DEC
19

Frost Fair | December 2024

On 12 December 2024, Life Skills students from AEW hosted their annual Frost Fair at our main site in Old Hall Street. They continued the Fair at our Maltings site and made a further £81.74 from sales bringing the total to £266.60 for the Air Ambulance.- The Gonk was named Archie and was won by Judith- The unicorn was named Rosie and is waiting to be collected by Rizkan- Jordan guessed the nearest number of sweets in the Jar which was 40During the year Life Skills students take part in an enterprise project where they develop their employability, communication and teamwork skills. The Frost Fair allows them the opportunity to improve their money skills whilst selling arts, crafts and festive snacks.Sending many thanks to all involved.

DEC
10

Life Skills students learn about science and technology

Life Skills students visited the Science and Technology event at Newhampton Arts centre. Students were immersed in an exciting day of activities to expand their knowledge of science and technology as they engaged with a local community project run by Arun Bector and Wolverhampton University. Activities included making DNA bracelets and looking through microscopes and infrared images of themselves. On the trip students continued to develop everyday transferrable skills such as communication and social interaction, listening, and working with others. Students said they enjoyed trying out the experiments and in particular, they learned interesting new facts about the human body.

DEC
09

Life Skills Frankfurt Christmas Market

Frankfurt German Market visitLife Skills students have been making steps towards independence by organising an offsite visit they have planned and budgeted for. They decided as a group where and when they would visit and how they would travel, taking the initiative to research the Metro timetable and discuss safety on public transport. In addition, they researched the cost of travel, and dining out and estimated the cost of purchasing goods during the day which they then budgeted and saved for.Students visited Birmingham's Frankfurt Market, where they enjoyed exploring the stands while tasting a variety of food and purchasing unique seasonal products from Germany. They went for a meal where each student paid for food and drinks, further developing their money management skills. The day was a resounding success, with students demonstrating a range of transferable and independent living skills. They are ready and well on their way to planning their next trip to Birmingham.  Enter yo...

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OCT
01

Nadia Abdullah – Digital Skills Level 3

"I am currently a stay-at-home mother to my 3 children and believe that it is essential to learn skills that will help me to develop myself and to have the tools and skills to help my children. Attending classes has never been a problem for me as I love learning and appreciate that the more I attend the more I learn. I have only missed one class in the whole time I have been studying with AEW. I love the classroom environment and my interaction with my fellow students. We not only learn from the course teacher but from each other too, making it a wonderful environment in which to study. Having good attendance has enabled me to cover all aspects of each course working my way from beginner to my current Level 3 Digital skills qualification. In today's digital world, my qualifications will help me with general day-to-day life and will be a great asset to me for future learning and employment."

AUG
01

The Community Science fair

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.

JUL
29

ESOL Enrichment

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...

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JUL
08

Life Skills Celebration

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...

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JUN
18

Life Skills Digital Students welcomed a guest speaker, Richard Jones

 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 ...

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MAY
14

World Book Night competition

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...

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MAY
15

My journey to employment

 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...

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MAY
15

Nathan Preen – NCFC Art level 1 and 2

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...

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MAY
14

Life Skills in the Community ICT – Neil Dougherty Centre Digital Skills Tasks: Vaisakhi, Sikhism and India

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 ...

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APR
17

AEW health and wellbeing day

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. 

APR
08

Hello, welcome back

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. 

MAR
11

City Learning Quarter News - Spring 2024

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.

FEB
13

'Like Minds' helped me to thrive

It's always great to catch up with our students and find out how learning has helped them to progress. Read Mark's story and find out how gaining confidence has enabled him to thrive. Mark Corbett – Like Minds Yoga "I have suffered with my health for many years and more recently suffered 2 strokes which severely affected my mobility, to the point that I was completely immobile for 6 months, which meant that I had to give up work. During my rehabilitation, it was suggested that I engage in an activity that would benefit my physical and mental health so I registered for Like Minds Yoga. Classes are designed for people like myself who are recovering from a major life change that has affected their physical and or mental health. I have been attending classes for a year now and I can honestly say that it has made an incredible difference to my life. My mobility has improved and so has my mental health. My dogs are my lifeline and I can now walk short distances with them which for me is incr...

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MAR
07

Happy Valentines... What our students love about learning

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 ...

FEB
15

Family Learning - Case Studies

Gurdeep Kaur – Family Learning English and Maths I first came to the UK in 2020 with very limited English. This made communicating, making friends, and finding employment very difficult. In 2022 I joined ESOL classes, worked through the courses, and improved my communication skills. This year Adult Education started to offer Community English and maths classes at my children's school. I have been attending since September and feel like I am making good progress. The skills I have learned have helped with my confidence and my English language skills have improved a great deal. Since attending I have gained the confidence to apply for jobs and am now working as a Lunchtime Supervisor and a cleaner in a school. Learning is helping to change my life for the better and I plan to continue gaining skills and qualifications to enable me to work as a teaching assistant. I want to work towards gaining Functional Skills in English and Maths and progress onto a Teaching Assistant course, enabling ...

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FEB
13

The City Learning Quarter news

Full construction works are underway on a transformational city centre campus that is the jewel in the crown of Wolverhampton's City Learning Quarter masterplan. The £61 million City of Wolverhampton Council development – supported by Government funding - will establish new educational facilities for City of Wolverhampton College, Adult Education Wolverhampton and Central Library, benefitting skills and employment outcomes for residents across the city and wider region. It is a major milestone for what is phase two of the masterplan, with contractor McLaughlin & Harvey set to deliver the council and college's vision in time for the start of the 2025/26 academic year. The City Learning Quarter city centre facility will be situated around the Old Hall Street and St George's Parade area, incorporating a site on the corner of Garrick Street and Bilston Street, where the former Faces nightclub building once stood, and utilising the college's existing Metro One site. Photo:(L-R): Breakin...

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JAN
30

Supported Employment at Adult Education Wolverhampton

Adult Education Wolverhampton students have been working with Wolverhampton Council's Supported Employment Team. The students and their parents or carers took part in our first information session hosted by Emma Carless and her team who are skilled in finding paid work for residents with a disability. The students have all previously taken part in a Supported Internship or Supported Employment programme at Adult Education Wolverhampton which helps students gain the employability skills and confidence to take part in a work placement and now these students need that extra support to gain their perfect job. The students took the opportunity to sign up with the Supported Employment Team where they will benefit from expert support with job searching, completing CVs, someone who will attend the job interview with them and who will support them in work for the first 6 months. We would like to thank Emma and the Supported Employment Team for their time and look forward to hosting many more si...

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