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New courses coming to ELATT this September

We're working on new courses in Hospitality & Customer Service, Early Years, and Health & Social Care — and we'd love to hear from you. Register your interest now and be the first to hear when places open.

These courses are subject to funding confirmation.

ELATT's office at Kingsland Road is closed this week. We're still accepting applications, and queries can be made by email. If you'd like to give us a call however, please call this number: 07400-187-254.

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How ELATT's Free Courses Are Funded

If you have been looking into courses at ELATT, you might have paused on the word “free” and wondered how these courses are free – and if perhaps ‘free’ means lower quality. It’s a fair question. When something is free, especially something as valuable as training that could change your career and life, it’s natural to want to know how that actually works.

So here it is, simply: why we offer free courses, who pays for your course, who’s eligible, and why free doesn’t mean you will get lower value.

Why We Offer Free Courses

ELATT is an award-winning charity, so we are a not-for-profit organisation, dedicated to delivering high-quality training and opportunities to people who otherwise can’t access the same resources or support.

For over 40 years we have supported thousands of Londoners to better their lives, moving them into work and further education.

As a charity, and as a delivery partner for publicly funded programmes, our purpose is to make sure that cost is never the reason someone misses out on training that could change their life. Whether that’s a parent returning to work after years away, a refugee building English skills for the first time, or someone retraining after redundancy, we offer free training and support so that everyone, regardless of their background or circumstances, can access support and move forward in their lives.

We see every learner’s path as an individual journey, so we shape our support around where you are starting from and where you want to go. Whatever your age, your background, or however you got here, we are here to help you take the next step.

How Our Free Courses Work

At ELATT, all courses are funded so that eligible learners don’t pay course fees. If you are eligible to be an ELATT learner, it means your course is completely free.

Because our funders differ across departments, such as our Adult Study Programme and ESOL, eligibility criteria can vary slightly between courses.

Who's Eligible

Funded places are aimed at Londoners who could benefit most from support into work or further study. To qualify, you’ll generally need to be:

  • Aged 19 or over.
  • Legally resident in the UK.
  • Either earning below the London Living Wage, out of work, or in one of several priority groups (for example, if you don’t yet hold a qualification at Level 2 or Level 3, are disabled, refugee/asylum seeker or are aged 50 or over).

Not sure if you are eligible? Get in touch and our team will talk you through it.

Who Actually Pays For It

This is usually the part people are most curious about, and the answer is: a mix of public investment and generous partners.

The Mayor of London and the Greater London Authority (GLA)

A significant part of our funding comes through the Mayor of London and the GLA’s Adult Skills Fund, including the newly launched London Talent Pathways programme. This investment exists to help Londoners access training linked to real, in-demand jobs in the capital’s priority sectors, including health and social care, hospitality, digital and construction. London has both skills gaps and Londoners who face barriers to good work, and this funding is designed to close these gaps from both directions.

Corporate partners and charitable trusts

Alongside public funding, a number of corporate partners and trusts support specific parts of what we do. To give a few examples:

  • UBS supported ESOL tutors and support staff, with a particular focus on helping refugees and people seeking asylum access English language learning.
  • Mimecast supported additional Teaching Assistants supporting Sixth Form students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
  • St James’s Place Charitable Foundation supported our Connected Youth programme, funding a Digital Skills Tutor and specialist SEND and wellbeing support.

You can see the full range of who supports us on our supporters and funders page.

Does Free Mean Lower Quality?

This is probably the biggest hesitation people have, and it’s worth answering directly: no.

We are an award-winning charity and have been doing this for more than 40 years, working with Londoners across every stage of life to help them move into work, further education and better futures. ELATT is rated Good overall by Ofsted, with Outstanding judgements in Behaviour and Attitudes, Personal Development, and Adult Learning Programmes.

Our tutors bring industry experience, along with their classroom experience, and our courses are shaped around what employers are looking for, through employer-led workshops, experience days, and direct industry input into what we teach. More recently, 42% of our learners moved into work.

Being funded doesn’t mean provision is weak or low quality. It means the funders (public and corporate) have specific outcomes they expect us to deliver, and we are accountable for delivering them, this also ensures that we keep our standards high.

What Your Funded Place Includes

Funding covers your course content; it’s also what pays for the tutors, Teaching Assistants and support staff who work with you throughout, from the qualified specialists supporting SEND students, to the ESOL tutors mentioned above, to the student support and careers support available to learners.

So a funded place at ELATT typically includes:

  • Your main ESOL or vocational course.
  • Additional qualifications matched to your level including your vocational course (English, Maths, Digital Skills, Professional Development).
  • One-to-one support from tutors and specialist staff.
  • Access to our support services and projects.

It's About Getting You Into Work

All this is tied to outcomes: helping Londoners move into sustainable, better-paid work, progress in their current job, or move on to further study. So employability is built into your course from the start, with CV support, interview practice, and direct links to employers throughout your time with us.

Ready to Check If You're Eligible?

If “free” has made you hesitate about applying, hopefully this has cleared things up.

Explore our courses and get in touch with our team to check your eligibility.

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New courses starting September 2026: Early Years and Child Development; Youth Work; Health and Social Care.

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