WEA courses

Learning about Abstract Landscape Art is a fascinating and rewarding topic; it tracks an evolving story looking at different ages, from 19th Century innovators such as JMW Turner, through to Impressionism, Cubism, Futurism and Modernism in general, right up to the 21st Century. This course will also introduce you to some lesser known female artists who have been formerly neglected by the art establishment. Inspired by these examples, shown at the beginning of each lesson in an interactive visual presentation, we will develop skills in a range of drawing and painting media, including drawing inks, chalk and oil pastels, watercolour, acrylic, collage and mixed media. This course is for complete beginners and those looking to improve their skills and develop their own style.

This course will help you develop further watercolour techniques interrelated with drawing skills, and in connection with inspiring examples in art history. It will help you learn classical techniques in a subtle way, by relating them to examples by various masters of drawing and watercolour (such as Dürer, Turner or Cezanne) and contemporary artists (such as David Hockney or Anselm Kiefer). If you would like to have a fresh view of watercolour painting and drawing, and learn how to achieve expressivity by carefully combining techniques such as glazing, graded wash or cross-hatching, this course will offer you an overview and will inspire personal artworks of great subtlety and sensitivity It will also encourage you to create your own original artworks based on the techniques learned and it will bring a fresh perspective on known techniques and styles, if you have already practised them in your own paintings. You will need to bring your own materials, paints and paper along for this course. The tutor will let you know what to bring

Welcome to Term 2 of Learning Italian! This 10-week course builds on your foundational skills, focusing on practical situations. You’ll learn to book a hotel room, navigate train and bus stations, and shop at markets. Through interactive lessons, role-playing, and listening activities, you’ll gain confidence in handling common scenarios. Topics include making reservations, understanding schedules, purchasing tickets, and shopping for goods. Cultural insights will deepen your appreciation of Italian traditions. By the end of the course, you’ll be comfortable using Italian in various everyday contexts. Join us to continue your Italian language journey! Buon viaggio!

This course has been developed in Partnership with Wolverhampton City Council and the DWP. It is aimed at learners who are leaving the care system and might have some additional needs or a disability, with a Supported Care Plan. If you are aged 19 plus and feel this course is for you, talk to your job coach about enrolling. The course will help you to develop your confidence and team working skills and enable you to set some goals for the future, such as the kind of job or career you might like to do. If you need more information, get in touch with Karen on 07881 358679.

If you enjoy the buzz of learning environments, this qualification can teach you key skills for employment in a school or college. This government-funded course prepares you for a variety of roles. It provides the basic skills and knowledge necessary to work in admin, technical, or support roles in a learning environment. Studying support work in schools at level 2 can be a first step towards working with kids in teaching positions. It also provides you with the qualifications needed to work in admin at schools. No matter what role you’re interested in, this course can teach you skills for employability in schools and colleges.

This is a Pre-entry ESOL course which will give you some skills to communicate some basic ideas in English. Through a range of activities, you will develop skills to help you improve your all your four skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing, with a focus on speaking and listening activities.

This course will help you if English is not your first language and if you are struggling to understand the vocabulary needed to pass the UK Driving Theory Test. During the course, we will cover the English technical language you are likely to need. You will also learn about the language used in the Highway Code and about transport in the UK. We will also cover road signs, road markings and the rules of driving. The course will help you to feel more confident that you are ready to apply for the Theory Test.

Do you avoid certain conversations because they might be difficult to have? What might be the effect of this behaviour on you and others at work or at home? All of us tend to stick to certain patterns in communicating and some of these might be ineffective in some circumstances. Find out what your natural style is and investigate whether other styles might be more effective with the conversations you would like to have. Learn to use a simple framework to make sure your view come across and investigate how to avoid some of the common pitfalls in communication. Join this course to practice effective strategies to manage conflict and have more productive conversations.

The "Making the Most of Your Smartphone for Life and Work" online course is designed to help you harness the full potential of your smartphone. This is suitable for those who have a smartphone but doesn’t know how to use all of the features and applications. This course covers essential features, productivity apps, camera use and practical tips for both personal and professional use. Whether you're a beginner or looking to enhance your skills, you'll learn how to use your smartphone effectively to improve communication, organisation, and productivity.

This course will give you an outline of the history of urban and suburban housing in Britain over the last 200 years. As Britain’s industrial cities expanded, thousands of people wanted somewhere suitable to live. For the expanding middle classes of clerks, bankers and other professionals, this meant a respectable home to buy or rent. We will explore how how the expansion of the railways led to the development of suburbs as workers could travel further to their workplace. We will see how the aspiration of owning one’s own home became achievable with the development of building societies and how Britain became a home-owning society.