A tale of two cities is a collaborative project bringing together Life skills student groups from Adult Education Wolverhampton and Art shape in Gloucester. The aim is to bring together students facing disabling barriers from two very different cities. Students will have the opportunity to individually research and learn about each other and their cities. During the project the 2 groups of students will share their activities electronically and via social media. The project will culminate with celebrations later this year.  Spring term theme  During the spring term students have been looking at equality and diversity and have been researching 'Pride' the LGBTQ communities' positive stance against discrimination and violence toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning (LGBTQ). They have also looked into their own concept of the word pride and have been investigating their local industrial heritage. Full steam ahead...  Students at Adult Education Wolv...

On Tuesday 29th January 2019 Life Skills students, Move On and Keep Learning classes visited Cosford Air Museum. This was part of their ongoing Tale of Two Cities project in which students are learning about the industrial history of the area and traditional crafts. This week students have been learning about the manufacture of planes in Wolverhampton. Boulton Paul Aircraft Ltd was an aircraft manufacturer based in Wolverhampton and situated on the edge of Pendeford airfield in Wolverhampton. The company built air craft for other manufacturers but also some of their own designs. One of these was the Defiant fighter. As part of Life Skills sessions students learn practical skills that they can use in their day to day lives. Students started out their day by meeting at the train station where they all purchased their own return tickets to Cosford. They had spent some time in class previously looking at time tables and prices of train tickets to plan their trip. They then travelled by tra...

Life Skills 'Keep on Learning' students took part in a Mini Medic session ran by Adult Educations Health and Safety team, Karen Robins and Sandra Stanford. During the session the group identified what you would find in a first aid kit, used resuscitation dolls to administer CPR and were trained in the use of a defibrillator. The group practiced putting each other in the recovery position and discussed what to do in an emergency. Finally, they used the choke vest to remove a blockage from the instructor Sandra. Teacher Hannah Boyd said, "It was a great practical session enjoyed by all, a learning experience that could turn into a life saver.

On Monday 14 January 2019, students were visited by Councillor Lynne Moran, Cabinet Minister for Education and Skills at Wolverhampton Borough Council. The Level 2 Functional Skills English students had discussed the Wolverhampton Orange Campaign promoting the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls. The visit was in response to letters written by some of the students as part of their exam revision; they wrote to Councillor Moran suggesting ways they thought the campaign could be promoted and explored in local schools.The students engaged in a discussion with Councillor Lynne Moran regarding different types of violence committed against both men and women, religious and cultural differences and the appropriate places to seek support.Councillor Moran responded to questions regarding the campaign and provided details of its inclusion within the curriculum in Wolverhampton schools already. She also invited students to give their thoughts and opinions on s...

Charlotte's story The staff at AEW gave me opportunities and support at a difficult time in my life and helped me to find my sense of purpose and confidence again. Charlotte Davies I first came to Adult Education Wolverhampton (AEW) to study CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from October 2015 to March 2016. After completing the course, I went on to an Erasmus Plus project, starting 7 weeks of Italian lessons in March 2016 and going out to work in Brescia, Italy for 5 weeks in May 2016.I chose to study CELTA because I was at a crossroads in my life.I had recently recovered from a long and serious illness and I didn't want to go back to work in Public Relations (which I'd worked in previously for 8 year).I had always been interested in languages and travelling, and I wanted to do a job which would help people.CELTA seemed like the perfect qualification to help me along a new career path.When the opportunity to study Italian and work in Italy, I jumped...

On Tuesday 11th December 2018, the Pre-Entry ESOL students participated in a session with the aim of learning the English terms for the parts of the human body.Firstly, the students engaged in an initial conversation to practice the pronunciation of each word and then proceeded in teams to draw round a representative of their group and label their diagrams with the names of each body part.The students found this session both enjoyable and educational.The session was led by PGCE student, Steph Gilford and supported by Pamela Lavender, Subject Lead Integration. Interested in joining an ESOL course? Are you interested in joining an English for Speakers of Other Languages? If English is not your first language, join our ESOL classes. All courses will help you to learn more about life and work in the UK. Find out more about this course here, or contact us for more information.

Students attending the Life Skills 'move on' classes spent the first term creating beautifully crafted Christmas gifts, cards and decorations. On Tuesday 10 December, the group got everyone into the festive spirit by selling their hand made crafts at the annual Christmas Craft Fair, which is held in our main Foyer. The event was a big success, raising a grand total of £142 of which £50 will be donated to the Royal British Legion. Students would like to say a big thank you to everyone who supported them on the day and purchased their goods.Teacher Michelle said, "The event was a great success and very encouraging for the class. A real inspiration for the students and a great incentive for them to continue with their hard work. The event has been a real boost to their confidence and enhanced their determination to succeed." Interested in joining a Like Minds course? Are you interested in joining a Like Minds class or know someone who would be? Find out more about our Like Minds classes o...

On Thursday 6 December, Julia Weston (Programme Manager for Skills for Work) and Bookkeeping Teacher Steph Hemming attended the annual International Association of Bookkeepers Awards ceremony held at the Houses of Parliament to receive a Silver Centre Award for consistently high student achievement across a range of IAB qualifications.The event recognised the achievement of centres, students and teachers, along with Bookkeeping and Accountancy Professionals from across the globe with centres from Malaysia and India attending also.Julia said "It was great to see Adult Education Wolverhampton in such prestigious company!"The event was hosted by MP Fabian Hamilton on the Terrace Pavilion with members of the house of Lords presenting certificates all topped off with a glass of bubbly! Interested in a Bookkeeping course? Would you like to gain a qualification in Bookkeeping? Find out more about a Bookkeeping course at Adult Education Wolverhampton.

The Like Minds art group that meet on a Tuesday morning are a mixture of new and old students. The group comes together to learn, create and to take their minds away from the worries of their day.In today's session the group focused on a seasonal theme making 2D clay reliefs, using texture, pattern, form and text. The session resulted in the beginning of a fabulous array of handmade decorations.Janet who is in her second year said, "I am really enjoying the sessions, they are very therapeutic. If I'm having a bad day it helps me to forget about how I am feeling and gives us all a different focus. We are all here for similar reasons mainly our mental health so we understand and support each other. At each session we are taught and inspired by the teacher and each other."Earlier this year Sam was made redundant though ill health and decided that she wanted to focus on her creativity in a relaxed environment and build on her skills. One day she would like to become a self-employed designe...

During their latest session Life Skills 'Keep Moving' students were accompanied by teacher Hannah Boyd on a visit to the BP British Portrait Award at Wolverhampton Art Gallery. BP British Portrait Awards The exhibition is an annual celebration of contemporary painted portraiture by artists of all ages from across the world. The competition is one of the most important platforms for portrait painters and one of the largest global arts competitions. This year, 2667 entries were received from artists in 88 countries. Each was judged anonymously by a panel of judges (the artists' name, nationality, gender and age were withheld) and the list was gradually reduced to just 48 exceptional portraits for the exhibition. Source: Wolverhampton Art Gallery 'Life Skills' students get involved Whilst at the gallery students discussed the work in the exhibition, they chose their favourite portrait and explained why. They used mobile devices to take pictures of each other in front of the paintings, not...

On Thursday 15th November Life Skills teacher Hannah Boyd took her group on a visit to Birmingham's Ort Gallery to see Saranjit Birdi's 'Mapping Bones' exhibition. During the visit the group were invited to interact with the exhibition and were encouraged to draw on a long piece of paper on the wall with pencils taped to parts of the body (a process which the artist himself uses). During the visit students learnt about and discussed the bones in the body, a topic that they will continue to research in coming weeks.The aim of our life skills classes are to promote independence and encourage our students to participate in different daily activities.This week's visit has incorporated travelling by bus and train. During the day students also visited the Bull at the Bullring (a popular tourist attraction) and also visited Birmingham's annual German Christmas market.Photos include the Student group, Support Worker Lindsey Searby, PGCE student Kate Hall and Teacher Hannah Boyd and the student...

 At Adult Education Wolverhampton we acknowledge the power of taking part in the arts and in group activities to improve health and well-being. "Like Minds" classes are ideal for anyone recovering from stress, anxiety or mild depression. Students need a referral from their GP, Nurse or Healthcare Professional. In the sessions students learn new skills, focus, build renewed self-esteem and interact in a safe environment…a place for them to gain the confidence to move on. Like Minds Art and Crafts The Like minds Art and Craft group have worked on many different projects since the beginning of term including paper bead bracelets, weaving coaster mats and the latest one is to create a fabric memorial poppy. During the session students have learnt many new creative techniques.With the support of the teacher the students themselves discuss, share ideas and decide on the projects that they do each week. Since attending these sessions students have gained the confidence to expand their in...

This term Students attending the Life Skills 'Move on and Keep Learning' class have been researching the history of World War 1. On Tuesday 6th November the group visited the Imperial War Museum in Manchester.During the day students got to see all the exhibits related to the First World War, this included the exhibitions 'Lest we forget' and 'Poppies: Wave'. They recorded their visit through photographs and had the opportunity to speak to veterans who volunteer at the museum. Some students had been looking into their family history and were able to share their personal stories.Students also got the chance to look at wartime artefacts which helped them to relate to the experience of the time and to bring what they had been learning in class to life. After the visit students shared what they learnt through discussion. Dawn Ohm (AEW Staff) went along on the trip to support the students and felt very privileged to see the fantastic rapport between the students, tutors, support workers and ...

Alison's story I would encourage anyone else who is missing an essential qualification, as I was, to enrol with Adult Education Wolverhampton. Alison Jones A mum was inspired to go back into the classroom by her children – and finally passed her GCSE maths almost 25 years after first trying.Alison Jones wanted to retrain as a teaching assistant but needed GCSE maths to do so. Now, a quarter of a century after leaving school and spurred on by her children, she has made the grade with the Ofsted Outstanding-rated Adult Education Wolverhampton.The 41-year-old said: "I have to say maths was probably one of the biggest hurdles in my life. I really struggled with it throughout school and failed my GCSE in 1993."After leaving school, I worked for the council for 18 years before being made redundant. I really wanted to retrain and become a teaching assistant and perhaps eventually a teacher, and for this only maths as a GCSE was acceptable."To complete her CV, Alison enrolled onto a part-time ...

Casey's story I am living proof that with hard work, support and determination you can reach your goals. Casey Gavin I joined Adult Education Wolverhampton in 2017 to begin my learning journey.Recommended by my social worker (who had also started her journey at Adult Education) I joined the Access to Higher Education course in Social Science and have since then, never looked back.I was a young carer from the age of 10 then went into care at the age of 12. It wasn't easy growing up but this gave me the strength and determination to work hard to gain whatever I needed to succeed. I have a 3 year old son and will do everything in my power to give him a better start in life.I had always planned to go to university but at the age of 17 I found myself pregnant so my plan was put on hold. When my son was 2 I decided it was time to start again and put my plan back into action.When I started the Access course I was riddled with fear. At school I was bullied and was really apprehensive about thi...

Kashina's story Without the Access to Nursing course, the highly qualified and supportive teachers and the support I had with childcare, none of this would have been possible. Kashina Summan My name is Kashina Summan I am a product of a great education that started at Adult Education Wolverhampton in 2012.After leaving school I went on to college with the aspiration of going to study at university in London, but at the age of 19 I found myself pregnant and unable to progress with my plan to further my learning. When my son was born in 2012 this gave me even more incentive to find a way to carry on with my studies and 6 weeks after he was born (with a recommendation from a friend) I enrolled on an Access to Higher Education Nursing course at Adult Education.To begin with I was overwhelmed by the responsibility of being a single mum and the pressure of learning. I was riddled with guilt for putting my son into day care whilst I studied but it was the only way I could enable us a better f...

Mary's story I often recommend Adult Education to my neighbours, friends and colleagues. Mary Murphy My name is Mary Murphy, I came to Adult Education Wolverhampton in September 2017 to study Functional Skills Maths at Level 2.Prior to starting my Maths qualification I was a disillusioned teacher working in secondary education. I loved teaching but was concerned with the number of children suffering mental health issues and the lack of help that was in place to support them. At the age of 45, in what I call my second phase of life I felt I needed to stop complaining and make a change in my own life to help make a difference to others.My plan was to re-train and work as a nurse in mental health, but in order to do so I had to conquer one of my biggest fears…Maths. As a child I had a strict upbringing and education was a priority, so when I made mistakes I was scolded, which consequently made me develop a mental block and fear for Maths.As soon as I came to Adult Education I was made to ...