Courses to build life skills

Learn life skills with the largest charitable provider of adult education in England and Scotland. Adult learning isn’t like school. Everyone belongs at the SPÊÓƵÍøÕ¾. You’ll get meaningful, and tailored support, so you can reach your full potential. Our classes are friendly and fun, designed for adults like you. We won’t talk down to you and you’ll learn skills that you’ll use in everyday life.

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What are life skills?

Simply put, they are skills that make everyday life easier. Life skills include cooking, budgeting, communicating with others, health, well-being and managing emotions. Sometimes this means learning new things, and sometimes it means building on things you already know.

Sometimes adulting can be hard. These courses can help make it feel just that bit easier, make you feel more independent and empower you to face the future ahead.

Small steps to larger goals

You don’t have to have big goals in mind. Just take small steps towards boosting your skills and improving your wellbeing. Whether it is learning to budget better or cook healthier food. Building your confidence or gaining independence. There is a course for you.

When you study with us, you will:

  • Build your confidence
  • Learn new life skills
  • Improve your everyday life and wellbeing

Take a look at our great range of courses and start making a positive change today.

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Personal Development: BSL Next Steps Developing Confidence to Sign

This is a fun and interactive course, ideal to follow on from the Beginners BSL. The intention of this course is to develop skills in BSL for community engagement, further learning and possibly employment in a school/work setting. The course will run for 14 guided learning hours and will be taught online using Zoom and Canvas as a Virtual Learning Platform. Learners will be fully supported in achieving the learning outcomes for the course and the intention is that the course will help them to further develop their confidence in order for them to engage in signed conversations with their peers.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 04/11/2024 -
Mon 16/12/2024
Times:
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Duration:
7 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Caroline Cleghorn
Course code:
Q00018083
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £51.80

Maths for Work (Multiply)

Here at the SPÊÓƵÍøÕ¾ we believe in bringing education within reach of everyone. Our maths for work course is designed to give everyone the opportunity to learn and develop the essential numeracy skills they need to succeed at any age. This course is aimed at employed people looking to improve their Maths skills to help them at work. We want to help people to improve their ability to understand and use maths in daily life. This Maths for work course is an opportunity to learn new skills to support you no matter what role you play in work. You will be able to understand how to use new maths skills to support you in your career progression but these skills can also be used to support your children's homework, along with managing finances and using Maths in daily life at home too.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 04/11/2024 -
Tue 26/11/2024
Times:
7:00pm - 8:30pm
Duration:
8 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Derek Robinson
Course code:
Q00019269
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee:
Free

Cooking Practical: Cooking from Scratch - Autumn Recipes

Cooking at home from scratch is a technique to create home cooked food in a way which is healthy for you. You are certain about all the ingredients which are in the dish, no hidden ingredients. You are in control of what you are putting in your food and eating. Preparing food for the family reflects your love for them. Cooking at home can be a new skill to learn. During this course your tutor will give you demonstration and individual attention for your guidance. In this course you will be cooking food which you can enjoy after each session with your loved ones.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 05/11/2024 -
Tue 03/12/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Kauser Nabeel
Course code:
Q00017599
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £37.00

Healthy Living: Meditation and Mindfulness to support seasonal adjustment

Do you struggle to adjust as the season changes? Many of us experience depleted energy levels, a lack of motivation and a lower mood as the days become shorter and colder. This mindfulness and meditation course can support you to feel a sense of equilibrium as we adjust to the changing season. You will learn to anchor in the present moment through your own body, breathing and surroundings. Mindfulness practice supports you to relax and replenish your energy levels and encourages mental clarity. Each session includes a guided Yoga Nidra practice to encourage deep rest of your whole being. This course aims to encourage you to celebrate the shift in season, recognising that it is natural to slow down as we move towards winter. It is a perfect time to practice mindfulness, turn our focus inwards and find joy in rest.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 05/11/2024 -
Tue 10/12/2024
Times:
7:00pm - 8:30pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Nicola Bailey
Course code:
Q00018246
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
7 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £33.30

SPÊÓƵÍøÕ¾ Membership

For just £15 a year, you can:

  • Join our popular, award-winning weekly lecture series,
  • Access an archive of over 100 past lectures,
  • Get priority online and phone booking for autumn courses (England only),
  • Receive our Highway magazine and access back issues,
  • Attend our members’ annual conference.

Just add us to your basket to sign up today!

Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
£15

Personal Development: BSL: Festive Sign to Song using Sign Supported English

A fun and engaging course helping learners to learn basic British Sign Language (BSL) signs and to put these together to music, following the rules of Sign Supported English (SSE). Learners will learn the differences between BSL and SSE, the lyrics and signs to a festive song. The sessions will be fun and engaging, help and support will be given by the tutor to assist learners at every step on this course.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 07/11/2024 -
Thu 19/12/2024
Times:
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Duration:
7 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Caroline Cleghorn
Course code:
Q00012515
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £29.60

Fitness and Exercise: Yoga to support a healthy back

Yoga is a wonderful practice that supports our physical and mental well-being. This course will allow you to enjoy all the benefits of yoga whilst taking a deeper focus on yoga practices that help to keep your back healthy. Most people suffer from back ache or pain at some point in their lives. Practicing yoga is a good strategy to both prevent and manage back ache. You will learn practices that help to relieve tension and improve back strength and flexibility. Yoga is a non-competitive practice for everyone, you will be encouraged to move with care for your own body, adapting practices to meet your individual needs in a supportive learning environment.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 08/11/2024 -
Fri 13/12/2024
Times:
9:30am - 11:00am
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Nicola Bailey
Course code:
Q00018222
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £37.00

Healthy Living: Mindful Relaxation techniques to relieve physical tension

Would you like to improve your ability to relax to support your own well-being? This course will focus on supporting you to relieve physical tension in your body. Often, stress can cause physical tension in the body, with practice we can learn to ease this tension through relaxation. We will focus on improving body awareness to improve comfort and mindful movements to release tension. You will learn to ease tension through breath awareness and sound release. All sessions will end with a guided relaxation practice. Everyone can improve their ability to relax, why not give it a try?

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 08/11/2024 -
Fri 13/12/2024
Times:
1:00pm - 2:30pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Nicola Bailey
Course code:
Q00018248
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £33.30

Confidence to Learn

Would you like to learn new skills or change jobs? It can be hard to get back into learning after a long break. This confidence training will prepare you to feel comfortable stepping back into the classroom. This short course can help you bridge the gaps in your confidence and overcome the obstacles standing in your way to get back into learning. The objective of this course is to get you into a positive mindset to achieve your goals. You will practise a variety of confidence-building exercises to help that mindset shift come from within. Learn skills to help you succeed in online and face-to-face teaching settings. Regain forgotten study habits. Pick up techniques to help you organise and enjoy your learning process. Understand where you feel most and least sure of yourself and do confidence-building exercises to get the most out of your studies. Confidence-building courses help you improve your self-esteem and overcome obstacles that hold you back. By the end of this course, you will feel confident to go after your learning objectives.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 27/11/2024 -
Fri 30/05/2025
Times:
3:00pm - 3:30pm
Duration:
20 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Bimbola Olawanle
Course code:
Q00017623
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £29.60

Keeping track of your finances digitally: financial literacy

This course empowers you to take control of your finances using digital tools and build a strong foundation in financial literacy. In today's digital age, there are numerous apps and software programs designed to simplify money management. This course will equip you with the knowledge and skills to leverage these tools effectively, transforming your financial well-being.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 29/11/2024 -
Fri 20/12/2024
Times:
10:30am - 1:30pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Derek Robinson
Course code:
Q00016639
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £44.40

Care 2: Staying calm at Christmas

All our Care2 courses are completely free for unpaid carers (or those who have previously been carers). You do not need to receive a carer's allowance to qualify. If you are unsure, please contact our call centre advisors who will be able to assist you. If you find Christmas stressful, why not treat yourself or a loved one to a gift of health and wellbeing? Have you ever been interested in helping yourself holistically? This course will take you through the fascinating art of reflexology where we will explore the roots and history of this amazing subject.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 02/12/2024 -
Mon 02/12/2024
Times:
10:00am - 11:30am
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Georgia Daniel
Course code:
Q00019075
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee:
Free