This article has been brought to you by Slough Borough Council's Refugee and Asylum Lead, Helen Buckland for the attention of all schools.
Please find below a list of all the ESOL (English classes) provision available in Slough, which has been put together with those providers. This is primarily designed for people who are seeking asylum or who have refugee status, but it will be relevant for people who are in Slough by other means and who wish to learn English. We are lucky in Slough to have so much provision available, as well as chances to practice and develop English skills. SBC Adult Learning and Langley College are both happy to discuss options if your organisation wants to host classes as well – please contact them directly for a discussion about that.
English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes in Slough – correct as of September 2024
Pre-Entry level learners [may be described as] Complete beginners. Doesn’t understand very much; may be able to answer questions for basic personal information and follow basic instructions. ( https://learningandwork.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Pre-entry-ESOL-A-Factsheet-for-the-South-East-Region.pdf )
ESOL courses are categorised into five different levels. You can begin at whichever level matches your current English skills.Entry levels are as follows:
- Entry 1: You can speak and understand a few things in English.
- Entry 2: You can communicate simply and understand the language in familiar situations, but with some degree of difficulty.
- Entry 3: You can speak and understand English quite well and use basic tenses in speech or writing but are still lacking in vocabulary and have problems with advanced grammar.
The levels then go up to:
- Level 1: The learner speaks and understands English but makes mistakes and fails from time to time to clearly express themselves.
- Level 2: The learner speaks and understands English very well but falters with unfamiliar vocabulary or situations.
( https://uk.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/esol )
Please note: All courses described here are open to people who have refugee status in UK. Entry may vary for people who have asylum seeker status, and this is defined in each entry. For people in the UK on a visa and who have No Recourse to Public Funds, please contact the individual provider to discuss entry requirements.
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Provider |
Suitable for… |
When and Where |
Notes |
Contact |
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Slough Refugee Support
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Conversational class for beginners with little English – open to asylum seekers from arrival in UK and refugees
ESOL classes – open to refugees only. Entry to level 1
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Monday and Thursday ESOL CLASSES. Tuesday and Wednesday conversational classes.
SRS centre, 28 Bath Road, Slough.
Term time only. |
We have been running classes for almost 18 years. We have interpreters to help understand as well.
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Call: 01753 537142. Email: srsinfo@sloughrefugeesupport.org.uk
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Salvation Army
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Beginners and those looking to practice their English skills
Asylum seekers welcome from arrival in UK and refugees
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Salvation Army Hall, 53 Stoke Rd, SL2 5BW
Weds 18:00-19:00
Term time only. |
The group has been running for 2-3 years. Low-key, friendly. Headed up by a dedicated Primary School teacher with volunteers from the Salvation Army
Users are asked to join a Whatsapp group for up to date news
This is an ideal opportunity for learners on other courses to practice their English skills. |
Call: 01753 525819 or Email: slough@salvationarmy.org.uk
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Slough Hub
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Our immersive English workshops have been designed to support residents to improve their confidence in speaking in English.
Asylum Seekers and refugees welcome from arrival in UK but should have a basic level of spoken English |
Future Works: Tues and Thursday mornings 10 – 11am
Viva Slough Studio: (Slough High Street, next to the One Beyond Shop and opposite Mcdonalds) Wednesdays 5.30 – 6.30pm
Term time only. |
The workshops are in a group setting to enable participants to support each other on their journey to speaking English with more confidence.
In each session we will practice a different area of spoken English and use language which will all be useful when speaking on the phone, talking about what is important to you, talking about things you have done in the past, talking about future aspirations and giving opinions etc.
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Enrolment form can be found here https://thesloughhub.org/boost/english/ and you can also contact rachel@thesloughhub.org for more information.
There is also a class for parents of children at Godolphin School – please contact for more information |
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Palladium
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This ESOL programme is suitable for refugees only who are looking to improve their English language skills to get into work eventually.
These Basic English classes are part of a programme which focuses on supporting people who are recent arrivals to the UK with low levels of English to not only improve their English language skills, but also to better integrate with their local communities.
Level: Beginner/ Basic. ESOL Entry 1, Entry 2 and Entry 3.
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Days: Every Monday and Thursdays. Times: From 1pm to 3pm. Location: The Curve, William Street, Slough SL1 1XY.
Courses run throughout the year |
Eligibility Criteria:
Refugees who have permission to stay in the UK and arrived through one of the following routes:
This ESOL support servcie is being offered through the Refugee Employability Programme (REP) and is aimed at supporting refugees in achieving employment, or better employment by reducing barriers and improving integration into society. It is open to eligible people living across the within the South East region.
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For more information call: 020 3290 1128 Mobile: 0770 964 2243 Email: info@acda.org.uk
For more information about the Refugee Employability Programme (REP) visit: https://repsoutheastpalladiuminternationallimited.co.uk/ You can also email: REPenquiry@thepalladiumgroup.com or call: 0800 0025 940.
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SBC Adult Learning
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Various courses are available for asylum seekers (from arrival in UK) and refugees in Slough, courses include:
English skills up to Entry 3.
The non accredited ESOL courses are for learners who want to improve their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills for everyday communication. Learners will develop the confidence to interact with others in everyday conversations such as going to the shops, speaking with the Doctor or their children’s school etc.
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Venue: Courses are delivered at Community venues including the Curve, Chalvey hub, community centres and local schools.
Day and Times: Courses are available: Monday to Fridays
9:30 – 12:00pm 12:30 – 3:00pm 4:00 – 6:30pm (only at the Curve) 5:30 – 8:00pm (only at the Curve)
Term time only.
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The service has had a name change from CLaSS to Adult Learning Slough. Learners will need to attend an initial assessment session at the beginning of each term of an academic year where we will be able to determine their level of English before assigning them to a course.
This will then be followed by completing an Enrolment form to register them onto their course.
Also available: Basic Digital Skills courses to learn word, Excel, powerpoint and Internet for personal development to help look for work.
Health and Wellbeing courses to build confidence, learn new skills, make new friends etc.
Employability support available with 1 to 1’s to help with looking for work. Workshops are also available for sector based and skills needs including CV writing and interview skills. |
If interested in joining courses, please contact us: Call: 01753 476611 Email: lifelonglearning@slough.gov.uk Visit: Adult Learning Slough, at The Curve (Ground floor), Wellington Street, Slough SL1 1XY |
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Langley College
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ESOL courses for all learners aged 16+ who want to improve their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills – an initial assessment will determine level
Asylum seekers (from 6 months after arrival in UK) and refugees
ESOL Pre-entry 1 ESOL Pre-entry 2 ESOL Pre-entry 3 (Non accredited)
Entry 1 Entry 2 Functional Skills English Lessons for ESOL learners, Level 1 and Level 2
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Initial assessment to assess level.
Classes available at every level morning, afternoon and Evening Mon-Friday at Langley College.
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Also available:
Workskills and Digital Skills from beginners to Level 1. Classes especially designed for ESOL learners.
Functional Skills Maths from entry 1 to level 2.
Community interpreting for ESOL students Our Entry to L2 ESOL skills for Life qualifications are accredited by Trinity College London.
External accreditation and certification provides reliable evidence of the use of English language skills at different levels and allows progression into mainstream education and employment |
Esol.enquiries@windsor-forest.ac.uk Paula.ferreira@windsor-forest.ac.uk communitylearning@windsor-forest.ac.uk
For more information and to apply see https://www.windsor-forest.ac.uk/study/course-search/?_search=Esol&_course_subject_area
For community and bespoke classes email communitylearning@windor-forest.ac.uk
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Care4Calais
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People who are learning and practising english |
List of free resources
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Free websites that help adults and children learn and practise English
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https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/
https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/learning-english/activities-for-learners/
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- Migrant – a general term for someone who has moved to a new country to stay either temporarily (but longer than a holiday) or permanently. This could be for work, for study, to live with family members etc. and includes Asylum Seekers and Refugees.
- Immigrant – as above, but is most often used to describe someone who has moved to the country that you are in.
- Asylum Seeker – A legal term for a person who is seeking international protection; in the UK it means that their claim for asylum has been made but not yet been decided. There is no such thing as an “illegal” Asylum Seeker because everybody across the globe has the right under international law to seek asylum in any country they feel is safe.
- Refugee – A legal term for a person who is outside their country of origin because they needed international protection. Their claim for asylum has been granted and they now live in the country which granted them protection. Refugees are generally entitled to the same services as any other Slough resident although they may need additional support to help them settle in their new community.