learn from home and progress through tutorials at your own pace. Flower Class also provides ongoing monthly education, live online support and access to a private community.

Some students choose one format, while others combine in-person training with continued online learning.

Our cancellation policy is as follows:

A. You may cancel your place up to one month before the course start date. Under these circumstances, you will be entitled to a refund of the course fees paid, less the required non-refundable booking fee for the course purchased.

B. If you cancel within one month of the course start date, you will not be entitled to a refund.

C. If you book a course within one month of its start date, condition B will apply.

D. We cannot refund travel, accommodation or other costs you may have incurred as a result of booking a UKSOF course.

E. Cancellation requests must be submitted in writing to hello@josephmassie.com.

Please read our full terms and conditions here before booking.

Unfortunately, you will not automatically be entitled to a refund, additional tuition or a transfer to another course if you cannot attend because of illness or personal or professional circumstances.

However, we will consider the individual circumstances and any action we believe it may be fair and reasonable to offer. Please be aware that additional charges may apply if an alternative arrangement is made.

We strongly recommend arranging suitable travel insurance or course cancellation insurance where appropriate.

Transfers are not automatically guaranteed and will depend on the timing of your request, course availability and the terms attached to your booking.

Please contact us in writing as soon as possible if you need to request a change. Where a transfer can be offered, an administration fee or additional course charges may apply.

Courses are subject to minimum attendance levels and may occasionally be cancelled if too few bookings are received. We also reserve the right to amend or cancel courses where necessary.

If we cancel a course, we will endeavour to provide at least one week’s notice. You will be given the choice of transferring to another suitable course or receiving a full refund of the course fees paid. Refunds will be returned within three weeks.

We cannot accept liability for additional losses, including travel, accommodation or other costs, arising from the cancellation or amendment of a course. Our liability will be limited to the course fee paid.

Please read our full terms and conditions here.

You may need to arrange travel and accommodation in advance, particularly for popular dates. However, we recommend choosing flexible or refundable arrangements wherever possible.

The UK School of Floristry cannot reimburse travel, accommodation or other associated costs if a course is amended or cancelled.