WEA courses

Come and join an enthusiastic group of creative crafters who, along with an experienced tutor will strive to unlock their creativity in this hands-on craft course. On this course you will be guided to see your scraps differently and see the craft potential of things you would normally throw away. Whatever paper-craft you are into each session of this course aims to unleash your creativity as you repurpose materials from your stash into pockets, embellishments, handmade cards, and ephemera pieces. For this course you will need minimal supplies and a full list will be available on Canvas but to get started it would be helpful to have some of the following: Assorted paper – plain and patterned and coloured cardstock Scissors Glue sticks, wet glue, adhesive tape. Old books / magazines Buttons, ribbons beads, die cut shapes.

Prepare for the job market with our Get Ready for Work - Employability Skills course. Develop essential skills and knowledge needed for job applications, interviews, and workplace success. Ideal for individuals seeking to enter the job market.

The Thames, its bridges, embankments, and the monuments standing alongside it, are world-renowned symbols of London. Over the centuries, artists have represented the river from many different viewpoints, for all sorts of occasions, and in a variety of artistic styles. From De Jongh and Canaletto to Turner and Monet, the Thames has been represented many. As we retrace their steps, we will study the sights and events they depicted. From the Thames Estuary to Cookham, we will see sights of mayoral processions, regattas, busy tugboats and Thames barge, highlight the river’s many functions. As we study these works of art – some well-known and other rarely ever seen – we will discuss the river's artistic and historical significance.

This course will explore how to produce poems which rhyme. In the twentieth century, particularly post-war, vers libre and syllabic verse have proliferated, yet poets persist in writing rhymed and rhythmical poetry. During these five weeks, we will examine how modern poets deploy rhyme and integrate it into the rhythms of ordinary speech and a demotic vocabulary. Each session will be a workshop, which examines and puts into practice your own experiments in rhyme, allowing you to develop first drafts and then finished versions of at least three new poems. The workshops will be mutually supportive at all times, supportive and inspirational.

Take your reading skills to the next level with these ESOL classes. Feel comfortable reading and understanding different types of texts in English. Improved reading skills can make life in the UK easier for you. This ESOL entry 3 reading course builds on skills you learnt at entry 2. You’ll continue to expand your vocabulary and reading skills. This is an English course for adults. It is aimed at speakers of other languages. ESOL courses are divided into three areas: reading, writing, and speaking & listening. If you’re helping others find ESOL courses in the UK, you’ve come to the right place.

This intermediate short course is for participants who have already reached a Level 1 ESOL standard. The course aims to help students and employees to practise their Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening skills to increase their confidence and competence to take IELTS tests.

What makes a good manager? What are the difference between the skills you need to employ as a good manager and those you demonstrate as a competent team player? What is the difference between a manager and a leader and what style of management or leadership may be appropriate for you and your organisation? We will investigate whether there are any personal skill gaps and how you might fill these. Bringing together both theory and practice, this course will help you plot your course to a future management role, and help you plan your route to your new role. You may be a newly promoted manager, or perhaps you want to identify whether you are ready. Join this class to find out more.

A modern maker’s practical guide to decorative paper-led traditions. Beautiful step-by-step projects, each one taking its cue from a different tradition or technique, including origami, quilling, silhouette-cutting and fan-making, as well as contemporary paper sculpture Led by contemporary designer/makers at the leading edge of today’s craft revival. The art of paper-made projects are functional, accessible, stylish and fashionable, and include tips on how to take the next steps towards developing your own designs. This online course will give you the skill and confidence to express your passion for the handmade through the age-old crafts of cutting, sticking, folding and forming paper.

If you wonder how people uncover information in the public interest that would usually remain in the dark, this course on investigative journalism is for you. This introductory course highlights the skills needed by investigative journalists when they conduct public interest investigations. Participants explore ways of reporting and editing stories, especially those which usually go unreported. The course will cover definitions of investigative journalism; how to find and plan an investigative story and which sources might be available. It gives a brief introduction to some of the legal and regulatory aspects of journalism.

In this short course, learners will focus on the final tales in the most famous and complete literary work in English on the Matter of Britain, Malory’s Morte d’Arthur. We will study Malory’s characterisation, the development of his narrative, and discuss the causes and events leading up to the fall of the Round Table. We will also explore Malory’s prose style and one of his major English sources. No prior knowledge of Middle English is required, and the course is suitable for beginners and improvers. It is also very suitable for those who have taken the autumn taster course on Malory.