London Online demonstrates, in a very active and practical way, what can be achieved by joining forces and collaborating at both a practitioner and an organisational level.

The project began back in 2001 as a collaboration between a number of national strategic bodies and London based providers who had identified the need not only to embrace the e-learning agenda, but also to address the lack of good quality ESOL learning materials mapped to the emerging Skills for Life curriculum. It was a need that was going to grow not only in Central London, but across all major cities in the UK.

With so much ESOL provision concentrated in London, it has of course been important to address this issue here in the capital, but the outcome of this project is also benefiting providers and their learners across the country.

The project has involved literally hundreds of people from across the adult learning world; as steering group members; programme participants and tutors; digital materials developers; evaluators; materials testers; advisors and funders, many of whom have given their time and expertise well in excess of what has been directly funded and a great deal of thanks is owed to their energy, their enthusiasm and their commitment.

As a result, word about the materials and the approach used to develop them, is spreading and momentum is building. Most importantly of all, learners are benefiting.

Throughout this time Central London Learning Partnership has been the vehicle through which expertise and resources could be focussed and we are very pleased to have been associated with the project from the start.

I hope you will be inspired by what has been achieved, and that the groundswell of interest and enthusiasm continues to build. With your help and support, I have every confidence that we will continue to further embed e-learning within ESOL and across the Skills for Life curriculum, and in so doing, continue improving the quality of the learning experience for adult learners.

Ania Oprawska

CLLP Manager