About the team & family behind Kay’s Flower School
Where it all began
The brain child of Top Irish Florist Kay O Rourke of Kays Florist in Rialto began back in May 1987. The problem of recruiting staff proved to be a challenging task, prompting Kay to initially start a small-scale florist training to attract more individuals to the Flower Industry.
Named at the time as Kay’s School of Floristry the school grew & expanded rapidly and gained a reputation as the premier destination for aspiring florists aiming to establish themselves within the industry.
Janette, Kay’s daughter quickly joined rank and Kays Florist was sold and they both wholeheartedly dedicated themselves to developing an internationally recognised award-winning Flower School.
In 2008 Deirdre (another daughter) who was working in adult education, joined the Kays Team full-time. Deirdre brought a fresh element and went about rebranding and renaming the flower school.
Kay retired in 2010 leaving Janette and Deirdre to continue her legacy, but she is never too far away when they need extra help of support.
2020 like many business around the world brought much change and for Kay’s Flower School that change saw the school move from 100% classroom based to 100% Virtual Online training.
Throughout this process Janette was adamant that those attending the online flower course would feel like they were on a classroom based, hands-on flower course but from the comfort of their own home from anywhere in the world.
Janette always goes above and beyond to ensure every student attending gets all the support they need during their program. Everyone can work at their own pace, around their own lifestyle, in their own time-zone, but still feel part of the classroom & community.
Meet Janette: A Global Force in Floristry Education
Known as one of the most dynamic floristry trainers in the world, Janette possesses a remarkable "no bullshit" approach and an unwavering passion for changing the lives of florists through education and support.
Janette's journey in floristry began over 40 years ago, with a significant period in her twenties dedicated to educating herself in the UK, honing her skills and deepening her understanding of the craft. This foundational experience, coupled with over 36 years dedicated to training, has equipped her with an uncanny ability to anticipate student needs. When recording online tutorials for Kays Flower School, her vast experience ensured every angle was covered, answering questions before they were even asked.
A true believer in lifelong learning, Janette lives by the mantra that "you never know it all, and the day you think you do is the day to give it up." She remains committed to continuously educating herself and improving her training skills, ensuring her methods are always at the forefront of the industry. Her most rewarding moments come from witnessing the pride and excitement of her students as they successfully complete their designs, a direct result of her impactful training.
Meet Deirdre: Empowering Florists Through Digital Expertise
Joining the team in 2008, Deirdre is the digital architect behind the camera, a master of content creation, video production, and photo editing. While she may not have formal marketing training, Deirdre possesses an innate passion for business exposure, consistently honing her skills in marketing and technology. This dedication ensures she's always at the forefront of digital trends, ready to empower students who are just starting their entrepreneurial journeys.
Having grown up immersed in the world of floristry, Deirdre is a truly fabulous florist herself. However, it's the business of flowers that truly ignites her passion, a drive that profoundly impacts all graduates. She's always on hand to provide invaluable support with social media strategies and fundamental marketing plans, directly helping trainee florists thrive in the digital landscape.
Meet Sinead: The Organizational Hub of Online Learning
Sinead, the youngest of the three, joined the Kays Flower School Team in 2020, becoming the organizational backbone for students embarking on their online floristry programs. Working virtually from her home in Inverness, Scotland, she's the indispensable go-to person for seamless sign-ins and a smooth start to their educational journey.
While Sinead grew up surrounded by flowers in the family shop, her true passion blossomed with plants and clay. After school, she pursued her interest, qualifying in horticulture and traveling the world to work in garden centers. It was during her time at a garden center in Inverness that she met her Scottish husband and settled in the Highlands. Today, Sinead is also our resident expert for all foliage and plant questions, offering invaluable advice to our students.
Meet Mrs Kay - aka Catherine
When Catherine opened Kays Florist in 1983 she named it after her Dad’ pet name for her KayKay. Little did she know all them years ago his pet name would become synposis within the flower industry as the most commercial place to train as a florist.
Married to John (aka Mr Kay) along with their 3 daughters Janette, Deirdre & Sinéad, she instilled the values of giving value, give support, don’t hold back, help lift others higher than you, because they will always be there to pull you up if you need it. This was the grounds Kays Flower School started and this is still the values of today.
Kay is so proud of what her daughters have done to the business and knows any florist who trains at Kays Flower School are getting the best training ever.
Meet Mr Kay, aka John
The backbone of the family and an essential part we just could not manage without here at Kays Flower School. John drove trucks all his life but was always on hand for any heavy lifting and pulling and in the flower industry, there can be a lot of lifting & pulling. When it comes to washing buckets and conditioning flowers Mr Kay is so efficient and fast and believe it or not, absolutely loves that part of the job.
Of recent times Mr Kay has become an internet sensation doing his conditioning videos, if you need a laugh, go check him out here.
At Kays Flower School we are passionate about your journey with us
We want to bring you on a flowery journey that will fulfil your dreams. We want you to reach your full potential and if opening a flower shop is your goal, that becomes our goal for you too.
Everyone has to start somewhere, and if your ambition is working commercially with flowers then you have landed in the right place.
We believe that by choosing to train as a florist at Kays Flower School, that you will learn all aspects of the industry,
We will teach you from the ground up, from how to wash a bucket to how to create huge floral installation.
You will learn the good the bad and the ugly of the business.
Floristry is a tough job but one of the most rewarding too as 90% of the time, your finished design is going to bringing a smile to someone’s face. Be it the smallest budget bunch of flowers to the most elaborate wedding bouquet or even a funeral tribute for a loved one, you deliver smiles.
As a trainee you are our number one priority here at Kay’s Flower School. Your success, be it small goals or large goals is what drives us every day.
We aim to support you every step of the way on every module so when you finish training with us, you are competent and confident and ready to work in the industry (if that is what you want to do).
It is our years of experience in training florists that brings learners from all over the world choosing to join us on our Online Floral Design Programs to start or continue their floristry journey or skills.
Our sayings here at Kay’s Flower School is “there is no such thing as a stupid question, unless you already know the answer already”
So start today and let us support and train you on your flowery journey and know you will know that you have chosen the best education there is when starting out in the flower industry
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