About Us
Who We Are
Westminster Adult Education Service (WAES) is Westminster City Council’s adult education provider, offering high‑quality learning opportunities for adults aged 19+. We support learners to build confidence, gain new skills, achieve qualifications and progress in life, work and wellbeing.
As one of London’s largest adult and community learning services, we play a central role in supporting the council’s ambition to create a Fairer Westminster, where residents are at the heart of every decision. WAES is part of the council’s Regeneration, Economy and Planning directorate and delivers education and skills provision that responds to local priorities and community needs.
We deliver a diverse programme of learning, across a wide range of subject areas, including art and creative industries, digital skills, English, maths and ESOL, business and employment‑focused training, health and social care, community learning and family learning. Our courses are delivered from three main centres in Westminster, supported by specialist facilities, as well as across a network of community venues and libraries.
Most of our provision is publicly funded through the Greater London Authority’s devolved Adult Skills Fund, with additional support from national government through the non‑devolved Adult Skills Fund, enabling us to offer accessible, inclusive and affordable learning for Westminster residents. WAES is overseen by an independent Board of Governors, which provides strategic direction and ensures accountability and high standards across the service.
To provide external assurance of quality, WAES is inspected by Ofsted. For courses leading to nationally recognised qualifications, we also meet the standards required by awarding and examination bodies. These frameworks help ensure that learning at WAES is well‑supported, robust and continuously improving.
Our Vision, Mission and Values
Our Vision
To transform our learners’ lives through inclusive, inspirational lifelong learning.
Our Mission
To provide learning pathways that enable all learners to achieve their career aspirations and fulfil their potential.
Our Values
Taken together, our values spell RAISE — a reminder that learning lifts people up, creates new possibilities, and supports every adult to raise themselves, their aspirations and their future.
RESPECT – We are inclusive and fair and strive for equality in everything we do.
ASPIRATION – We aim high for our learners and do not accept mediocrity.
INNOVATION – We strive for continuous improvement, embrace change and take informed risks across all parts of the service.
SUSTAINABILITY – We consider our environmental, social and economic impact in everything we do.
EXCELLENCE – We strive to be the best we can be in every aspect of our work.
What Makes WAES Special
WAES offers an adult‑learning experience that blends quality, community and opportunity:
- A welcoming, inclusive learning environment designed for adult learners returning to study at any stage of life
- Highly skilled specialist tutors with industry experience
- Flexible courses delivered part‑time, full‑time, in the evenings or online
- Supportive learning services, including advice and guidance, wellbeing support and learning support
- Strong employer and community partnerships, helping learners progress into work or further training
- Excellent facilities across our centres, including art studios, digital labs, workshops and community classrooms
This learner-centred approach ensures every adult—whether studying for employment, wellbeing, creativity or personal development—can thrive.
Our History
WAES is built on a long tradition of adult and community learning in the area. In its current form, it was established on 1 April 1990, when the abolition of the Inner London Education Authority led to responsibility for education in the borough transferring directly to Westminster City Council.
The roots of adult education in the area go back to the 19th century, when our location on Amberley Road had already emerged as an important educational site for the Paddington area. A school opened on the site in 1881 and soon became a venue for evening classes for adults. By 1891, Amberley Road, along with schools on Harrow Road, Campbell Street and Kilburn Lane, collectively enrolled 183 evening learners, reflecting the early demand for accessible education among working adults.
A structured adult education service began to take shape in the mid‑20th century, with provision organised by the London County Council. This responsibility later passed to the newly created Inner London Education Authority in 1965, when the County of London was replaced by the larger administrative area of Greater London. This was also the year when the modern City of Westminster was created, through the merger of the former boroughs of Westminster, Paddington and St Marylebone into a single local authority, Westminster City Council. This brought together several areas with their own established patterns of local, technical and evening education.
Just under a decade later, the Paddington adult education centre was given its own governing body in 1974. This service expanded across more schools in the area and, by 1983, operated as the Marylebone–Paddington Institute, with the Amberley adult centre as one of its key locations.
Since Westminster City Council took on statutory responsibility for adult education in the borough in 1990, operating initially as the Westminster Adult Education Institute before adopting the name Westminster Adult Education Service, WAES has continued to develop as one of the UK’s largest dedicated adult and community learning providers—offering inclusive, community‑focused learning that carries forward well over a century of local educational heritage.
Our Future
We continue to evolve our offer to meet the needs of Westminster’s communities, employers and residents. For further information about our current and future plans, you can view our Strategic Plan 2023–2028 below.
