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About Us

At Kent Adult Education we provide almost 4,000 extensive, vibrant, diverse and challenging courses across Kent.

Our wide-ranging courses are designed to enhance wellbeing and offer high-quality opportunities to discover and develop interests which enrich quality of life. Our offer covers Arts, Crafts, Languages and much more, courses take place in countywide locations, during the day, in the evening and at the weekend.

This summary sets out the ways in which Kent Adult Education will deliver learning opportunities in Kent.

Kent Adult Education will provide a programme of courses based on district council areas which will:

  • Maximise access to community learning for adults, bringing new opportunities and improving lives whatever people’s circumstances
  • Promote social renewal by bringing local communities together to experience the joy of learning and the pride that comes with achievement
  • Maximise the impact of community learning on the social and economic well-being of individuals, families and communities

These local programmes will support the core aims of Kent County Council set out in “Bold Steps for Kent” to help the Kent economy grow, to put the citizen in control and to tackle disadvantage. Programmes will contribute to key public policy priorities in areas such as health and wellbeing, support for families, volunteering, community resilience and employment.

Kent Adult Education will work with local communities across the KCC area to provide a vibrant, diverse and challenging range of learning opportunities accessible to as many adults as possible in terms of location, timing and price.

The programme in each district area will comprise numerous elements planned in balance to meet local needs.

All elements will be designed to ensure:

  • High-quality learning experiences for all learners, in all locations, across all subjects
  • A high-quality programme relevant to local interests

Priorities based on:

  • High-quality local partnerships from all sectors
  • High-quality local research, consultation/feedback

Delivered by:

  • Subject experts with appropriate teaching skills
  • Directly employed by Kent Adult Education
  • Commissioned from specialist providers

Supported by:

  • Government grant (community budget)
  • Appropriate fee income from those who can afford to pay
  • Additional funding from partners and initiatives to support their customers and key outcomes

Also linking with opportunities funded from the adult skills budget.

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Kent Adult Education will extend the range of courses available to the community by providing a fee-based marketing/recruiting service for other specialist providers.

All courses will contribute to the objectives defined in New Challenges, New Chances:

  • Focusing public funds on people who are disadvantaged and least likely to participate
  • Collecting fee income from those who can afford to pay and using, where possible, to extend provision to those who cannot
  • Widening participation and transforming people’s destinies by supporting progression relevant to personal circumstances
  • Increasing confidence and willingness to learn
  • Acquiring skills, preparing for training, employment or self-employment
  • Improving digital, financial literacy and communication skills
  • Improving skills as parents/carers and ability to support children’s learning
  • Improving health and well-being
  • Developing stronger communities with more self-sufficient, connected and proactive citizens
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Kent Adult Education will provide:

A universal programme of courses

  • Based on market research amongst existing learners and non-learners, feedback from learners and the wider community.
  • Reflecting local opportunities and concerns
  • Achieving customer satisfaction, targeted learning outcomes, maintenance and improvement in health and well being and contributing to social cohesion

Generating fee income from those who can afford to pay and maximising access by appropriate marketing, creative shaping of the programme, fee structure and direct financial support.

A premium course offer

  • Where fee contribution covers the full direct and indirect cost of delivery

A targeted response offer

  • Based on research through partnership and community networking
  • To extend accessibility of opportunities offered through the universal programme to locally disadvantaged communities
  • Shaped in response to identified issues – transport, cost, flexibility
  • Offering skills in informal clubs and societies
  • Charges/fees reflect local circumstances

Outcomes include participation in learning, progression to further learning, improvement in wellbeing and community engagement

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Family Programmes

Designed to build parent confidence and skills better to support children’s learning and enjoy family life targeted in areas of social-economic disadvantage and for parents who have had a previously poor experience of formal learning. Delivered in partnership with community-based organisations who act as trusted intermediaries with families. Provide information and insight into communities with most to gain. Link to other publicly funded initiatives and strategies to add value to public investment. All courses are free to participants. Outcomes include skills acquisition, accreditation and direct learning outcomes which may support employment and focused volunteering; confidence, wellbeing, family aspiration, positive family role modelling, improved engagement with public agencies. The Family Programme infrastructure can also support courses for families in less disadvantaged communities where an agency or families themselves contribute to the cost of their courses

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Response

Supporting organisations from the voluntary and community sector to deliver high quality learning. Targeting people from disadvantaged communities in specific geographical areas who are low-waged and unwaged. To help them make appropriate personal progression towards further learning, volunteering and paid employment. This programme provides courses identified through local community networking specifically to support opportunities for learning. Employment and volunteering which are available locally and including opportunities for self-employment

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Contact us if you have any queries about Kent Adult Education and our services

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