Study options if you have children

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If you’ve got children you’ll have to plan your learning around them. However, these days there are so many ways of studying you’ll find one to suit you.

I want to study at my own pace

You can study many courses away from the classroom. This might suit you if need to be at home to look after your kids, or if you can’t commit to the same time each week.

Flexible study is booking time at a learning centre when it’s convenient for you. Open learning is usually a mixture of home study, learning at a resource centre and face-to-face learning. Distance learning is learning entirely at home, only attending a centre to sit exams.

You can search for a self-study course on our Learning Directory. Just click Self Study in the Study Type section.

I want to learn when I go back to work

You could ask your line manager, or human resources or training department about:

Open learning centres at work
Learning through Work
National Vocational Qualifications
Flexible learning centres.

For info about work-life balance, flexible working for parents and family friendly policies, visit:

I want to learn alongside my children

You can learn with your kids on courses run by the Pre-school Learning Alliance. This type of learning benefits you and your children, as you get to see how they learn best. You can do almost any course but subjects like childcare, literacy and numeracy are particularly popular.

You can find out more on the Pre-school Learning Alliance website.

I'm a lone parent

If you're a lone parent and your youngest child is under 16, and you're either not working or are working under 16 hours a week, you can get help under the New Deal for Lone Parents.

A Personal Adviser can help you decide on which jobs to go for, and help you with any training you need. They can also help you with benefits and calculate how much better off you'd be in a job. It's a voluntary programme so you decide if you want to join it or not.

Call freephone 0800 868 868 or visit your local Jobcentre Plus to find out how you could get help with course fees, travel, and childcare.

Return to work and return to learning courses

These courses can help if you've taken time off work to look after your children. Return to learning courses can increase your confidence, teach you the skills you need to go back into education, and identify your learning options.

Return to work courses can help you make the step towards being a working parent. They can be general courses or focus on particular skills, such as IT skills. Return to work courses can also be workshops to introduce you to different work opportunities, with staff on hand to help. Certain professions, such as law or teaching, run courses to update you on changes since you left work.

Where can I get further advice and information?

You can call learndirect Careers Advice on 800 100 900, or email an adviser to find out more about different study methods and training schemes. They can also find a Return to Work or Learning course near you. Calls are free and because we're impartial you'll get the best possible advice on your options.