Ruth Moxon May 2024


From 1 August 2019, the Secretary of State for Education delegated responsibility for the commissioning, delivery and management of London’s Adult Education Budget (AEB) to the Mayor.

The AEB data publication contains summary statistics on Further Education and Skills in London, covering a range of data on learner participation, enrolment and achievement, including Mayoral areas of interest. This release is based on data for the first half of the academic year (August 2023 to January 2024).

This dashboard allows for exploration of some of the key trends in the data, for further information see the AEB Data Publication Note and Data Tables

Key Points

Methodology

Figures include learners and learning that is active at any point during the publication period.

Aims enrolments is the count of the relevant learning aims reported in the Individualised Learner Record (ILR). Learners may be enrolled in more than one learning aim.

Learner participation is the count of unique learners who meet the breakdown shown in a table or chart. Therefore, a single learner may be counted more than once in a learner participation chart or table and breakdowns may not sum to the total count of unique learners. For example, a learner taking multiple aims will be reported for every level and subject they are participating in.

For more information see the methodology information

Learner Participation

There were 158,970 adult learners participating in the AEB programme in the first two quarters of academic year 2023/24. This increased from 156,550 in the same period in 2022/23, a rise of 2%.

By funding model, Adult Skills had the larger number of learners (121,770), with Community Learning having 44,480.

Compared to the same period in 2022/23, Adult Skills participation fell by 1%. Participation rose for Entry Level, Level 4 and Other Level qualifications, but fell for Level 1 to 3.

Community Learning participation rose by 12%, driven by a rise in Entry Level qualifications.

All AEB

R06 August - January ILR data, years 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24

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Adult Skills

R06 August - January ILR data, years 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24

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Community Learning

R06 August - January ILR data, years 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24

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Aim Enrolments

There were 290,670 aims taken over the course of the first two quarters of 2023/24 academic year. Learners can take more than one aim during the academic year (on average each learner undertakes around 2 aims).

Total aims enrolments increased by 3% compared to 281,560 in the same period in 2022/23. This increase is predominantly explained by increases in Community Learning enrolments.

Overall, trends in level and funding model are similar across learner participation and aim enrolments.

All AEB

R06 August - January ILR data, years 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24

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Adult Skills

R06 August - January ILR data, years 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24

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Community Learning

R06 August - January ILR data, years 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24

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Subject Studied (SSA)

In 2023/24 there was a change in the way Community Learning courses were categorised which means the majority of aims no longer have a sector sector area.

Over half (61%) of all Adult Skills aims enrolments correspond to Preparation for Life and Work courses. Preparation for life and work prepares learners for employment and provides Maths and English skills. It also helps the learners outside of work by teaching skills for independence and personal development.

Adult Skills

R06 August - January ILR data, years 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24.
Note: Subjects are based on the Sector Subject Areas tier one.

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SSA Tier 2

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Learner location

The London AEB supports Londoners across London: all of the Sub-Regional Partnerships and London Boroughs showed significant activity in the first two quarters of 2023/24.

The top 5 London Boroughs with the highest number of learners were Newham (8,070), Croydon (7,170), Southwark (7,080), Lambeth (7,030) and Haringey (6,980).

All AEB

Source: R06 August - January 2023/24 ILR data.
Contains Ordnance Survey data Crown copyright and database rights [2015].
Note: underlying data are based on the learner’s home postcode on the learning start date and excludes records without a valid postcode.

Sub-regional partnership

Measure Central London Forward Local London South London Partnership West London Alliance
Learner Participation 61,350 42,200 19,110 36,420
Aims Enrolments 114,000 77,720 32,030 66,670

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Adult Skills

Source: R06 August - January 2023/24 ILR data.
Contains Ordnance Survey data Crown copyright and database rights [2015].
Note: underlying data are based on the learner’s home postcode on the learning start date and excludes records without a valid postcode.

Sub-regional partnership

Measure Central London Forward Local London South London Partnership West London Alliance
Learner Participation 43,200 34,020 14,430 30,260
Aims Enrolments 80,890 62,120 23,730 53,220

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Community Learning

Source: R06 August - January 2023/24 ILR data.
Contains Ordnance Survey data Crown copyright and database rights [2015].
Note: underlying data are based on the learner’s home postcode on the learning start date and excludes records without a valid postcode.

Sub-regional partnership

Measure Central London Forward Local London South London Partnership West London Alliance
Learner Participation 20,800 9,980 5,650 8,020
Aims Enrolments 33,120 15,600 8,290 13,450

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Learner demographics

The AEB continues to help Londoners who face difficulties in the labour market: 70% of learners were women, 61% were from a Black, Asian or Minority ethnic background and 15% had a disability or learning difficulty.

Since 2019/20 the background characteristics of learners in the AEB has been relatively stable.

There are some notable differences by Funding Model in terms of Ethnicity and Age. Compared to Community Learning, Adult Skills engaged a higher proportion of learners from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic backgrounds and younger learners.

All AEB

R06 August - January ILR data, years 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24.
Note: Age is based on learner’s age on 31st August of the academic year.
LLDD stands for learning difficulty and/or disability and/or health problem. Learning difficulty and/or disability and/or health problem is based on self-declaration by the learner.
The percentage calculation for the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic and White learners here are based on excluding instances of unknown ethnicity.
The percentage calculation for LLDD learners here are based on excluding instances of unknown LLDD status.

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Adult Skills

R06 August - January ILR data, years 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24.
Note: Age is based on learner’s age on 31st August of the academic year.
LLDD stands for learning difficulty and/or disability and/or health problem. Learning difficulty and/or disability and/or health problem is based on self-declaration by the learner.
The percentage calculation for the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic and White learners here are based on excluding instances of unknown ethnicity.
The percentage calculation for LLDD learners here are based on excluding instances of unknown LLDD status.

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Community Learning

R06 August - January ILR data, years 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24.
Note: Age is based on learner’s age on 31st August of the academic year.
LLDD stands for learning difficulty and/or disability and/or health problem. Learning difficulty and/or disability and/or health problem is based on self-declaration by the learner.
The percentage calculation for the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic and White learners here are based on excluding instances of unknown ethnicity.
The percentage calculation for LLDD learners here are based on excluding instances of unknown LLDD status.

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Entitlements

Basics skills are essential in enabling people to function in society and progress in learning and employment. Therefore, the legal entitlements play a key role amongst eligible adult learners taking English and Maths, Digital and Level 2 and Level 3 learning.

In terms of learner participation, entitlements decreased by around 12% compared to the same period in 2022/23.

Some of the fall in entitlements is explained by the introduction of additional skill programmes. For example, Multiply is a new programme providing numeracy skills and Free Courses for Jobs provides Level 3 qualifications.

More information can be found on London.Gov on the London Multiply Programme and Free Courses for Jobs

R06 August - January ILR data, years 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24.
Note: Entitlement learning is learning taken as part of the legal entitlements to full funding for eligible adult learners for English and Maths, Digital and Level 2 and Level 3 learning.Levels are based on the notional NVQ level version two.

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AEB Flexibilities

The AEB Flexibilities allow adult learning in London to be tailored to the needs of Londoners.

In the Academic Year 2022/23 provision expanded to Learners out of work and outside the benefit arrangement, which funded 7,200 learners. For the first two quarters of 2023/24 it has funded 13,080 learners, doubling from the same period in 2022/23.

R06 August - January ILR data, years 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24

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Free Courses for Jobs

Free Courses for Jobs provides Level 3 qualifications to help adults reskill and upskill, improving their employment prospects. The GLA fully fund learners that meet the eligibility criteria as described in the funding rules.

In the first half of academic year 2023/24, there were 4,970 FCFJs enrolments, equivalent to 53% of all level 3 course in the AEB.

2021/22 2022/23 2023/24
Learner Participation 2,610 4,830 4,940
Aims Enrolments 2,630 4,910 4,970
Achievement 70 560 430

Souce: R06 August - January ILR data, years 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24

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More information

More information about the Adult Education Budget can be found on the London.Gov website.

Additional breakdowns of AEB further education statistics, not covered in this note, are published online on the London datastore. These include for instance, breakdowns by funding model, level of learning and background characteristics, and detailed figures by Sector Subject Area (Tier 1 and Tier 2).

The outcomes of the GLA’s AEB are monitored through the London Learner Survey (LLS). Through the London Learner Survey (LLS), the GLA are measuring how learners’ lives change after they complete their learning, whether that is, for instance, improvements in their health and wellbeing, progression in work or learning or entering new employment.

Results for the 2022/23 London Learner Survey will be published in the summer of 2024. The results from the previous academic year (2021/22) and methodological information can be accessed on the datastore: London Learner Survey

For information on apprenticeships in London (which are not part of the AEB or devolved), see Apprenticeship Statistics for London

All media enquiries should be emailed to the Mayor’s Press Office, and we will respond as quickly as possible.

For urgent media enquiries outside office hours and at weekends please call: 020 7983 4000 and ask for the duty press officer.

Other enquiries should be emailed to Ruth Moxon.

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