Learning about the world around us

Here at the WEA we offer a huge range of humanities and science courses, with something for everyone.  

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If you’re interested in the natural world, our geography and environment courses are the perfect choice. Our packed curriculum explores some of the biggest issues facing society, such as climate change and the fight against the destruction of some of Earth’s most precious resources. The option to learn in person or online means that our geography courses can whisk you away to a far-flung corner of the globe, all without you ever having to leave your own home. 

Studying a science

If you choose to take one of our psychology courses you’ll be immersed in the study of the human mind. With options to learn about memory and identity, you’ll get the chance to explore and debate some of the most famous psychological experiments.  

There’s also Sociology too, a subject that focuses on human behaviour, interaction, and relationships. If you’d like to explore some of the biggest questions in life, then our philosophy courses are for you. Small class sizes mean that you’ll get to discuss and debate in a supportive environment, all with an experienced tutor on hand.  

Attend a Humanities and Science course near you  

Whether you choose to learn from the comfort of your own home or opted for face-to-face learning at a local community venue, you’ll be taught by a talented tutor who is an expert in their subject. Our learning experience sets us apart from other providers, with learners regularly highlighting the difference that an encouraging environment makes. 

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Archaeology: Industrial archaeology in Waltham Forest

The two sessions of this course, with guest speaker Neil Houghton, will provide students with an outline of the main types of industry found in the area, together with a summary of those which are known to have existed but for which almost no records remain. One session will provide this ‘context’ but the emphasis will be on how we know what we know about these sites. The second session will essentially train students in some elementary techniques which will allow them to record what remains of these rapidly disappearing sites. The exciting thing is that almost no work has been done on this away from studies of the largest industrial sites which were actually atypical in this area of London. Here is an opportunity to come along and learn how to make a genuinely important contribution to this aspect of our area’s history.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 11/06/2024 -
Tue 18/06/2024
Times:
7:30pm - 9:30pm
Duration:
2 sessions
Location:
Peterhouse Community Centre
122 Forest Rise
Walthamstow
London
E17 3PW
Tutor:
Guest Speaker
Course code:
Q00015362
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
1 place remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £20.00

Care 2 Visit Avebury Manor, Wiltshire

A course for carers, former carers and the cared for. Join me in the comfort of your own home to find out about Avebury Manor and Garden. In 2011, Avebury Manor was the subject of the BBC One television series The Manor Reborn, find out how the house was refurbished by a group of experts in collaboration with the National Trust.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 12/06/2024 -
Wed 12/06/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 3:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Alison Warren
Course code:
Q00012217
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
8 places remaining
Status:
Available

History: Cookery through the ages

Join us on this fascinating look at cookery through the ages. We will discover the changes in food over the centuries. From how it was cooked, how it was eaten, the ingredients used and how it affected our society and language, from ancient times to this century, with an emphasis on British history. We will look at some recipes that you may (or may not) wish to try, these will be available in Canvas our virtual learning environment.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 12/06/2024 -
Wed 31/07/2024
Times:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Duration:
7 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Jane Williams
Course code:
Q00013816
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
7 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £74.00

Nature, Ecology & Permaculture: Plants and People: Momentous Encounters

Plants have played a dynamic and pivotal role in our lives. Their cultivation has provided innumerable rewards as well as challenges; their properties contributed to our health; their character and classification has aroused curiosity and wonder; their collection called for skill and brought pride and delight. Over the course of three sessions with guest speaker Dr Sarah Law and through stories of notable encounters between people and plants as diverse as water lilies, gingers, rhubarbs and nightshades, we will dip into this rich and diverse engagement, touching on Edwardian water gardens, nineteenth-century botanic gardens and the purgatives and plasters that once stocked British medicine chests.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 12/06/2024 -
Wed 26/06/2024
Times:
6:30pm - 8:30pm
Duration:
3 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Guest Speaker
Course code:
Q00015006
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £22.20

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Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
WEA Membership

History: Art and About: Walking Radical London – The Strand & Fleet Street

Part of the WEA Art and About Festival 2024! This gentle walk down the Strand to Fleet Street from Charing Cross Station will concentrate on the sites the area’s radical past. From the meeting places of the London Corresponding Society, to the Chartists & their Six Point Charter, Sylvia Pankhurst’s Communist Party of Great Britain’s headquarters, radical booksellers and publishers – all will be pointed out. We will take regular pauses to look at some of the evidence for what was once a hotbed of radical and revolutionary politicking. We will discuss the contribution and achievement of these movements and individuals and ask what their legacy is. We will meet at 10.30am at the Eleanor Cross, Charing Cross Station, London WC2N 5PH

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 14/06/2024 -
Fri 14/06/2024
Times:
10:30am - 1:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Meeting Place:Charing Cross Railway Stat
Charing Cross Station
Strand
London
WC2N 5HS
Tutor:
Laurie Johnston
Course code:
Q00014846
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £15.00

History: Aphra Behn: Poet, Playwright, Prisoner, Spy. Her Life & Times

Join tutor Michael Long on this fascinating one-off session, presented as part of Women's month, looking at the life of Aphra Behn. Aphra Behn was a playwright, poet, translator and royal spy. She was a woman in a world of men, a staunch Royalist, a spy, and condemned as a scarlet woman with loose morals. She was also the first woman in England to identify herself as a professional writer. She wrote to suit the occasion, and she wrote to make money. This is a brief look at her life and times rather than a focus on her literary achievements.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 14/06/2024 -
Fri 14/06/2024
Times:
9:30am - 11:30am
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Michael Long
Course code:
Q00015617
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £7.40

History: History of the Post Box

Discover the history of the British Post Box, an icon of our postal system. Apart from being an icon, the Post Box is in daily operational use as an essential public service, something that we are all familiar with, but may know little about its history. Come and discover the fascinating development of the design and its manufacture, as well as its place in our social history. This course is suitable for those with both little and some knowledge of the subject. To note down key points, it is suggested that you bring a notebook.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 18/06/2024 -
Tue 02/07/2024
Times:
10:00am - 11:30am
Duration:
3 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Michael Turner
Course code:
Q00014313
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
7 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £16.65

Care 2 Visit Motecute House, Somerset

A course for carers, former carers and the cared for. Join me to find out about Montecute House in Somerset. Together, we will virtually explore this historic building and the fascinating story behind it. This course is ideal for those who want to spend time learning something new from the comfort of their own home.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 19/06/2024 -
Wed 19/06/2024
Times:
11:00am - 12:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Alison Warren
Course code:
Q00014601
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available

History: Cookery through the ages

This day school is a condensed version of a full ten-week course on the history of British cookery, from the Stone Age up to the present day. We go through the historical timeline, examining major changes in food technology and sources, where food came from, how social history affected food and vice versa, how it was served, and how food has affected our language. While clearly I can’t fit all the details into a single day, I’ll try to pick out the parts that are “good stories”. This is a purely theoretical course, intended for beginners, and no experience of cooking or knowledge of history is needed (though experience of eating would help!).

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 21/06/2024 -
Fri 21/06/2024
Times:
11:00am - 3:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
The Forum (Norwich)
Millennium Plain
Norwich
NR2 1TF
Tutor:
Jane Williams
Course code:
Q00014952
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £25.00

History: Queens of Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt demonstrates how even in a male-dominated society women did on occasion rise to the highest position in the land. In this study day we will explore the women who not only held great influence but sometimes effectively ruled Egypt. From the famous female pharaoh Hatshepsut to Cleopatra VII we consider how this women came to power and served as some of antiquities most prominent female figures.

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 22/06/2024 -
Sat 22/06/2024
Times:
10:30am - 4:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
St Mary's University (Twickenham)
Waldegrave Road
Twickenham
TW1 4SX
Tutor:
John Billman
Course code:
Q00014669
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £40.00