About Us.
VARDA (originally Waikato School of Hairdressing) has been under the management of Deb Clark since 1991. During this time VARDA has seen many, many students through its doors and successfully out the other side working in great salons and enjoying amazing careers.
VARDA not only tutors in hairdressing, which is a major focus, but their competencies extend to barbering (which is making a comeback), retail, hospitality, travel, tourism and fashion training. It’s certainly worth considering VARDA as an option for further education and career choices.
Why Varda?
We do what others don’t.
Varda is the only provider in the wider Waikato region who delivers both level 3 and level hairdressing qualifications. We are also the only provider delivering Barbering and Makeup Artistry Level 4.

Our Team

Deb Clark
DirectorDeb bought Waikato School of Hairdressing in 1991 and that year had a total of 10 students. Today Varda boasts 90 plus full time students a year! Varda is continually evolving as Deb stays ahead of the game to provide the best facilities and highest standard of learning for students. She is extremely proud of Varda’s achievements.
Please note: "I Deb Clark, Director hereby declare that I have no actual or potential material conflict of interest that may arise from my role as a governing member of VARDA."

Cara Healy
Academy ManagerAcademy Manager, Cara works alongside Deb to ensure the school runs at peak performance. This is an extremely busy yet rewarding role with new and exciting initiatives to embrace and implement. Cara has been in the Hair and Education industries for many years and brings a wealth of passion and experience to this role.

Gail Clark
“Go to Lady” ie stock control. Gail works part time and in the 2 days she's at Varda it's incredibly busy - meeting with reps, organising orders, stocktaking etc. Gailloves working with the students and the Varda team

Michelle Earney
Front Desk ManagerFront Desk Manager Michelle, is the first point of contact and welcomes all new students and visitors. She works alongside Cara and Deb to ensure the Academy runs smoothly.
Michelle has worked in the Beauty industry and in administration roles for many years and loves that she can combine the two here at Varda.

Jackie Gallichan
Jackie's been in the Barbering industry for over 25 years and Barbering is all she's ever wanted to do. She has been with Varda for a number of years as a tutor and she loves sharing her knowledge with her students. Jackie finds it so rewarding watching them succeed.

Vinnie Stothers
Barber TutorVinnie has a passion for barbering. He specialises in modern haircuts with ‘old school’ fundamentals. Becoming a tutor was a natural progression in his
barbering career. Vinnie is a recent Overall Award winning barber at the 2019 NZARH Regional competitions. He enjoys passing on his skills and helping Varda students to become the best versions of themselves.

Rachel Arnold
Hairdressing TutorRachel is an extremely passionate hairstylist who really enjoys tutoring. She is an experienced tutor of all levels of hairdressing, including full time students and apprentices. Rachel loves passing on her skills and knowledge and watching her students succeed. She is a much valued member of the Varda team.

Lisa Vu
Off Job Training TutorLisa is a past student who graduated in 1999 and has been working in the industry ever since. She is a qualified Hairstylist and Barber. Over the years Lisa has owned her own salon, up-skilled and completed a number of advanced hairdressing courses and trained those newer to the industry. Lisa is committed to passing on her knowledge and skills and providing a fantastic learning experience to her students.

Jasmine Genet
Hairdressing TutorJazz is an extremely passionate and extremely skilled stylist and tutor who loves the creative side of hairdressing. She has an excellent relationship with all her students and finds it rewarding when they succeed and find themselves.

Lisa Armstrong
Hairdressing TutorLisa is a past student who graduated in 1999 and has been working in the industry
ever since. She is a qualified hairstylist and Barber. Over the years Lisa has owned her own salon, up-skilled and completed a number of advanced hairdressing courses and trained those newer to the industry. Lisa is committed to passing on her knowledge and skills and providing a fantastic learning experience to her students.

Liz Carey
Barber TutorLiz has been in the industry for nearly 20 years. Originally training with Toni and Guy in the UK as an apprentice, she quickly moved into barbering, and this has been her passion for the past 15 years. She enjoys teaching all levels of barbering and is proud to see her students succeeding in the industry.

Rivay O'Donnell
Makeup TutorRivay has been involved in the Beauty Community for 10 years. With a Diploma of Beauty Therapy she then discovered a burning passion for Makeup Artistry. Being able to guide and help others as they gain qualifications and navigate through their journey within the industry gives her a huge sense of fulfillment.