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About us

Our mission is to educate and empower the next generation of digital talent

What do we do?

Founded in 2015, Ada is named after Ada Lovelace, a computing pioneer. She created a program for the ‘Analytical Engine’, a prototype computer, and has been called the first computer programmer.

We operate from two campuses in London and Manchester. When we opened we were the first new FE college in England since 1993. Since then we have worked with over 1300 young people.

Ada is a unique and supportive environment which bridges the gap between education and employment. Our industry-leading sixth form college and apprenticeship programmes not only develop students’ tech talents but offer opportunities for young people from diverse backgrounds to connect with future employers.

We are a charity which relies on philanthropic support to transform the lives of diverse young people. We work with employer partners and industry experts to develop real-world curricula which, in return, leads to a pipeline of ambitious job-ready employees.

Read about The Ada Story

Our values

Curiosity

Learning is about more than facts and figures. It’s about discovering how things work. It’s about different people, cultures and environments and a strong appreciation for the new.

Rigour

Quality comes from the discipline of hard logic, honest challenge, thorough analysis and precise execution and communication.

Creativity

Ambiguity and uncertainty are our friends. That’s why we make the space to imagine, to connect the unconnected, and to be inspired to create the new, and to solve the unsolved.

Collaboration

Individually we can be great but together we are greater than the sum of our parts. We show people how to get the best out of each other, how to motivate each other, how to co-create and how to come together to solve the challenges and create the new.

Resilience

Adversity and change are inevitable factors we face in life. We build the adaptable and flexible mindset to ensure you are armoured to face the future with confidence.

Two iconic locations

Ada London Campus

An 8 minutes’ walk from Victoria Station and just a few stops away from other major stations, including King’s Cross St Pancras and Euston.

Find out about Ada London

Ada Manchester Campus

A 15 minute walk from Manchester Piccadilly, our Manchester campus is in the heart of the Ancoats area.

About Ada Manchester

Evolving to Ada 2.0

Hear from our founders, industry partners, learners and alumni about what Ada means to them and what the vision is now.

Our impact

Ada has been working since 2016 to bridge the gap between digital education and employment in the tech sector for students from underrepresented backgrounds.

Read more

Contact us

Get in touch with questions about applying to learn with us or partnering with us!

Get in touch

Find out more

  • Our supporters

    Ada is a charity which relies on philanthropic support to transform the lives of young people.

  • Governance

    We are an FE college and a charity governed by a Trustee Board

  • Business Leaders Council

    We are grateful to have the support of a group of champions from within businesses who work to champion Ada and our cause, advocating for the development of young talent in the tech pipeline and the need for more businesses to commit to providing financial support, work placements and apprenticeships.

  • Our partnership with GMIoT

    Ada is proud to be a part of the Greater Manchester Institute of Technology (GMIoT), where we work with leading employers to deliver the best higher technical education and qualifications.

We believe the provision of high-quality teaching, practical experience and careers advice are all vital to student success. As a founding partner, we are excited to involve our staff in supporting students, providing them with industry know-how, experience and advice to help them achieve their goals.

Kevin Walsh Global Managing Partner, Technology Consulting, Deloitte

Latest articles

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  • Blog8 October 2026

    Mamon Maihanwal | Same Interview | One Year Later

    Our Year 12 students have officially wrapped up their first year at Ada! Here’s what’s changed for Mamon, a student on the Innovator pathway studying a BTEC Level 3 and A-Level in Business, since his very first interview 10 months ago.
    Innovator PathwaySixth form
  • News7 October 2026

    Autumn Launchpad 2026

    Our Autumn cohorts for both the AAA and DTSP Apprenticeship programmes are officially underway!
    ApprenticeshipsEmployers
  • Blog29 September 2026

    Anila Rafi Khan – Lecturer Spotlight

    Catch up with Ada Lecturer of Degree Apprenticeships, Anila Rafi Khan, and find out about her approach to teaching Database Systems, Data Analytics, Data Visualisation and Statistics Programming!
    Apprenticeships