Our Story
Honesty and Integrity Since 2000
The British School of Body Piercing started with a seed of an idea back in 1999. Our founder, Keith Fakenbridge, realised there was a real need for professional body piercing training and set about formulating a way to take out the guesswork and ad hoc nature of many body piercing techniques. Whilst acknowledging that a lengthy apprenticeship under an experienced piercer was an excellent groundwork for becoming an expert, this was an unreliable guarantee of professionalism and expertise, and securing an apprenticeship is virtually an impossible task.
Keith determined that the ideal way to develop the piercing industry into a respected one was to provide professional training to potential piercers to ensure that their methods and knowledge were of the highest possible quality.
The Diploma in Body Piercing was developed. Not unlike an intensive driving course, sufficient hours are covered over just a few days to provide the best foundational training possible which can then be developed with experience and ongoing support from the School and its associates.
In 2018, Keith retired from the piercing industry after training over 1000 piercers from all over the world, and since then The British School of Body Piercing has been in the capable hands of Sarah Conway-Clark. Sarah is a qualified teacher with 10 years experience of teaching both high school and university students as well as a body piercer trained by Keith. Sarah has built a reputation as the best body piercer in her locality and has completed further training in genital piercing alongside developing advanced techniques for promoting good healing and aftercare of piercings and for ensuring perfect placement and excellent customer care.
Our Course
Since its inception, The British School of Body Piercing has continually developed and improved the course in which the fundamentals of body piercing, including all aspects of both the biological and technical elements are covered over a six day period, with 40 hours of teaching (the equivalent of one hour a week for a full academic year). This is more in terms of hours than a 15 credit university course and relies on a focused approach to covering the material as well as an ability to offer personalised training to individuals by keeping class sizes small. There is also a marked assessment at the end of the course covering both practical and theoretical elements, upon the basis of which the diploma is awarded.
On completion of the course, students are confident and knowledgable in the art and the science of body piercing, as well as the business and marketing. The diploma awarded at the end of the course is recognised by legal advisors, insurers and suppliers in the industry. It is our hope that the BSBP standards will continue to influence lawmakers in the journey towards proper and efficient regulation of piercers in the UK.
“This is the only place I would trust to learn about piercing. The amount of information and practise gives you that confidence you will need when you leave the course. Also apart from being the best teacher, she is also one of the coolest people I ever met in my life. Wouldn’t recommend any other place!” - L.A., student 2019
This course is unlike any other in the industry. With full training in the science and principles that underlie safe and precise piercing, this course requires dedication and passion and a willingness to work extremely hard.
You will be taught by a qualified teacher - this means that learning can be personalised to suit your individual strengths and adapted for any specific learning needs you may have. You are not expected to have any existing qualifications to be accepted onto the course, however you will need to utilise a wide variety of skills to be a successful professional piercer such as literacy, numeracy, mathematical thinking, an eye for symmetry, attention to fine details, creativity, critical thinking and interpersonal skills.
It cannot be overstated that this is a demanding course and you must be prepared to work hard each day and often well into the evenings.
“This course is only for those who are serious and passionate about becoming true experts in body piercing. If you are considering piercing as a hobby or as a side hustle to an existing career this may not be the right course for you. Please message if you would like to discuss anything and I will happily call you back to help you in your decision”
— Sarah Conway-Clark, Course Director
The diploma is a personal merit at the time of issue and will not apply to any other person. It does not apply to the studio/clinic/salon where the person may be employed: unlike a council license, it qualifies an individual and NOT a premises. Discounts may be offered for workplaces sending more than one employee to a course, please contact us to discuss this.
When a course is marked as full, a space may become available at short notice. If you would like to be on a waiting list for cancellations for a particular course, please contact us.
“Had both nipples done today! As someone that hates needles completely (yet loves piercings and tattoos (I know weird right )) I felt at complete ease with Sara and her beautiful student! She made sure both were straight to perfection and always checked if I was ok, even let me have a small break between both piercings! Totally recommend! Thank you so much!!” - G.L., client
The course is roughly an equivalent standard to an AS level course and students are assessed in both practical and theoretical elements. The pass mark is 70% and is not guaranteed. Teaching days are split into 2.5 days theory, 2.5 days practical and 1 day of assessment. Marks are weighted to 60% practical (3-5 unsupervised piercings) and 40% theory (3 hour written exam) and your final grade will be given from a pass to a distinction, depending on your marks: with 70% set as the pass rate, 80% pass with merit and 90% pass with distinction. A Certificate of Excellence is awarded for any single element of outstanding skill shown and/or a mark of over 95% in either assessment area.
“The future of The British School of Body Piercing is in good hands. Sarah is an excellent and extremely knowledgeable teacher and put me at ease during the genital piercing course . Well worth the journey up from Cornwall to Colchester.”
— D.S., March 2019
The six day intensive course is held at the school in Colchester, Essex. Course hours are 10-5 with an hour for lunch and one-to-one assistance available from 9-10 and 5-6 each day apart from day 6.
The course is designed to take students from absolute beginner status to competent and confident body piercers. It is ideal for students who are already working as tattooists or in the hair and beauty industry. The course is also an excellent choice for anyone who is changing careers and who has a head for business, an eye for detail and an obsession with hygiene!
The course includes a practical and written assessment (with no lengthy writing required)
Trainees will have the use of all equipment in the studio environment during their training. This may include both observation of and participation in client appointments during each day.
The diploma is a personal merit at the time of issue and will not apply to any other person. It does not apply to the studio/clinic/salon where the person may be employed: unlike a council license, it qualifies an individual and NOT a premises. Discounts may be offered for workplaces sending more than one employee to a course, please contact us to discuss this.
When a course is marked as full, a space may become available at short notice. If you would like to be on a waiting list for cancellations for a particular course, please contact us.
Days 1 - 6
At The British School of Body Piercing, we believe that you need to learn so much more than the actual piercing to become an excellent, professional piercer.
The course covers Health & Safety, Piercing Theory, and the Biology of Healing and Aftercare as well as valuable components on Business, Marketing and Suppliers.
You will perform between 30-100 piercings on live clients during your training and our extensive client base ensures that we can request models for specific piercings at short notice if you find you need to practise specific skills more often. It is not guaranteed that all possible above the waist piercings will be provided for you on the course but the principles that underlie safe and effective piercing are highly transferrable between body parts so you will leave confident and competent, ready to continue learning and perfecting through experience in your own business. If necessary, return visits to the school can be arranged at no extra cost to enhance any areas you find you may need extra support with after you graduate from the course. We endeavour to provide information and support to former students throughout their piercing career.
“Had both nipples done today! As someone that hates needles completely (yet loves piercings and tattoos (I know weird right )) I felt at complete ease with Sara and her beautiful student! She made sure both were straight to perfection and always checked if I was ok, even let me have a small break between both piercings! Totally recommend! Thank you so much!!” - G.L., client
