Making ourselves heard

Help us to break the sound barrier. 

There are many ways to get involved:

Don't forget to let us know all about your learning experiences.

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Our mission is to bring education within reach of all who need it, fighting inequality and promoting social justice.

With a third of students leaving school with no or low qualifications and few life chances, there are some stark statistics that evidence the need for education, like ours that raises aspirations, builds confidence and then skills.​

The state of the nation:

• 9 million adults have low literacy or numeracy (Learning for Work Institute, 2022)​

• 25% of the UK population are likely to struggle with online services (UK Consumer Digital Index 2023)​

• 57% of 16-64 year olds without qualifications are unemployed (Gov.uk 2023)​

• 13 million were living in poverty in the UK in 2020/21 (Joseph Rowntree Foundation 2023)​

• 3.8 million ensure chronic loneliness (ONS 2023)​

• 26% of adults don't speak to their neighbours or members of the community on a regular or monthly basis (UK Gov, 2021)​​

Prevention is better than a cure.​

It's simple, adult education is good for you! Sometimes its best to hear from experts outside of the education sector, to know it's not just us that believe adult education plays a critical role. In these views you will hear about its role in building health and wellbeing, preventing loneliness and the breakdown of communities, and staving off dementia and ill-health.​

Find out more about the life-changing impact of WEA learning. Read our inspiring learner stories by clicking on the photos below. (Links will open in a new tab).​

Each story speaks volumes about the value of courses which take learners who have failed repeatedly at school towards confidence, work and happiness, or support them to sustain rich and connected lives through later life. 

Are you an adult learner? Would you like to share your story with us? A link to the form is at the bottom of this page.​

Don't forget to let us know all about your learning experiences.

The impact of social prescribing

Around 10% of our learners have a physical health condition or illness. We know adult education is a great option when looking at social prescribing routes. Our courses support people to make positive life choices. Social prescribing is part of our offer because it helps improve health and wellbeing.

Our research demonstrates that following a WEA course:  

• 92% of our learners made fewer visits to their GP compared to the national average
• 84% reported improvements in their overall wellbeing
• 51% of learners reported an increase in self-confidence

Our social prescribing package consists of a choice of offers designed to protect and enhance wellbeing. They range from mental health and physical wellbeing to digital skills and safety. We deliver courses across England, both online and in the classroom.

Learn more about social prescribing and the WEA offer at our social prescribing page.

Additional support

Learners with identified additional learning needs should request support on their enrolment form and/or speak to their tutor about the support they may need whilst studying.

For more information, please visit our help and support section or contact our friendly learner services team through our contact us page.

Some of the courses that we’ve delivered for refugee organisations include:   

• ESOL courses to build language skills   
• Life in the UK   
• Arts, craft and music classes for wellbeing   
• Family fitness and cookery classes   
• Supporting children’s education in the UK   
• Mental health and stress awareness   
• Working in the UK and employability courses   
• Level 1 Award in Workers' Rights and Labour Exploitation  

Whether you’re looking for courses that offer practical support, or courses that provide social opportunities, we want to work in partnership with you. 

The above courses are just examples: we can tailor our curriculum to suit your needs and those of your learners.

Together, we can make a real difference.    

We also offer Discretionary Learner Support funds to help with course fees, travel, childcare, course materials etc

For more information, please visit our help and support section or contact our friendly learner services team through our contact us page.