"I started Floristry classes back in September 2022, have since completed my Level 1 qualification, and have progressed onto Level 2. I chose to attend classes to develop a skill and believe that attending every session is essential. We learn a new technique each week so missing classes means missing essential information. The Skills I have learnt have enabled me to move onto the next level and have given me the skills to find work in a floristry shop. I love my new job and aspire to one day running my own shop." 

"Life can be like a roller coaster whilst handling the responsibilities and priorities that come with one's life journey. With that being said, furthering my education was added to my roller coaster ride as I took the step to enrol on to an Access to H.E Diploma with Adult Education Wolverhampton; one of the best decisions I have made. Attending classes was vital, as I knew missing classes would not be beneficial to myself and what I wanted to accomplish. Even though the course was full on, the teachers were resourceful and superb. I obtained Distinctions on all my modules, subsequently achieving my Diploma, further landing a job as a Customer Service Advisor at AEW. An exceptionally worthwhile step in my life's journey!" 

"Having worked for most of my life when I had my children, I became a stay-at-home mum. When my boys started school, I had some free time during the day so I joined a group at my son's school where I engaged in voluntary work, assisting the class teacher and the children with their work. An activity that I really enjoy doing. This experience then led me to attending and completing a Level 3 Teaching Assistant Diploma at Adult Education Wolverhampton (AEW) back in 2020. Subsequently, the COVID-19 pandemic had taken hold and everything locked down, putting my hopes of applying to become a teaching assistant on standstill. In 2023, AEW started to deliver Family Learning classes at my Children's school giving me another opportunity to gain further skills that would help my progression back into the workplace and give me more confidence with English and Maths which I was lacking. Currently, I am attending an English Grammar for parents class and have recently completed the Maths for parents...

"Originally from the Caribbean, I came to live in the UK in 2014. Keen to continue my health, beauty and textile manufacturing business I knew that I needed to gain qualifications that would help me to start again here in the UK. Lacking in confidence and feeling apprehensive I plucked up the courage to enrol at Adult Education Wolverhampton. I needed to gain skills and qualifications in Maths, English, ICT and Bookkeeping, skills that would help me re-launch my business. In September 2016 at the age of 55, my journey started once again. English wasn't my strongest subject but with determination and lots of support and encouragement from my teachers, I worked my way from Functional Skills through to GCSE. It was a fantastic result for someone who had lacked confidence and self-belief. I went on to pass all of my courses with good results. When COVID hit the UK like everyone my life came to a standstill… However, this became a positive time for me to pursue my business and work out how ...

"I am a 52-year-old mother of 4, my 3 younger children are at school and my oldest is grown and independent. This now is my opportunity to chase my dream of becoming a nurse specialising in midwifery. With English not being my first language and with very limited English skills, it was very important for me to learn the language to enable me to live, work, and raise a family in this country. I originally enrolled at Adult Education back in 2015 when I started ESOL classes working my way from ESOL through to English functional skills. Today I am determined to gain all the necessary qualifications to progress on to an Access to Higher Education Diploma, move on to university, and graduate as a nurse. In September 2023 I enrolled in Functional Skills English Level 2 and Digital Skills Level 1. Studying at Adult Education Wolverhampton has been a fantastic experience, I have learned to read, write, and communicate in English and my digital skills have opened up a new world. Learning has gi...

"I am 53 and have worked in construction for over 20 years until I had an accident in October 2022 and broke my leg. Whilst in recovery I have had a lot of time to think about what I wanted to do. I had always wanted to learn more about computers so with lots of time on my hands this was the ideal opportunity to find out more. In September 2023 I enrolled at Adult Education Wolverhampton onto digital skills and a course that covers business and digital marketing skills. In the short time I have been attending class I have already gained invaluable information. I have learned skills that are helping me to manage my everyday life and gaining information about online safety that has given me the confidence to work online. I am really enjoying the subject and I have started to consider this as an option for future employment. I am still in recovery and a manual job may no longer be the best option. The teachers have been great and are always happy to explain and repeat instructions. As a c...

"When I first started attending British Sign Language (BSL) classes back in 2022 my teacher highlighted the importance of good attendance and a commitment to learning. I have progressed from an introduction to BSL through to a Level 2 qualification that I am currently attending. I am committed to learning and gaining an invaluable qualification so good attendance is essential to gaining the knowledge and skills to progress in the subject. Missing sessions would only result in missing valuable information. Additionally, I do extra work at home because I want to succeed… My family has labelled me the swot, which is highly amusing. I am a semi-retired midwife and have benefited endlessly from learning BSL. My communication skills at work, at home, and in the community are enhanced.It's a great asset having an additional language."

"I first joined Adult Education Wolverhampton's (AEW) Family Learning classes at my son's school and it seemed like a natural progression to continue my studies with them. I am originally from Romania so I needed to develop my communication skills. This would enable me to live a fuller life here in the UK, giving me more opportunities to develop and integrate into the community and help me to develop further skills to better my chances of future employment. Attending classes boosted my confidence and I started interpreting for fellow Romanians. This led to me enrolling on a 'Community Interpreter' course which helped me to gain the necessary skills to better help the community. I have completed Maths, English, and Access to Higher Education and in September 2023 I joined a Parent Ambassadors course which helped me to secure a part-time position as a Parent Ambassador. As a parent Ambassador, I not only work with parents but have started working with nursery and reception helping suppor...

Congratulations to the Life Skills groups, Exploring the Community and Everyday Life Skills who took part in the Community Science fair at Newhampton Arts Centre and won a prize for their exhibit. They worked collaboratively to make a patchwork blanket for a competition based on heat transfer organised by Arun Bector. The exhibition included work from other community and educational groups. Having learnt about convection, conduction and radiation the students used their knowledge to produce a square each which was then made into a blanket.

110 ESOL students and their teachers headed off to Bridgnorth to celebrate the end of another successful year. Students from all classes were invited to come together in the castle grounds and share a picnic. The staff had created a town treasure hunt that involved students using their English skills to navigate maps, follow directions and then answer a set of questions. Adult Education Wolverhampton's ESOL courses support students with more than developing their own English Skills. Students are encouraged to build relationships with others, develop their confidence, resilience and problem-solving skills. The ESOL teachers also ensure that students' knowledge of the local area is embedded within their classes to promote integration. Some students are already thinking of taking their family and friends to places they've been introduced to throughout the course. "It's really important that students get a chance to use their English outside of the classroom whilst also...

The annual Life Skills celebration event took place on Wednesday 3 July. The event welcomed over 100 of our students with a learning disability and their parents/carers to celebrate their learning achievements. Special guest Brenda Wile, Deputy Director of Education was invited to give out the certificates. Courses focus on what students can do and not what they cannot and this year has been no different. This year students have taken part in lots of activities aimed at challenging them to become more independent; to make friends, to develop relationships, and to get to know their community. Good health and wellbeing are at the centre of all we do as we promote lifelong learning and the move toward employment or volunteering. • Courses focus on what students can do and not what they cannot and this year has been no different. • This year students have taken part in lots of activities aimed at challenging them to become more independent; to make friends, to develop relationships, and to...

 Life Skills Digital Students welcomed a guest speaker, Richard Jones, to their classes last week. Richard has been working in IT for the past 30 years, including 12 years with Microsoft.Students engaged really well with the lesson, raising important points and asking questions about using IT both inside and outside of college. They also asked Richard about his experiences of working in IT over the years, who he had worked for and collaborated with, and the different countries he had travelled to with work.Students enjoyed learning more about the following Digital Skills:• Staying Safe Online and Cybersecurity• Social Media and tips on how to create strong passwords / passphrases• Social Engineering (or Social 'Sneaking', as one of our students rather aptly renamed it!)• Searching the Internet – Using Copilot (AI) and writing a good prompt• Using AI to create poems and songs, based on topics of interest• Demonstration of using a HololensHere's what some of the students had to say ...

 Life Skills student Hayley Gower tells her story about reaching her longstanding goal… My name is Hayley Gower. I am 40 years old and I have been living in Wolverhampton since 2005. I come originally from South Croydon. Twenty years ago, I embarked on my journey as a volunteer, starting with the Baby Blues Appeal charity, driven by a desire to contribute to charity initiatives. Helping out with charity research and giving resources to people in our community is really important to me. My dedication led me to the British Heart Foundation in 2007, where I gradually increased my involvement over the years. Heart problems are common in my family, so I'm committed to helping with this cause. Recently, an opportunity arose for a paid position as a sales assistant, a role I pursued with the encouragement of the assistant manager. After a successful interview, I secured the job, marking a significant milestone in my journey. Working sixteen hours per week, I find myself on the shop floor...

My name is Nathan Preen; I am Autistic. Prior to attending classes at Adult Education Wolverhampton (AEW), I had attended Kingston Centre a school that was dedicated to children with Special educational needs. Having been introduced to art at Kington this is where my passion for the subject began. Being autistic I have always struggled with change and interacting with new people but wanting to pursue my passion my mum recommended I try art classes at Adult Education Wolverhampton, a place where she too had attended classes that had helped her to upskill and progress. I enrolled at AEW and started my creative Journey working from Level 1 to Level 2. It was hard at first and I struggled with my confidence, I felt shy but this was soon dispelled and my journey began. The teachers were amazing and I learnt so much about styles and techniques and different perspectives. I made friends in class and we shared ideas and encouraged each other's creativity. My art opens up a new world, a place w...

During April, students and staff at Adult Education Wolverhampton are proud to be supporting World Book Night 2024, run by The Reading Agency, which focuses on boosting the reading skills, confidence and engagement of adult learners. English classes at all levels will be focused on reading with targeted discussions and offering a range of activities, including reviewing reading habits, to encourage greater participation and raise awareness of the benefits of reading. Across the centre, learners will explore a range of short stories, books and magazines to help capture their interest. The Reading Agency states that 1 in 3 people don't regularly read for pleasure. The benefits of reading include reducing the feeling of loneliness, decreasing stress and depression and results in greater life satisfaction. What are you going to read? The English Team would like to thank all the students who took the time and effort to participate in our competition to win a book in celebration of World Boo...

Life Skills students based at the Neil Dougherty Centre have been making great progress developing their digital skills each week. They completed research and internet browsing tasks based on Vaisakhi, Sikhism and India.The students found lots of interesting information about these topics, as well as the location of Amritsar using Google Earth, Vaisakhi recipes, online jigsaws and music and dancing videos. They also discovered that the weather for Vaisakhi was going to be much warmer in Amritsar than it was in Wolverhampton!Students entered their findings onto a Word document and took part in an online quiz with questions based on their research.Completing their weekly tasks has seen students become more confident with their digital and keyboard skills, using Chrome books to access Microsoft 365 applications such as Teams, Outlook, PowerPoint and Word. They are also able to search on Google for information, videos and puzzles based on their own interests, such as music, football, quiz ...

During the last day of the spring term Adult Education Wolverhampton hosted a health and wellbeing day for its staff. Staff had the opportunity to take part in activities to inspire mind, body and soul. Activities included: Orienteering, cycling, henna art, drumming, yoga, Easter decoration and self-guided walks of local trails. Staff had the opportunity to take a break from their normal activities and had an amazing day. 

We are so delighted to welcome our wonderful students back to AEW. We hope you had a good break. We would like to wish you all a fantastic summer term. 

Transformational city centre learning campus is on the way! Please bear with us while the building works take place. Adult Education Wolverhampton is in the centre of the new City Learning Quarter. The £61 million City of Wolverhampton Council development – supported by Government funding - will establish new educational facilities for Adult Education Wolverhampton, City of Wolverhampton College and Central Library, benefitting skills and employment outcomes for residents across the city and wider region. Contractor McLaughlin & Harvey are set to deliver the vision in time for the start of the 2025-26 academic year. Please be assured that you will continue to receive the same high quality learning experience you have come to expect from Adult Education Wolverhampton, we continue to be serious about your success. For more information, please contact Deputy Head of Service Anna Place by email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or telephone 01902 558180.

In the lead up to Valentine's Day, ESOL for Work students have been working together to discuss what they love about studying at Adult Education Wolverhampton. Students on the Care pathway worked together to create posters to display all the things that they collectively love about their course and AEW. They all came up with lots of things and enjoyed practising their English skills whilst sharing them with their teacher.  Enter your text here ... Enter your text here ...