Community Learning.

Your choice, your success, your future.

Community Learning Somerset

Explore our courses for adults aged 19+

Community learning Somerset provides a wide range of courses for adults to develop new interests, build confidence, and improve their skills, knowledge, and employability.

Types of community learning course

We offer courses covering topics such as:

Engaging and/or building confidence.
Preparation for further learning.
Preparation for employment
Improving essential skills like maths, English and digital skills
Helping parents/carers to support children’s learning.
Health and well-being.
Developing stronger communities.

Who we support

In addition, we work with all adults across Somerset, offering engaging and interesting courses in friendly and accessible community settings.

We listen to what people want and need and working with our partners, we aim to offer the right course in the right location at the right time.

How community learning in Somerset can help you

Our Community Learning Somerset courses are designed to reduce loneliness and make people happier, healthier, more confident, capable, and resilient.

For example, many of our learners have found that increased confidence has helped them take control of their lives, move towards employment, and find a more fulfilling purpose.

Worried About Costs?

Good news! Most of our Community Learning courses are FREE for adults aged 19+ who meet the eligibility criteria.

Not sure if you qualify? We’re here to help — just ask!

Free Community Learning courses — who can get a free place

Eligibility criteria - Community Learning Full Fee Remission

Full fee remission

A 100% discount will be awarded should learners be able to evidence they fall into one of the priority areas:

Carers.
Care leavers.
Learners with a learning difficulty and or disability.
Mental health service users and adults with mild to moderate mental health problems.
Learners engaged through the Troubled Families programme.
Learners who are homeless, in sheltered living, or in danger of becoming homeless.
Learners who have a low income (earn less than £25,750 per annum), or are in receipt of one of the following state benefits:

Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) including those who receiving National Insurance credits only.
Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Receive UC, and their take-home pay as recorded on their UC statement (disregarding UC payments and other benefits) is less than £952 a month (learner is sole adult in their benefit claim) or £1534 a month (learner has a joint benefit claim with their partner).
Receives other state benefits (not included in the list above) and their take-home pay (disregarding UC payments and other benefits) is less than £952 a month (learner is sole adult in their benefit claim) or £1534 a month (learner has a joint benefit claim with their partner)

Are released on temporary licence, studying outside a prison environment, and not funded by MoJ
Learners with Refugee status.
An Asylum Seeker in receipt of the equivalent of an income-based state benefit.
Released on temporary licence, studying outside a prison environment, and not funded by the Ministry of Justice.
The unwaged dependent of an Asylum Seeker.
Learners yet to achieve their first full Level 2 qualification.
Learners yet to achieve a Level 2 in English and/or maths and/or IT.
An individual aged between 19- 67 who is Economically Inactive because they are unable to claim income-related state benefits.
An individual who is retired, aged 67 or over and whose income is less than £25,750 per year.

The Council may grant permission to remove the requirement to pay fees for all learners on a course on evidence of a valid reason.