New Skills Academy: online courses from £80, and how to pay less

Shopping at New Skills Academy? See all current New Skills Academy discount codes and deals, checked regularly.

New Skills Academy is an online learning site from Warwick-based academy+, running since 2013. It lists more than 900 short courses, covering work skills such as admin, payroll and Excel alongside hobbies like cake decorating, floristry and garden design. Everything is studied online at your own pace on a laptop, tablet or phone, and each course ends with a multiple-choice test and a downloadable certificate. It suits people who want to try a new subject, add a line to a CV or learn around a job, rather than anyone looking for a university-level qualification.

Courses come with lifetime access, so there is no deadline to finish, and tutor support is available if you get stuck. The site says its courses are CPD-approved. A printed certificate can be posted for an extra fee if you want one for the wall.

What's worth a look

• The Complete Microsoft Excel Course: a bundle of three Excel courses, currently £180. One of the site's most popular options for office workers.
• Payroll Diploma: currently £100, a practical pick if you handle wages for a small business or want to move into an accounts role.
• Level 3 Child Psychology Diploma: currently £100, around 12 hours of study across 22 modules on child development, aimed at parents, carers and people working with children.
• Floristry Academy Diploma: currently £100, a hobby course for anyone who enjoys arranging flowers.
• Bridal Hair Certificate: currently £80, one of the cheaper certificates in the beauty section.

Prices can change, and most course pages also show a 0% finance option.

Current offers

• 65% off every online course with code AWIN65, from our own list.
• The site banner currently shows 79% off individual courses with code GOALS79. Try both codes at checkout to see which gives the lower price on your course.
• The Microsoft Office Diploma for £48, from our list.
• Join the newsletter and you get the Interview Skills and CV Writing Certificate course free.
• Unlimited Learning membership: more than 700 courses for £99 for 12 months, with up to 50 on the go at once. Members also get a free XO Student Discounts card and a CV builder.

How to save more

• Do the maths before buying single courses. At £100 each, two diplomas cost more than a year of the £99 membership, but a single discounted course with a code may be cheaper still.
• Check the 'Redeem a Voucher' page if you have a gift card or a Tesco Clubcard reward voucher to use.
• Remember the 14-day cooling-off period ends as soon as you start a course, so read the course outline first.

Products, prices and offers checked on the store's own website on 4 Oct 2026. Prices and stock can change.

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