One hundred and twenty years later, our course offering has grown considerably to cover all the skills you need for modern day life.
Whether you are looking to gain qualifications, to re-train or boost your career, we offer a wide range of learning opportunities – and most of our courses are completely free, funded by the Mayor of London.
We enrol thousands of adult learners each year onto our part-time courses in Ilford, Gants Hill and Hainault, which run in the daytime, evenings, weekends and online to give you flexibility to fit your learning around your work and life.
Timeline
2010 – 2022
SITE CONSOLIDATION AND OFSTED ‘OUTSTANDING’
The Valentines Centre is closed as the delivery of Adult Education is consolidated on to two main sites (Gearies and Mildmay), and into two community centres (Wanstead House and Hainault Forest Community Association.
Redbridge Institute of Adult Education is inspected in 2018 and is graded as “Outstanding” by Ofsted.
Redbridge Institute wins the Provider of the Year Award at the FE Awards in 2019 Adult Education Budget funding is devolved to the Greater London Authority.
William Pickford becomes Principal in 2021.
2000 – 2010
FACILITIES AND ACCESSIBILITY IMPROVED
An accommodation improvement programme is established to improve facilities at Gearies and other centres.
Specialist provision for adults with learning difficulties moves to a new base at the Gearies Centre with improved accessibility.
Adult education courses are withdrawn from some of the smaller centres as more outreach delivery takes place in community venues and schools.
The Mildmay Neighbourhood Learning Centre opens in Central Ilford in 2004.
Joni Cunningham OBE becomes Principal in 2007.
1990 – 2000
GEARIES CENTRE OPENS WITH SPECIALIST FACILITIES
The Gearies Centre at Gaysham Avenue in Gants Hill was opened as the first permanent specialist adult learning facility in 1991. The Gearies Centre undergoes a major refurbishment and specialist facilities were created for a range of courses including arts and crafts and hair and beauty.
Redbridge Institute of Adult Education becomes a devolved service of the local authority in 1994 with its own Governing Body and Instrument & Articles of Government.
An art trail of sculptures and mosaics were installed at the Gearies Centre to celebrate the millennium.
Barbara Deacon becomes the first Chair of Governors in 1994 with Peter Lawrence as Vice-Chair. Peter goes on to become Chair when Barbara left and he is succeeded by Margaret Partridge.
1980 – 1990
RIAE ESTABLISHED
Redbridge Institute of Adult Education is established in 1981 to integrate the Ilford Evening Institute with other adult education courses being run across the Borough.
The Redbridge Institute head office moves into a classroom in the Valentines school lower site (Gaysham Avenue) in 1987, sharing facilities with the school until 1991.
Michael (Mike) Briggs becomes Principal in 1986.
1970 – 1980
NEW ADULT EDUCATION CENTRES AT LOXFORD AND WOODFORD
Two new adult education centres are opened at Loxford and Woodford.
Adult Literacy and English for Speakers of Other Languages programmes are set up with joint funding from the Adult Literacy Resources Agency, the London Borough of Redbridge and the Redbridge Community Relations Council, with support from the Home Office.
Adult education courses for students with learning difficulties are launched in collaboration with two local authority social inclusion centres (Burnside and Chadwell) and a rehabilitation centre (Oakside).
Cliff Thompson becomes Principal in 1977.
1960 – 1970
ILFORD EVENING INSTITUTE MOVES TO PERMANENT BASE
The Ilford Evening Institute moves from the Town Hall to its first main permanent base in the grounds of Ilford County High School for Girls, Cranbrook Road (later to become Valentines High).
The London Borough of Redbridge was created in 1965.
Also under the Local Education Authority, Redbridge College of Further Education (now part of the New City College Group) opens in 1969.
1950 – 1960
ADULT EDUCATION FUNDING INCREASED
Funding for adult education courses is increased in a partnership between the Local Education Authority and local community and voluntary organisations.
A second major adult education site, the Grove, opens at Mayfield Secondary Girls School.
Harry Horne becomes Principal in the early 1950s. He is based at the Dane School and then moves to Ilford Town Hall where the main office remains until the late 1960s.
1930 – 1950
ILFORD LITERARY INSTITUTE OPENS
The Ilford Literary Institute opens in the early 1930s and is later renamed the Ilford Evening Institute.
Its head office is located in Ilford Town Hall and classes are mainly based at Ilford County High School for Girls.
1903
ADULT EDUCATION DELIVERED TO 600 ADULTS IN ILFORD
Adult education courses, funded by the London County Council, start to be delivered at the Higher Grade School (later Dane Junior) in Ilford.
600 adults benefit from courses in millinery, dressmaking, cookery, shorthand, bookkeeping, arithmetic, art and French.
From 1900
FORMAL EDUCATION PROGRAMMES FOR WORKING PEOPLE START
Formal education programmes for working people begin to emerge as part of an Extension Movement for which the universities of Oxford and Cambridge extended education beyond their walls with the aim of reaching workers.
This formal education is predominantly provided by two organisations,The Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) and the National Council of Labour Colleges (NCLC), which was established following a strike by students at Ruskin College, Oxford in 1909.
The Workers’ Educational Association (WEA ] is founded in 1903 and opens in Ilford and Wanstead. The Ilford branch of the WEA is one of the oldest in the country.