WEA courses

Get a view into the enriching world of teaching and learning. If you’d like to work in a school, with kids or in an admin role, this course is the perfect first step. Whether you plan to get a teaching qualification or just want a taster into the school environment, this course can teach you essential skills employers look for in school staff. In this course you’ll learn foundational concepts for working in a learning environment. It can help you decide whether a job at a school is right for you

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.

Digital skills are increasingly in demand in modern society. Picking up essential digital skills can help you go about your everyday life, as well as open doors to employment opportunities. This course starts at the beginning and covers everything from using a digital device to getting started on social media and making videos. This Entry-level 3 digital skills course is aimed at complete beginners- so don’t worry if this is new to you. If you want to learn digital skills for everyday life or improve your job prospects, this course is ideal for you. It's also suitable for people reentering the workforce after a long break. You must live in the Peterborough and Cambridgeshire postcode areas to get this course free.

By the second half of the nineteenth century, as a result of an industrial revolution and the growth of trade and Empire, Britain had become 'the workshop of the world’, importing raw materials and exporting manufactured goods across the globe. Alongside these developments were great movements of people – emigration to other countries in search of a better life, internal migration from Scotland and Ireland to England, migration from countryside to towns in search of work, and immigration into Britain from European countries such as Russia, Germany and Italy. Our course will examine the connections between Britain’s trade, its empire and the migration of people in the nineteenth century.

Did you know that learning Latin can enrich your knowledge in all sorts of other areas? Far from being “dead”, Latin is all around us. This intermediate Latin course can give you essential background knowledge to understand terminology in law, medicine, family history, and many other subjects. Latin has hundreds of applications in contemporary contexts. This course is ideal for you if you’re interested in learning Latin, or gaining general knowledge to help you learn modern languages or other disciplines.

Are too many too quick to dismiss the fantasy genre as pure entertainment and/or escapist spectacle? Are there varying degrees of fantasy on screen, rendering the term fantasy film as something rather too broad? We examine a selection of five films, all using elements of fantasy to tell their stories. In Orlando, adapted from literature, elements of fantasy are used to highlight inequalities within society. Young Einstein, a film derided by critics in the U.S, makes use of alterative history and elements of surrealism to both entertain and arguably present some deeper comments regarding humanity and innovation, does its fantastical approach help or hinder? Labyrinth offers a unique screen vision by immersing the viewer in a vivid fantasy world earning itself cult status to this day but is it for children, adults or both? Spirited Away makes use of animation to comment on the modern world, here, the fantasy element is fundamental to its approach. More recent films such as Barbie prove fantasy can be big at the box office, using a variety of different approaches to both entertain and relevant social comment. Are all these fantasy films as much if not far more than meet the eye? Are there any reoccurring themes approaches? And is fantasy an ideal medium for the screen? Orlando (1992), Young Einstein (1988), Labyrinth (1986), Barbie (2023), Spirited Away (2001).

How art has been employed by belligerent countries in the First and Second World Wars, but also to represent war, often patriotically, over many centuries. We’ll look at a range of different examples from western countries to show the different approaches to art depicting war and its effects and how sometimes this has been directed by governments, not always simply for propaganda purposes.

Designed for beginners, this fun course will show you how to take old /outdated pieces of costume jewellery and give them new life. Our friendly tutor will introduce you to the tools, materials and techniques which you can use to create lovely new pieces of jewellery to wear yourself, gift or maybe even sell on. We will provide basic materials but you are also encouraged to bring along any jewellery (not expensive) which you would like to transform.

With a series of sessions all designed to help you discover/rediscover and develop your own new and/or existing story ideas - be these a short story, a novel - or if you just aren't sure or even started writing yet. The return of this fun, friendly and structured approach to aid you in finding inspiration, putting pen paper and get writing as we let fate guide us! We let the 'hand of fate' take us on a fresh approach to finding & maintaining that vital spark of inspiration, motivation to write fiction. A spin of the wheel will decide the subject area, theme or tasks for the week in a fun and friendly chance to meet and share ideas with others, exploring useful tricks and tips - whilst importantly gaining some quality information, developing some genuine writing skills and getting writing!

This is a practical art course for those new to creating artwork and people with some experience. The course will introduce you to basic painting and drawing techniques. During the sessions your tutor will help you develop your skills in sketching, painting and using mixed media such as collage. You will also look at the work of famous painters from the past and contemporary artists. Students will learn about artists’ ideas and be encouraged to discuss and talk about their own personal artwork and inspiration for it. Some resources will be available but please do bring sketch pad and pencil, and any watercolours, and brushes.