FAQs

Absolutely!

A visit to us is the very best way to get a feel for the learning environment and see if we are the right fit for you. Come and see our workshop, facilities, talk to our tutors and meet our current students. If you’re interested in a visit, please book a private tour here.

Our courses are taught by award winning master craftspeople, industry-leading furniture designers, CAD 2D and 3D specialists, and higher education lecturers in design theory and business skills. You can learn more about the backgrounds and experiences of our tutors here.

We welcome students from all over the world. Previous students have joined us from countries including: America, South Korea, Canada, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Thailand, New Zealand, Germany, Spain, France and Japan.

International students should note that our school is not Tier 4 registered and that our courses are not certificated.

Some students came to the course from Commonwealth countries on the Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme, while others have split their course into smaller blocks in order to attend the school as a leisure course while visiting the UK on a tourist visa.

We recommend that International students visit the Gov.UK Visa and Immigration website for further information on visas before looking to enrol on a course.

Please feel free to contact our Student Support Coordinator for more information on customisation options for your course as well as any other life logistics such as opening bank accounts and accommodations.

Our courses are suitable for students of all levels, including absolute beginners.

We start with the basics and then match our content to you. The school follows a comprehensive syllabus, which can be tailored to fit your areas of interest and required depth.

Students with more experience can choose to be fast tracked or go back to basics to learn new techniques and break ‘bad habits’.

Yes. Our design sessions cover both theory and practical skills.

You will be encouraged to explore and develop your own design identity, improve your ability to 'see', and critique your work and the work of others. You will also learn to produce presentation drawings for yourself and potential clients across multiple mediums, including but not limited to pen/pencil drawing, watercolours and digital formats.

Unlike other traditional furniture schools, Williams & Cleal offers rolling entry,which allows you to begin all year round across all courses, subject to bench availability.

With a small student to tutor ratio and tailored programmes, students benefit greatly from seeing classmates at different stages of their journeys

Although certificates do have their place when seeking employment, a great portfolio of work can be a more powerful tool as employers often place more importance on tangible cabinetmaking experience. Bespoke furniture companies will look at the reputation of the school and your portfolio of work to assess your skill level, quality of work, breadth of woodworking knowledge and the scope of your designs.

Not being certificated also gives us the freedom to track our course content in line with the latest industry developments as well as accommodate individual interests and skill levels of our students.

Designed by Jane Cleal, an experienced higher education lecturer and co-founder of the renowned bespoke furniture company Williams and Cleal, our courses combine academic insight with real world industry expertise. Students gain both practical and theoretical skills, preparing them for a wide range of opportunities within the furniture industry after the course is completed.

We do pencil drawing, Computer Aided Design (CAD) and more! It is so important to use the appropriate medium and to have a varied range of skills at your disposal.

All design work undertaken by Williams & Cleal furniture starts with pencil sketching. You will be encouraged to keep a sketch book to help you develop creativity.

We can also train you in different CAD softwares to help you develop and present your designs professionally. CAD makes it easier to document, refine, and produce technical drawings, and is essential for processes such as CNC machining and intricate laser cut veneer work.

We can accommodate anyone 16 years and over.

In recent years we have taught students from all over the world, and in this regard you could call us an international school. We have also taught school leavers looking for work, mature students pursuing a career change, those wishing to set up in business and mature and retired students pursuing their own personal development.

Our course has a built-in flexibility to accommodate sick days, special occasions, holidays and unforeseen circumstances.

For example: Our long course covers 200 days (40 weeks), which students are allowed to complete within 48 weeks. These extra 8 weeks give students plenty of room to accommodate planned or unplanned days off.

With our bespoke programmes, we are also happy to accommodate sick days or days off for special circumstances, provided sufficient notice is given.

Other unforeseen circumstances will be evaluated on a case by case basis, subject to availability of bench space.

We close for two weeks over Christmas, and for UK Bank Holidays.

The workshop’s opening hours are as follows:

Monday: 8.30am to 5pm

Tuesday: 8am to 6pm

Wednesday: 8am to 6pm

Thursday: 8am to 6pm

Friday: 8.30am to 5pm

Tutored hours are 9am to 5pm daily and thus the courses are a very intensive experience.

At Williams and Cleal, we do not open the workshop 24/7 as we feel that evenings and weekends should be used productively to support students’ development in other areas. It is important to have time away from the workshop to do related work such as research on projects, design ideas, drawing, commercial process etc.

There is lots to do in the local area. We sit in the middle of the thriving town of Taunton and the peaceful seaside town of Watchet. We are also located at the foot of the Quantock Hills, England’s first designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which offers stunning landscapes that are home to thriving wildlife and beautiful walking routes.

The vibrant city of Bristol is also just a 30 minute train ride from Taunton. There are many other beautiful places to visit and interesting things to do and we are happy to share more with you when you’re here.

Students also organise regular social activities such as pizza nights at the local brewery.

There are a number of properties for rent in nearby villages or in Taunton. Typically this can cost around £400 - £800 per month, excluding food and utility bills and other miscellaneous expenses. Our Student Support Coordinator is on hand to help organise your accommodation if required.

Most of our students opt to come by car. We are situated approximately 3 miles away from our nearest village. We also have students who cycle to the workshop.

Using extensive contacts within the furniture making industry, we augment our courses by taking students on field trips to sawmills, timber merchants, customers, commercial bespoke furniture producers, allied trades, design exhibitions, galleries and related industry venues.

On these trips, students learn how to select the best materials as well as forge relationships with suppliers that will be helpful for future projects.

Course fees are paid in multiple instalments.

A non-refundable deposit is required to secure your position. The next payment is due on the first day of the course, and the remaining balance is due on the first day of the 21st week (for the 40 week course).

We supply all of the materials for the initial set projects that every student is required to complete.

For your further independent projects and designs, you will need to purchase your own materials. The school keeps a stock of timber and veneer, which students may browse and purchase from, but they are under no obligation to buy from our stock, students are free to buy from any supplier they like. During the course, we will take you to multiple veneer merchants and timber yards and teach you what to look for in selecting the best materials, because this is essential for you to know.

It is not necessary to bring your own tools. Students are welcome to come here and ‘try before you buy’ the wide range of tools at the school. You are encouraged to budget for the cost of your own hand tools and materials for further projects, and all of our students are eligible for a student discount rate on tool purchases from several suppliers.

At the start of the course, full time students are asked to produce three set pieces. This allows us to make sure that all the essential hand, tool and machining skills are covered, and for students to understand the level of precision required. These can be negotiated, subject to previous experience and a clear understanding of which processes are important to you.

In the gallery, you can see examples of the set projects, a puzzle, a box and a small table with a drawer.

After completing these, most students complete a further two to five pieces to their own design/brief, depending on the size and complexity of the projects. You can explore the student gallery here to see what past students have done.

We generally encourage students to undertake their own commissions from clients. Many find this a valuable experience and a helpful way of contributing towards course fees.

Our syllabus includes guiding you through the professional process of pitching for a commission, taking a brief, planning and developing your designs, and presenting your work to a client. Our tutors are also on hand to assist with anything else you might need help with while completing a commission piece.

Assuming we have availability, we are happy to accommodate changes to course dates.

If you need to cancel your course, please let us know immediately so that we might make your place available to other students on the waitlist. Cancellations made less than four weeks before your start date can incur a liability for payment of the full fee.

In circumstances beyond our control, we reserve the right to cancel or change course start dates.

We do not expect students to produce our commercial furniture, but we are happy to share all aspects of it with them from the initial design/costing, making, right through to the finishing.

Through exposure to the making of our commercial pieces, students have the opportunity to broaden their knowledge of the industry. This can include projects incorporating digital technology or batch production. In the past students have also accompanied Justin on site to learn all about 'fitted work'. These range of skills are almost never taught as part of a traditional furniture course but can be extremely beneficial for students.

We actively encourage students to stay in touch with us and each other, to share experiences, ask questions, gain valuable advice and support, often in relation to starting up a new business, looking for work, or to discuss a furniture project. We also keep alumni updated on what’s happening at Williams and Cleal via multiple channels. Alumni are encouraged to come back and visit us and it has been known for us to visit students as well.

Take a look at our student experiences page to give you a full picture of the types of things students have gone on to do.

Williams and Cleal have longstanding links with leading bespoke furniture companies, medium to small furniture workshops, apprentice schemes and individual makers all across the UK. These companies hold the Williams and Cleal Furniture School in high regard, and often headhunt talented students from our course to fill vacancies. Some employers also send their apprentices to us for further training, and other students have completed work experience placements that have led straight into employment.

There is never any guarantee of finding employment upon completion of the course, but we will work closely with you on CV preparation, job applications and interview techniques to give you the best possible introduction to the industry.

With over 3 decades of running a successful bespoke furniture business, Jane Cleal and Justin Williams will tutor you through all aspects of starting, running and growing your own business. Many of our past students are now running their own successful furniture companies and have won nominations with the Crafts Council’s Hothouse programme to further grow their business. We are also always happy to stay in touch with alumni and provide support and advice even after the course has been completed.