Adult Learning - Team

Welcome to the Adult Learning team. Below you will find more information about the team and the services that we deliver, including an introduction to our tutors and support staff. 
Please get in touch to find out how we can help you with your learning.

I have worked for over 20 years in a variety of settings within the Community Education field. As a youth worker, parent support worker, senior community education worker and latterly within the field of community led regeneration.

I am excited at taking up this new position within the Adult Learning Team and hope to bring my extensive knowledge, skills and expertise to help shape the service to maximise opportunities for learners.

Having worked within the council for 15 years, I have been an Adult Learning Team leader since March 2025. I am passionate about supporting the most disadvantaged adults and families in West Lothian to access our services and improve their lives. With extensive experience in primary education, I continue to work alongside parents and communities to promote, and provide, lifelong learning. Working with adult learners and delivering family learning sessions, I am proud to say that our numeracy tutors deliver high quality and engaging learning sessions and groups to support our communities.

I am an administration assistant with Adult Learning and I joined the team in February 2020. I work part-time and share the post with Linda.
Along with Linda I deal with the email and telephone enquiries we receive. We will always respond to you as quickly as possible, directing this onto the relevant tutor/person, best able to deal with the enquiry.

I work within the Adult Learning Team as an administration assistant. My role involves helping with enquiries into the team mailbox as well as administrative tasks for ESOL classes, and the creche provision. Alongside, Julie we keep things running smoothly and are always on hand to support the team.

When I'm not in work, I spend my time writing, drawing, and running around after my two young kids.  

I have worked in a variety of teaching and organising roles in Adult Learning for over 20 years, which I have a passion for. I have worked in Further Education colleges, schools, and local authority Adult Learning Services in Essex, the London Borough of Redbridge and the London Borough of Waltham Forest. In 2020, I relocated from Essex to Scotland, and have been working for West Lothian Adult Learning since March 2020 in as a Adult Learning Worker for Literacies, and as a Team Leader. I have taught a variety of subjects including science, numeracy, literacy, basic IT and Family Learning.

I'm a digital tutor and I've been with the Adult Learning team for 21 years. My job roles include teaching IT and multimedia skills, from basic to accreditation level 4, to the general public and people with additional support needs. I am currently teaching various courses, throughout West Lothian in community centres and libraries.

I am an ESOL Tutor with experience in teaching all levels, from Beginner to Nat 5. I have been working for West Lothian Council since 2013. I am currently only working part time , doing online classes at Beginner and Elementary levels. I have a great passion for teaching ESOL and I like to encourage and inspire my learners. I like to ensure my classes are fun and enjoyable. This creates a relaxed and comfortable learning experience and from my years of experience this works.

If you enjoy a class you want to learn, you want to come back and so learning with laughter is the best. And the smiles on the faces of all my learners over the years gives me great job satisfaction.

Colin Mairs - Tutor

Although very much a "Bathgate Bairn" I have taught ESOL for nearly 35 years in Sweden, Greece, Portugal, France, Spain and New Zealand, as well as being director of studies in a busy language school in the south-west of England. I have taught with Adult Learning since 2011. I enjoy IT and music, playing guitar. I regularly promise not to sing but regularly break that promise!

I am a CELTA qualified teacher of English as a second language with a Master's degree in English language and literature and over 25 years of teaching experience at universities, private language centres and community learning centres. I have experience of tutoring ESOL to adults in a community based context, working with refugees and delivering QS ESOL courses and assessments, ESOL for Employability courses and preparing students for Cambridge English Language exams.

I am committed to high-quality teaching, I have knowledge of appropriate teaching methods, including a variety of strategies to promote and assess learning in order to engage the interest and enthusiasm of the students.

I create interesting, balanced, learner-centred lessons and activities consisting of a coherent system of purposeful actions, based on the stated lesson objectives.

I have been teaching ESOL to adults for 30 years in Scotland and abroad and began teaching with West Lothian Council in 2012. I currently teach at all levels up to National 2.

I have worked as an ESOL Tutor for over 12 years. I have a BA Honours degree in French and German language and literature and love language! I have two grown-up children, a son of 25 and a daughter of 19 , and a Shetland sheepdog named Wilson. 

Been teaching ESOL for the best part of 25 years now in various countries, unexpectedly back in Scotland but it's good to be back and I'm very glad to be working for the Council. What else? I try to incorporate the latest (and the best of the oldest) methods in my classes and target the language from various angles to help make it stick better. Whenever possible, I upgrade my qualifications and to this end recently completed a Master's degree in Applied Linguistics, which has helped me quite a bit on the theory side, although I think experience is probably much more important than formal education. I (try to) play the bagpipes, table tennis and badminton, anyone up for a game? 

I have been involved in adult learning and training for most of my career, more recently my focus has been with ESOL learners. I gained my CELTA qualification during lockdown, almost entirely online - not an easy medium. I much prefer the face-to-face contact that we thankfully have now! When I'm not tutoring, I enjoy family time, long dog walks and movie nights.

Hello, my name is Margaret and I am Adult Literacies tutor. I work with adults throughout West Lothian who are looking for help with their reading, writing and numbers. I currently have groups in Strathbrock and Bathgate Partnership Centres. I also deliver training for people who would like to volunteer with our service and provide ongoing support for our student committee, Adult Learning Friends (ALF).

Martin Gunn - Tutor

I have been involved with the West Lothian Council Adult Learning team for the past six years. Having first joined as a mature student on placement, I then applied to become a volunteer. As a volunteer, I was fortunate enough to work with different, more experienced literacy tutors, who over time, helped me to gain the necessary skills and confidence to apply for paid work. I have now been running my own group at Forestbank for the past two years. If you feel you need support with your reading, writing or numbers, please take that first step and get in touch.

I've worked as an adult learning tutor, both in the community and in colleges, for the last 15 years, the last nine of which have been with West Lothian Council. I work with people throughout the area who need help with their reading, writing and numbers. I currently run groups in Forestbank Community Centre and Bathgate Partnership Centre, with students working towards goals such as a QS speaking assessment, reading bus timetables, learning the alphabet and brushing up on basic number skills. I also deliver the various short courses that we run, including money management.

Alicia Robertson - Tutor

Hello, I'm a literacies tutor and I've been with Adult Learning for 12 years. I work with people throughout West Lothian, who are looking for help with their reading, writing and numbers. I am currently supporting people to get online and to try online learning over Zoom. Do you know that you can work towards QS qualifications with us? For more information, please get in touch.

I am a literacies tutor, providing numeracy group learning and short courses throughout West Lothian. I have a background in psychology and education, with 16 years' experience working in ASN schools and social care. I am interested in supporting individuals to achieve their full potential, whilst building confidence, self-esteem and promoting positive wellbeing.

In my time I have lived in communities and travelled extensively. I have a background in youth and community work, prison work, digital work, rights work and have also worked at depth with the Gypsy / Traveller Community in Scotland. I believe that education is the gateway to a better life and can truly level the playing field for anyone. I think that numeracy is a fantastic starting point. Education brings self-confidence and self-belief. It is a mighty leveler. I think that everyone should have the right to the same chances as everyone else. Education will do that. Your learning should be focused around you, done with you, at your speed, not done to you. This is not school. This is my mission. I'm a constant learner and have been working on my own education and learning for over 7 years. Learning changed my life. I'm keen to help it change yours. 

I am a literacies tutor with a focus on numeracy, providing numeracy groups, short courses, and QS qualifications. As a former high school maths teacher, I have taught numeracy at a variety of levels as well as personal finance and applications of maths. I collaborate with people who are motivated to build upon their existing skills and gain further knowledge and confidence. I enjoy having the opportunity to deliver bespoke numeracy education for adults, offering meaningful learning to meet individual goals.

I have a background in psychology, sociology, coaching and training, with a Post Graduate Diploma in Careers Guidance and Development. I thrive on helping others build their confidence and resilience through specifically designed QS courses which not only offer qualifications, but the opportunity to regain self-identity and self-empowerment.