I worked as an Exam Invigilator at Abbey over the past year so I have an insider's point of view of…read morethe way things are run here. I think it's an exceptional college. Class sizes are small and students get on well with their tutors and peers. Many of the students here are international and live in accommodation provided by the college. Some teachers also live in this accommodation and are there to offer support and guidance to those who need it. There is a great atmosphere in the college, friendly and calm. It's a great place to work and I'm sure the students feel the same. Especially as they get to lounge about over St Paul's Square on breaks!

Did you know that the Botanical Gardens offer courses on everything from portrait photography to…read moregrowing plants (kind of an obvious one that I guess) to yoga? I always presumed this space was used for school groups but I was lucky enough to attend classes here recently - it's a tranquil setting with views of the lovely gardens and the ideal place to loll around on a gym mat (I did yoga in case you're wondering). You can approach the building directly from Westbourne Road (it's a little bit hidden away so look out for the signs) or through the Gardens during later summer opening hours. There's limited parking available at the Study Centre so you may prefer to use the main Gardens' car park. It boasts a number of rooms - they all seem pretty light and airy and they're often decorated with collages made by visiting kids. Looking at their website it would appear that their Summer courses are on hold, which seems a real shame given how much I enjoyed attending classes here and especially in light of the closure of the nearby Adult Education Centre (The Clocktower in Harborne High Street) - with this in mind, its worth phoning ahead to make sure whatever it is you fancied lending your hand to, is still running.

I have had a horrific experience here. Became a target of hate on both the Podcasting course (Kanas…read moreWong) & Digital Photography course (Mark Holloway). Both tutors made vulgar remarks in every sentence. Kanas included a case study & a presentation with implied nasty remarks. Some students were also instructed to make nasty remarks of 5 weeks! I have made 2 complaints both have been ignored! Neither tutor taught the course properly & Mark Holloway made sure I didn't receive the learning like the rest of the students! I had my enquiry about courses ignored. The marketing manager also made inappropriate digs. Management know the game they have been playing. I have been a target of hate crime by University of Birmingham, Birmingham MPs,, Conservative & Labour government, corrupt police.

The Brasshouse Language Centre is the largest Adult Education Centre in the UK specialising in…read morelanguage courses and language services. Their staff are from all over the world, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Centre, creating a truly international atmosphere. I came here wanting to learn post GCSE French Language. I was reluctant at first to pick up a language after learning French at school 16 years ago. I was surprised that the registration process was very simplistic and cogent. The fees were also subsidised for concessions. This was helpful for me because I was not employed at that time and wanted to broaden my horizons without breaking my non-exist budget. The teacher I had was very helpful and supportive, she set us regular homework and pointed the class in the right direction for text books and related literature. The class really improved my French and I am looking forward to joining the class at the next level.