Update (8 March 2021): Our learning centres have now re-opened. Our current courses are online, in-class or a mix of both. Please continue to check our website for updates. Read more about how we are following government guidance for your safety.
Our free Virtual Job Fairs: April and summer 2021
We have several free Virtual Job Fairs this year. Find out about apprenticeships, vacancies and how to get a job from top employers: join us online for our next job fair (12.30pm on Tuesday 27 April 2021)!
Free: Microsoft’s Digital Skills Week (26–30 April 2021)
From Monday 26 to Friday 30 April 2021, Microsoft is hosting a series of free talks and digital skills training. There are practical Microsoft Azure workshops at different levels. You can also learn digital skills for jobs; career skills; how to make your CV stand out; how to ‘rock your LinkedIn profile’; and get tips for job interviews. Register for Microsoft’s Digital Skills Week 26–30 April 2021
Our 2020-21 course listings and prospectus
- AAT accounting and business spring and summer 2021 courses
- Childcare, health and social care and wellbeing spring and summer 2021 courses
- Digital skills (computers and ICT) spring and summer 2021 courses
- Hair and Beauty spring 2021 courses
At Waltham Forest Adult Learning Service, we are committed to supporting residents as they learn new skills and gain accredited qualifications.
Get started with our latest course listings
- Art, crafts, fashion and gardening courses for spring and summer 2021
- New skills and qualification courses for spring and summer 2021
- Browse our course finder for community and family learning courses.
You can also find out more about our courses in our 2020-21 prospectus (pdf, 5MB) or by exploring our online course finder.
Ready to enrol? You might need to do an assessment first
For English, maths, work skills, hair, beauty, ESOL and all our qualification courses you will need to book a free assessment with us.
Enrol on art, crafts, fashion and gardening courses
For most of our art, crafts, fashion and gardening courses you do not need to do an assessment, so you can book your course online.
If you have questions about enrolling with us, please phone us on 020 8496 2974 or email adult.learning@walthamforest.gov.uk.
Free courses and our new 50 per cent discount
Most of our courses are free or up to 70 per cent off depending on your circumstances. As of October 2020, we are also offering a 50 per cent discount on standard fees for even more of our courses. This is one way we are continuing to support learners during the Covid-19 pandemic. Read more about our course fees.
Art, crafts, fashion and gardening: spring and summer 2021 courses
Learn all sorts of art, crafts and fashion with us or get outdoors with our gardening courses. Explore our spring and summer 2021 art, crafts, fashion, horticulture and gardening courses.
Free Passport to Work programme for unemployed Waltham Forest residents
Are you trying to get a job? Our Passport to Work programme for unemployed Waltham Forest residents includes digital skills, interview skills and teamwork. You will also create a learning plan and get access to job vacancies.
Creativity and wellbeing plus free community and family courses
Free online courses for you and your family
Our family learning courses include family dance workouts; keeping up with your child’s maths and English; first aid awareness; and more! Stay active and release the stress of lockdown with one of our wellbeing courses for families and adults. Our free online courses include dance and fitness for wellbeing, mindfulness for stress, and music and movement for dementia. From art to first aid to parenting skills, our online course listing has a wide range of free courses: browse our courses and book online today.
Links, tips and free resources
We have a collection of wellbeing and self-care tips and activities for children and adults. Our creativity, learning and wellbeing page is packed with resources to keep you and your family learning.
Laptop loans for our learners
We understand that it can be hard to access a computer to keep up with your learning. To help, we have a new laptop loan service and we are exploring ways to help with internet access too.
Live in or near London? Learn with us!
You don’t have to live in Waltham Forest to enrol with us: our courses are open to all adults in the UK aged 19 years and older. Do you live in Loughton, Debden or Buckhurst Hill? Perhaps you’re in Redbridge, Hackney, Newham, Haringey or Enfield? Some of our courses are online, but if you live near Waltham Forest, you could also take an in-person or blended (online and in-person) course with us. Find out more about enrolling with us.
Free jobs help
Trying to get a new job? We can help you. We have free tips and one-to-one advice sessions for Waltham Forest residents.
Rapid Employment Service
The Rapid Employment Service can also help you to get a new job: from improving your CV to completing applications.
Advice, contacts and presentations from our free Virtual Job Fair (19 November 2020)
Thank you to our presenters and everyone who joined us for our free Job Fair on 19 November 2020. For recruitment contacts, and a pdf of all the presentations, please go to our Virtual Job Fair page.
Health and wellbeing winners!
Our social prescribing programme won the national Festival of Learning 2020 Health and Wellbeing award! Our specially designed creative and gardening courses help improve residents’ mental health. Participants learn together and explore the beautiful outdoor spaces of Waltham Forest. Read more about our award-winning social prescribing programme
Become an apprentice
We are remotely supporting and recruiting apprentices: please check our list of current apprenticeship roles. Employers: email apprenticeships.als@walthamforest.gov.uk to find out how you and your staff can benefit from our apprenticeship scheme.
Free English Conversation Clubs
We have virtual English conversation clubs almost every day (except Sunday). Our clubs are free. To join a club, please complete our online booking form.
Become a volunteer
We train volunteers to lead our English Conversation Clubs. Training is free and accredited by City & Guilds. Read more about how to become an English Conversation Club volunteer.
Online learning and our full list of new courses and training
Need an up-to-date list of all our new courses? Explore our online course listing.
Share-ArtBox stage one now complete
The Share-ArtBox project is about bringing together local families and adults to get creative.
Thank you for signing up
Thank you to everyone who signed up for our Share-ArtBox project over the summer. We are now exploring a new phase of the project and will contact you to let you know more.
Other FAN projects
Share-ArtBox is a Waltham Forest Friends and Neighbours (FAN), Waltham Forest Adult Learning Service and Connecting Communities project. Find out about this and other FAN projects: email the FAN team or text 07918 771 041
Online exhibition: ESOL Precious Objects 2020
A wedding dress, baby bracelet, mobile phone, a painting, a tea cup … What do they all have in common? Our online exhibition of ESOL learners’ precious objects! We asked learners on our ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) courses to submit an image of something important to them and write a caption. You can explore all the submissions on our public Facebook page (no need to log in).
Keep London Learning
We are proud to join with other education providers and be a part of Keep London Learning.