WEA courses

Develop skills to help you read, write, and communicate in English with confidence. Improved language skills open doors to work and study opportunities and help you learn key skills for employment. Level 1 functional skills courses are not like learning English at school. They’re created by adults for adults, and aim to teach you practical English skills through real-life situations. Strengthen your writing skills and learn reading techniques to help you tackle everyday situations at work or while studying. This adult English course helps you develop your language skills through real-life situations. Functional Skills level 1 is a government-funded accredited English course for adults. Functional Skills qualifications are free if you don't already have a GCSE in English or Maths at grades A*-C, or 4-9. We'll check your level and any previous qualifications before you start. This ensures you are on the correct course.

Human beings have told each other stories about ghosts since the ancient times, but the ghost story as we know it was created by the writer and scholar M. R. James (1862-1936). At Christmas, James would read his stories aloud to friends and colleagues at the University of Cambridge. The BBC began adapting James’s stories in 1971 as part of their ’Ghost Story for Christmas’ series. In this course we will look at seven of James’s most famous and enjoyed stories, a number of which were adapted by the BBC. We will consider each story on its own, looking at James’s use of suspense and humour. How does James write a ghost story? Are they scary? And, most of all, what are we scared of? No previous knowledge of ghost stories is necessary – everybody is most welcome!

Would you like to practice your English speaking and listening? Our Gloucester conversation club provides an informal, welcoming space for adult ESOL learners to practice their English, build confidence and develop social connections. Each session will be in a friendly, relaxed safe space and led by an experienced tutor. Learners will be encouraged to use their English and gentle tasks such as using questions will be used to facilitate this. Drinks will be provided throughout and learners will be given full support to explore their next steps within the WEA.

This 4-week Basic First Aid course equips you with the skills and knowledge to act decisively in an emergency. Each week focuses on a specific theme, progressively building your understanding. Learn how to handle common situations like applying bandages and slings, treating burns and scalds, performing CPR, and most importantly, knowing when to call an ambulance. By the end of the course, you'll not only gain valuable first-aid skills, but also create a personalized flowchart outlining the steps to take in case of an accident at KCU.

Did you know that it is estimated that 80% of adults will suffer with back pain at some point in their lives. Back problems are one of the main causes of time off work. Back pain can last a few days, may come and go, or can become a chronic condition. Back care Awareness week aims to empower people with the knowledge and tools to both prevent back problems and to maintain a healthy back. Medical guidance encourages us to keep moving, stretch it out, and try to ease symptoms of stress to better manage back ache. Yoga is an excellent tool to support a healthy back and can be practiced by anyone. This mat-based session will introduce you to simple stretches and postures that

A history course based on some well-known musicals. Writers of musicals often dealt with complex social, political and historical issues while also providing an entertaining show with great songs, but in this course we’ll look at some unexpected, surprising and even ill-conceived inspirations for musicals, some of which were very successful, some of which were not. The course includes the background to musicals by Rodgers and Hammerstein, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, Stephen Sondheim, but also lesser-known writers whose work has become very successful and has acquired a cult following.  At the end of the course, you will be able to: - Discuss how Evita and Call Me Madam are influenced by the writers' personal viewpoints of the societies they are describing - Give examples of how fairy tale conventions are overturned in Frozen and Into The Woods - Identify some of the classic films, stories and characters that fed into horror musicals like Rocky Horror Show and Sweeney Todd. - Discuss why "bad taste" is such a prevalent feature of modern musicals, like the Producers and Little Shop of Horrors. - Identify some of the issues that caused a few of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musicals to fail.

Join guest tutor Andy Beharrell on this fascinating insight into the history and events around the Essex, East Anglia and East Coast Waters. Each week will have a different theme starting with the shipwrecks around East Anglia, followed by The Maunsell Forts and ending with From Tierra Del Fuego to Essex. The course will be in the historic venue of The Reading Rooms at Billericay, Essex.

The Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley famously said that ‘Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.’ This course tracks the development of English poetry, from the sonnets of Shakespeare to the contemporary poetry of Jack Underwood, Emily Berry, and Rachael Allen. As well as considering each of the poets in isolation from week to week, we will also use the seven week course to ask ourselves: how has poetry developed through the years, and how has it remained the same? As well as considering each of the poets and poems in isolation from week to week, we will also take the opportunity to compare what aspects No previous knowledge of poetry is necessary – everybody is most welcome!

Prepare for the UK job market with our comprehensive Get Ready for Work course. Develop essential skills and knowledge needed for job applications, interviews, and workplace success. Ideal for individuals seeking employment in the UK.

The Driving Theory for ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Learners course is specifically designed to assist non-native English speakers in preparing for and passing their driving theory test. This course focuses on building essential language skills and understanding of driving rules and regulations in an English-speaking context. Participants will gain confidence in both their language proficiency and their knowledge of traffic signs, road safety, and driving laws necessary to pass the theory test. The course takes place in a friendly and encouraging environment, supported by a specialist tutor and the team at WEA.