Mayor unveils £2.7 million for English and maths for adult learners

Skills providers also given more support for Londoners with special educational needs and disabilities

Londoners will be given more help to acquire crucial skills in English and maths under major changes to the adult education system unveiled today by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.

Funding from the Mayor’s Adult Education Budget (AEB) to teach adults English and maths at GCSE level and below will be increased by 10 per cent next year, a rise of £2.7 million.

In addition, Sadiq will give London’s further education providers greater flexibility to train their staff to better support learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), as part of his commitment to create a more inclusive education and training system.

The AEB funds education and training for people aged 19 and above. Some of the qualifications it funds include basic English and maths skills, as well as basic digital and adult community learning.

In January, the Mayor agreed with central Government that, from the start of the 2019/2020 academic year, he would take responsibility for allocating £306 million in devolved AEB funding.

Funding available to teach English and maths to adult learners has not increased since 2013. However, more than a quarter of working-aged adults in England have numeracy and/or literacy skills below the level expected of an 11-year old (1).

The Mayor is determined to boost participation and achievement rates by helping London’s education and training providers support learners to gain these skills, which in turn impact their economic status and their ability to play an active role in their community (2).

SEND Londoners are currently under-represented among all learners currently undertaking skills training in the capital, compared to their proportion of London’s population as a whole. Achievement rates are also typically lower for those with a declared special need or disability than those without.

The recent London Post-16 SEND Review – a piece of research commissioned by the Mayor to better understand training needs across the capital – identified that 70 per cent of the projected demand for SEND-specific training over the next five years will be among adult learners.

Under the new arrangements, providers will be given greater flexibility in spending the funding they receive through the AEB allowing them to train their staff to better meet this demand. Sending staff on specialist courses will help improve their confidence and expertise in supporting SEND learners.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “We’re determined to use all the power and resources at our disposal to help create the workforce of the future – and that means making sure all Londoners have the opportunity to gain skills and make the most of their potential.

“A good level of English and maths is critical to improving someone’s life chances – but for too long funding levels haven’t matched what’s needed to help Londoners improve their basic skills. By increasing funding, providers across the capital can boost participation and achievement.”

London Area Director for the Association of Colleges, Mary Vine-Morris, said: “It’s incredibly helpful that the Mayor is willing to use the flexibilities afforded to him through devolution to begin to address some of the long term problems colleges face.

“We have been making the case for additional investment to allow us to better meet the needs of London’s learners - and increasing the funding rate for some English and maths qualifications is a step in the right direction.

“We also welcome the attention being given to Londoners with special educational needs and disabilities; there’s a very long way to go to ensure equality in participation, achievement and progression into work.”