Barnsley Adult Skills and Community Learning

How to enrol

If you're interested in learning with us, contact us online or call 01226 775270. Our team will talk to you about what your goals are, what support you might need and what classes could be right for you.

Before you start a course, you'll also be invited to take part in a taster session or welcome class.

Paying for a course

Some of our courses do have a fee, but if you're on a low income, unemployed or on means-tested benefits you probably won't have to pay or could at least get a discount.

If you do have to pay, you might be able to pay in instalments, please ask us when you enrol.

If you're interested in learning or developing your skills and are put off because you might have to pay, please get in touch. Our advisors can explain everything to you and if learning with us isn't the right choice for you, we can put you in touch with other services.

How to pay

If you have to pay a fee, you'll receive an invoice in the post once you've enrolled.

You can pay your fees online by debit or credit card, or over the phone by calling the automated payment line on 01226 775445.

The invoice will contain the reference number that you'll need to quote. 

Help with childcare and travel

If you want to join a course, but you're worried that you can't afford to pay for books, travel or childcare, you may be able to apply for help towards these costs.

If you're granted financial support, but then decide to leave before the course ends, you may have to repay any money you've received.

Support for learners

When you're learning with us we'll make sure you get all the support you need from your tutor and our platform for learning.

Everyone is here to help. We'll listen and respond to any challenges you're having whilst you're here as a learner, from the time you call to enquire about a course to your last day. It's crucial to us all that you feel safe and supported as you learn and achieve.

If you need extra support with your learning please tell us. We'll complete an assessment to see what help we can offer you. We may be able to give you access to an education support worker, equipment or assistive technology to make learning easier for you.

We can also support you with extra help in exams, such as extra time, a reader or scribe, or specialist equipment.

Pastoral mentors

We understand that doing something new is exciting but sometimes it can be stressful.

You may be thinking:

• how do I organise my time?
• will I fit in?
• can I find the courage to start a course?

If this is you we can put you in touch with our pastoral mentor who can support you with:

• any worries you have about how you are going to learn with us
• overcoming anxiety and low confidence and deal with the fear of starting a new activity
• organising your time and staying on track to achieve

If you're worried about something affecting your learning

You can talk to any member of staff about safeguarding issues that are worrying you and affecting your learning. We'll make sure you're given information to support you and help you contact other services.

Safeguarding issues could include:

• domestic abuse
• hate crime
• sexual and physical abuse
• emotional and financial abuse
• modern slavery

Tell us what you think 

We welcome your feedback. This can include complaints, compliments or any general comments.

There are a number of ways you can provide us with your comments:

• Talk to someone in our team or email adultlearning@barnsley.gov.uk.
• Fill in one of our postcards located in reception and in your classroom.
• Visit our complaints and compliments webpage.
• Attend one of our 'learner feedback hub' sessions which are held across the year.

Who can attend a course?

You can apply for a course if one of the below applies - if you:

• are a UK national or other person with a right of abode. You must also have been a resident in the UK for at least the previous three years before the first day of your course.
• are a UK national and has resided in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, EU overseas territories or Gibraltar for at least the previous three years before the first day of your course
• are an Irish citizen and resident in the UK, Ireland, the EEA or Switzerland, EU overseas territories or Gibraltar for at least the previous three years before the first day of your course
• are a Non-UK national and resident in the UK for at least the previous three years before the first day of your course. You must also have permission granted by the UK government to live in the UK, or have obtained pre-settled or settled status under EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS).
• are a family member of an eligible person of Northern Ireland and been living in the UK by 31 December 2020. You must have obtained pre-settled or settled status under EUSS and been resident in the UK for at least the previous three years before the first day of your course.
• are someone who, on their first day of learning, has lived in the UK half their life or a period of 20 years or more
• have one of the following types of immigration status (and is therefore exempt from the three year residency requirement):
  • refugee status
  • humanitarian protection status
  • discretionary leave to enter or remain
  • indefinite leave to remain or enter
  • extant leave to remain as a stateless person
  • leave outside the immigration rules
  • granted leave under one of the Ukraine schemes, eg Ukraine Family Scheme, Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Home for Ukraine)
  • granted leave under one of the Afghan schemes, eg Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS)
  • additional leave to remain
  • British citizens or direct descendants of a person who was born in the British Indian Ocean Territory
• are the child of a Turkish worker, where the Turkish worker is currently a resident in the UK on or before 31 December 2020. They must have Turkish European Community Association Agreement (ECAA) rights, or could have extended ECAA leave. The child must be a resident in the UK, EEA and/or Turkey for at least the previous three years before the start of your course. The child must be a resident in the UK on or before 31 December 2020.

Asylum seekers

Your status as an asylum seeker will decide whether you can access one of our courses. You may be able to if you:

• have lived in the UK for six months or longer whilst your claim is being considered by the Home Office. There must also have been no decision made on your claim.
• are receiving local authority support under Section 23 C or Section 23 CA of the Children Act 1989 or the Care Act 2014
• have been refused asylum and have appealed against a decision made by the UK government against granting refugee status. There must have been no decision made within six months of lodging the appeal.
• have been refused asylum and have been granted support for yourself under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, or have been refused asylum and are receiving support for yourself under Section 23C or Section 23 CA of the Children Act 1989

No recourse to public funds

Your immigration permission in the UK may have a "no recourse to public funds" condition. This doesn't include education or education funding and doesn't affect your eligibility. This means that it will be decided under the normal eligibility conditions.