About adult learning
Our vision - “To promote high quality inclusive learning opportunities for individuals, families and groups enabling them to build their own successful communities.”
We aim to engage with those learners that are furthest from the labour market or mainstream education and who have significant challenges and barriers.
We pride ourselves on our achievements within hard to reach communities and neighbourhoods, and delivering services all year around, not only during term time.
More information on:
Young people
Engaging with vulnerable groups and individuals, enhancing their employability skills, addressing employer needs and creating pathways to employment.
14-19
Effective partnership working across the borough has resulted in an effective Key Stage Four Engagement Programme and Young Apprenticeship Programme, and the offer of seven diploma lines from September 2010.
Youth Provision (E2E and NEET Programmes)
These are flexible programmes for those young people not in education, employment or training and who are not yet ready for an apprenticeship, further training or employment. Young people on these programmes are given additional support in developing personal and social skills, employability skills as well as achieving a range of accredited qualifications.
Skills for Life
Skills for Life includes literacy, numeracy and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages), for learners working from pre-entry to level 2. We aim to ensure that the people and employees of South Tyneside have the opportunity to develop their literacy, language and numeracy skills – to achieve their full potential at work and within the communities they live. More about skills for life
Work Based Learning
An extensive programme of training including apprenticeships, NVQs, Youth Choice and Supported Apprenticeships. Our apprenticeship offer currently includes engineering, manufacturing technologies, construction, youth work and business administration. More about apprenticeships
Family and neighbourhood learning
Neighbourhood learning
Engaging with learners and attracting people who have not been involved in formal education, employment or training since leaving school; as well as those people who have low skill levels.
Skills for jobs
Linking skills to sustained employment. The target group is low skilled adults aged 19+, not currently in employment, but who want to work.
Capacity building
Developing the capacity and skills of the members of a community in such a way that they are better able to identify, and help meet, their needs and to participate more fully in society.
Family learning
Specifically targets the most vulnerable families by working within disadvantaged communities and schools to raise the achievement of pupils and the wider community. Within family learning, there are two distinct types of learning:
Family literacy, language and numeracy programmes (FLLN) which aims to:
- Improve the literacy, language and numeracy skills of parents/carers
- Improve parents/carers’ ability to help their children learn
- Improve children’s language and numeracy
Wider family learning programmes (WFL) are those specifically designed to allow adults and children to learn together or those programmes that allow parents/carers to learn how to support their children’s learning.
Wider family learning activities aim to:
- Raise attainment and/or achievement of adults
- Promote lifelong learning for the whole family
- Build the confidence and attachment of family members of all ages as they join together in a learning activity
- Provide progression opportunities, signposting individuals or family groups to subsequent learning opportunities
- Help involve parents/carers in their children’s education and interests and be better able to support them during and after the course
Safety
Safeguarding learners, staff and tutors is of paramount importance to ACL. We have a dedicated Health and Safety Officer, and designated managers for safeguarding.
We ensure that all of our staff and tutors, and those of our partners have an enhanced CRB check, sign up to Adult and Community Learning's safeguarding procedures or have a suitable and appropriate one of their own.
For all courses that take place their is a thorough evaluation carried out both by the venue where the learning is delivered, but also by the tutor to ensure that all hazards have been identified and dealt with, ensuring that learners are safe at all times.
For further information on the guidance we follow, please visit:
www.safelearner.info - LSC Health and safety and safeguarding website
www.stscb.org.uk - South Tyneside Local safeguarding Children Board.
Success stories
Mursheda (Entry Level)
Mursheda is a Bangladeshi lady who has lived in the UK since 1996 and moved to South Shields in 2002. She has been part of an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) course for two years.
“My favourite part of the course is speaking” said Mursheda “It helps me to become more confident when I speak to other people when I am out.” Mursheda hopes to use the results of her ESOL course to help her get a job in the South Shields area.
ESOL’s speaking option is broke down into 2 sections, ‘speak to communicate’ and ‘engage in discussion’. The topics inside each section differ according to the level of the course. Having been on the course for 2 years, Mursheda will be able to use her level two skills such as changing the subject of a conversation or support opinions and arguments with evidence. These topics will be useful when Mursheda is talking to people whilst out.
Maju Ahmed (Level 1)
Maju is a Level 1 ESOL learner from Bangladesh:
I work in a restaurant and because of that I need to be able to speak in English properly. That is one of the reasons I joined the Adult Education Course. I have been studying with them three months. My teacher is very good at helping me. I expect it will take another three months to complete the level. I am hoping to receive an ESOL certificate so I can take it on more in a college. I hope I can do all of this”
Nawal and Tagreed (Level 2)
Nawal and Tagreed are both from Iraq, Nawal has been in the UK six years whilst Tagreed has lived here for seven, both now live in South Shields. They are part of an ESOL Level 2 class.
“I really like talking, I find it easier than the other parts.” Said Nawel, Tagreed agreed with her “Yes, we are used to speaking English now, but writing and reading can be hard.”
