Stoke-on-Trent is one of the most deprived areas of the UK. It has been described as an area with low aspirations. This is reflected in educational attainment levels among school leavers: GCSE results across the city, including English and Maths, remain significantly below the national average. Stoke-on-Trent College has a huge role to play in helping people across the region achieve a better-quality education and this starts with improving learners' basic levels of language, literacy and numeracy. This article describes how Stoke-on-Trent College dramatically transformed performance among its adult learners by embedding Skills for Life across the whole organisation.