September has arrived, and my focus is on Adult Learners’ Week and coordinating a campaign with hundreds of partners across Wales. Together, we aim to encourage more adults to build their skills with confidence. We approach the campaign by identifying key partners to reach into communities and crafting messages that resonate with those who may have learned too early that education isn’t for them.
Outreach and engagement are integral to any adult learning offer. They help make those first steps back into learning feel supported and create an environment where fun and friendships reignite a love of learning.
September also brings that familiar back-to-school feeling. Earlier this year, Learning and Work Institute (L&W) launched the Family Learning Framework in Wales. Family Learning is an intervention that reaches parents through outreach in schools. In some models, it provides focused adult learning opportunities alongside fun activities for parents and children.
We partnered with the Community Focused Schools network to explore and promote effective Family Learning delivery models across Wales. Starting school is a pivotal moment not just for children, but for parents too – it often sparks reflection on their own goals, whether returning to work or wanting to engage more in the community. It’s a powerful time to begin conversations about aspirations, and many parents are inspired to join Family Learning programmes because they want to actively support their child’s education and future.
Family Engagement Officers are now placed in many schools across Wales. They play a vital role in building relationships with parents and serve as key links between schools and adult learning providers.
Gina Powell, a Family Engagement Officer at a school in Cardiff, will receive her Inspire! Award during Adult Learners’ Week. She is pivotal in supporting parents onto Family Learning classes.
I’ve seen parents reconnect with learning and gain a renewed sense of self-worth. Whether their goal is university or just the courage to take that first step, I’m here to walk alongside them, because every step forward matters.”
When we developed the Family Learning Framework, I heard firsthand from learners about its impact on them and their children. The provision is reaching those who benefited least from their initial education and left school with few qualifications. The decision to join is often prompted by a trusted intermediary, as learners are motivated by the chance to connect with their children and assist with their schooling.
Parents develop a renewed sense of self-worth and confidence in their abilities as learners and go on to achieve qualifications, resit GCSEs, and find their way to college, higher education, or employment.
At Gina’s school, over the past two years, 52 adults have completed family and adult learning courses, with some advancing to university.
She says,
“Being a learning ambassador, I show that life doesn’t end with being a parent – they can become whatever they want to be! I’ve walked in the same shoes as many of the families I support. Maybe learning didn’t happen for them when they were younger, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late. I’ve come to understand that learning isn’t just about qualifications; it’s about confidence, belonging, and opening doors.”
Our Inspire! Awards also celebrate the success of the Cathays High School, Parent Learning Group. Formed in 2014, the group has developed partnerships across adult learning, public health, and the voluntary sector to provide access to learning, health and wellbeing, volunteering, and work.
Parents attending the multicultural learning group at Cathays High School in Cardiff achieve an average of 120 qualifications annually, helping nearly half of them find employment.
The learning partnership has helped build skills and confidence. More than 65 different languages are spoken by parents attending the group, and 43% of the school’s learners come from families eligible for free school meals.
Tutor Christina Roy, who is also Cathays High School’s Family Learning Coordinator, said, “It’s very rewarding to help parents support their children to learn better and develop themselves to be confident, skilled, and self-dependent.”
Family learning has a ripple effect. It unlocks the skills and talents of parents, strengthens relationships between families and schools, and gives children a boost in their own education when they see a parent learning alongside them.
As we celebrate Adult Learners’ Week and embrace the back-to-school season, let’s remember that learning doesn’t stop at the school gates – it is a lifelong journey. Those gates can open wider to welcome more adults seeking to transform their lives, support their families, and build stronger communities.
