About Us

The intent of Kent Adult Education is to support adult learners to gain skills which lead them to meaningful, sustained, and relevant employment, or enable them to progress to further learning which will deliver that outcome.

The purpose of Kent Adult Education is to provide and secure learning opportunities for Kent's residents which will:

• Engage and build confidence, preparing them for further learning and employment
• Improve essential skills in areas such as English, ESOL, maths, digital
• Equip parents/carers to support children's learning, and improve health and wellbeing to develop strong, integrated communities

This ensures we align our courses with the priorities set out in the Local Skills Improvement Plan, which aims to narrow skills gaps and match courses to the needs of local people.

We have the following strategic aims:

• Support the Kent economy
• Support the most vulnerable children and families in our county
• Promote healthy, creative and active communities
• Offer an inclusive curriculum that widens participation

To reflect these strategic aims, the curriculum provision has three core focus areas:

• Work Skills & Careers - increase delivery to those furthest from the labour market and provide positive progression into further education or employment
• Family Learning - support families so children thrive, increase parents/carers' skills, their understanding of how their children are educated and appropriate parenting
• Health, Wellbeing and Personal Development - to increase health, wellbeing, and resilience outcomes for Kent's residents

Our tailored learning courses will adhere to one of the seven 'purpose types' for each learner:

• Engaging and/or building confidence
• Preparation for further learning
• Preparation for employment
• Improving essential skills (English, maths, digital)
• Equipping parents/carers to support children's learning
• Health and wellbeing
• Developing stronger communities

The primary purposes of tailored learning courses are to support learners into employment and to progress to further learning. They also support wider purposes of learning, including building confidence, and improving wellbeing.

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