The Learning from Experience Trust was established in 1986 as a non-profit making independent educational charity. It is now well established on the educational research scene as a small, yet effective, cutting-edge research and development consultancy.

The Trust is located at Goldsmiths College, University of London, and, whilst maintaining its independence, enjoys the support and resource back-up of the College. Because of its reputation for innovative action research, the Trust has been able to attract the support of a number of influential Trustees.

To date, most of LET’s quality research work has been focused on the effectiveness of formal and informal learning. This experience has extended to measuring the effectiveness of target setting and action planning in relation to improvements in student success (ie retention and achievement).

In addition to its work with the formal education and training sectors, the Trust has been working on the frontiers between the world of formal education and the world of work, life and leisure. Consequently, a recent focus of LET’s work has been on investigating how to recognise what people learn informally through their own experience, in terms of its quality and standards, for accreditation by the formal education system.

The Trust promotes the importance of learning from experience in supporting disadvantaged communities, both to assist individuals but also to capitalise on the commitment and understanding of those working to improve their communities.