The School

The London School of Picture & Frame Conservation was established in order to provide a formal training for Picture Conservators in the U.K. It is currently one of the only schools to offer a nationally recognised qualification in picture conservation (apart from the very few postgraduate places available).

The profession of Picture Conservator has been in existence since the development of painting in the 14th Century, and it is in large part thanks to the care and meticulous work of conservators and restorers working together with museum curators that so many paintings are still with us in good condition.

The focus of the school’s training programme is a professional training through both theoretical and practical work as well as group activities, independent research and tutorials with specialists in various fields. A key element is the exchange of  ideas on the methodology of conservation used by conservators in other countries.

The qualifications given by the school currently include a City & Guilds Certificate in Gilding, a City & Guilds Skills Level 2 Certificate in Picture Conservation, a City & Guilds Level 3 Certificate in Creative Studies and a City & Guilds Level 4 Diploma  which takes students on to a higher level.