Peter Bates > Informal English Classes in Nottingham, UK

Informal English Classes in Nottingham, UK

Started 10/2021, last amended 3 Jun 2024.  

Contents

Introduction

The demand for opportunities for adults to learn English massively outstrips supply, and research published in 2017 found that some people wait two years to join a class. Some providers have implemented a waiting list system, added new eligibility criteria and raised the threshold of competence required before a student can be admitted to a class. In response, others have set up free, informal classes that will help adults in the early stages of learning English. Inquirers need to know:

  • Time and day the class takes place
  • Address – Location of the class
  • Contact details – website, email.
  • Eligibility – some classes are restricted to people who have the right to live and work in the UK and have lived here for three years or more.
  • Proficiency – ability levels – in no particular order – are referred to as Pre-Entry, Entry Level 1, Entry Level 2, Entry Level 3, ESOL, Functional Skills, IELTS, Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced,  
  • How to register – How do you sign up? Can you drop in? Do you have to attend a whole course without missing any sessions? Is there a waiting list?
  • Support – Bus fares? Can I bring my child into class or is there a creche?

Agencies who can help us find classes

  • ASKLION (last checked 25/11/21)
  • BEGIN  is a not-for-profit partnership that began in 1982 and now work across Nottingham City, Broxtowe, Gedling and Broxtowe Boroughs. The central ESOL Placement Service is the biggest part of their work, and they help people attend Literacy and Numeracy courses too. They track people until they enter Further Education College and try to allocate opportunities to people who need them most and will make best use of them. So, for example, course completers are offered more, while affluent students are offered less.
  • Futures works with people who have the right to live and work in the UK, largely through administering grants to third sector providers. Inquiry sent 15/12/21.
  • Nottingham CVS runs an online matching service for volunteers and opportunities (last checked 14/12/21).

Exclusions

The following do not appear on this list:

  • Any classes that require people to pay to join.
  • Any courses that train people to teach English classes
  • Classes for children and young people – this is a list of services for adults.

Directory of active classes

It is hard to locate these classes, so the list below is probably incomplete and out of date. Providers appear below in alphabetical order. Please send me any corrections.

Aspley Christ Church, 531 Aspley Lane, Nottingham NG8 5RW. Website. English classes on Thursdays during term time. 12:30 until 2pm.

Belong. Belong runs several different sessions throughout the week. These include Pre Entry to Level 1, with some of the courses being accredited through West Nottinghamshire College. Examples are English for All and a women-only ESOL class which are held at Tennyson Hall, Forest Rd West, Nottingham NG7 4EP. They don’t operate on a drop-in basis, but referrals may be made to Rosie Fisher, Learning Manager on 0115 979 0015, mobile 07946 724895, email rosie.fisher@belongnottingham.co.uk.

British Red Cross. The British Red Cross Centre is at Humanity House, Colliers Way, Phoenix Park, Nottingham NG8 6AT and can be contacted at refugeesupportnottingham@redcross.org.uk. They offer free IELTS practice and English classes on Wednesdays 2pm to 4pm at St Andrew’s church NG1 5JT. The Red Cross work mainly with people who have no recourse to public funds and so have become destitute, although the English classes are for others too.

Cornerstone Church. Several English classes are offered at Cornerstone Church, 90 Castle Boulevard, Nottingham NG7 1FP on Wednesdays during term-time from 10-11am. The Pre-Entry group is led by Philippa and Julie. New students can normally just turn up and will be enrolled on the spot (email address requested but not required). They have discontinued using a class phone for communication with students as it wasn’t used much. For more information, please contact the church office on 0115 958 8711 or email learnenglish@cornerstonechurch.org.uk. At June 2024 their class was full, so email them to join the waiting list.

English @ St Nic’s. Mondays 1:15pm to 3pm in term-time at St Nic’s Church. Maid Marion Way, Nottingham NG1 6AE. Email emilyr@stnics.org. See this short video that was put together to recruit new volunteer teachers. Free tea and coffee after the class. No bus fares, no creche. Run by Emily Ridyard who has a dedicated mobile phone for the English classes. They also run a conversation club from 10am to 11.30am on Tuesdays in termtime.

Enable. Enable work in partnership with Epic Partners and offer a whole range of English classes. This includes four classes at the Chase Neighbourhood Centre, Robin Hood Chase, St Ann’s, Nottingham NG3 4EZ. A ten-week course runs on Monday mornings for students at Entry Level 1 and this is repeated for another group on Wednesday mornings. A four-week course runs on Monday afternoons for learners at Entry Level 2+, repeated on Wednesday afternoons. Students attending in the afternoons are expected to move on to receive support from Enable’s employment and training team. Contact chev@enable.uk.net.

Epic Partners. Epic Partners is a charity that started out serving St Ann’s and Sneinton but now works across Nottingham. Email: info@epicpartners.co.uk. They run a 12-week ‘Small Steps for Your English’ (SSFYE) programme as part of Framework’s Family Mentor Service project. Eligible students must (i) have a child under the age of 4; (ii) the child will need to accompany the parent to the sessions; and (iii) priority is given to families who live in the St Ann’s or Arboretum wards. Most students will then be referred on to Family Mentors in their journey towards employment. They offer Entry Level 1 (called the Steppingstone class) and Entry Level 2+ (called SSFYE). Contact Sheila Jones at Epic Partners. In addition, Steve Bailey at Epic offers individual coaching in reading, writing and grammar; maths and IT; and other employability skills.

Mojatu Foundation. The Mojatu Foundation offers free English classes via Zoom starting at 9.30am and running for two hours. The Beginners class is on Mondays, the Intermediate class on Tuesdays and the Advanced class is on Fridays. They cover everyday English, pronunciation, vocabulary & grammar, fluency and listening, reading & writing skills. The Mojatu Foundation is based at Unit 7, Howitt Building, Lenton Boulevard, Nottingham, NG7 2BY. Enquiries to info@mojatufoundation.org.

Nottingham College. Nottingham College offers ESOL courses that are accessed via BEGIN. One of their courses, called ‘Community Functional Skills in English is delivered in partnership with Adult Community Learning and runs at Bestwood Estate Community Centre. This course is free for students who have lived in the UK or European Community for three years of more.

Nottingham Playhouse. Hold a conversation café from 1pm to 2:15pm on Tuesdays in partnership with Refugee Roots. www.nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk. Wellington Circus, Nottingham NG1 5AF. Phone 0115 941 9419, email enquiry@nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk.

Nottingham Trent University. NTU offers a seven-month programme in non-academic English in which student teachers volunteer their time to teach the class.

Nottingham Women’s Centre. See their activities here. Held at Nottingham Women’s Centre, 30 Chaucer Street, Nottingham NG1 5LP. Email reception@nottinghamwomenscentre.com. At June 2024 they were offering no classes but may restart a conversational English session in October 2024.

Public Libraries. Conversation groups are offered via Zoom. Their webpage links to the British Council’s online test to check if candidates have enough English to join in (you need to be at the Intermediate level). Classes run on Mondays:  from 10am to 11am & 2pm to 3pm; Wednesdays from 10am to 11am & from 2pm to 3pm; on Thursdays from 5pm to 6pm; and on Fridays from 10am to 11am. Individuals are allowed to sign up to a maximum of two classes per week. Email enquiryline@nottinghamcity.gov.uk.

Refugee Forum. The Nottingham & Notts Refugee Forum run English classes on six days each week – see here. Contact the Language Justice team at info@nottsrefugeeforum.org.uk.

Refugee Roots. Refugee Roots is based at Clarendon Chambers. Classes run across the city on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. All the information is on their website. Online classes run on Monday at 10am (Pre-Entry and Entry 1) and on Thursdays at 4.45pm (Pre-Entry and Entry 1). Refugee Roots was formerly known as the Nottingham Rainbow Project. Email info@refugeeroots.org.uk.

SSG is the Senior Support Group for learners 50yrs and over. Classes at Belong, Tennyson Hall, Forest Rd West, Nottingham NG7 4EP. Mixed ability class on Mondays and Weds 10am – 12pm. They don’t operate on a drop-in basis, but referrals may be made to Rosie Fisher, Learning Manager on 0115 979 0015 or by coming to Belong reception and registering. Students should say their age and that they want to join the SSG otherwise they will be added to the Belong waiting list.

SFiCE Foundation. SFiCE runs free ESOL classes on Thursday from 10am to 11am online and from 11am to 12 noon in person at SFiCE House, 75a Raleigh Street, NG7 4DL. Booking is essential. Email info@sfice.org.

Signpost to Polish Success. Signpost to Polish Success (SPS) is at Unit B Tennyson, Forest Road West, Radford, Nottingham NG7 4EP. Email help@empp.co.uk. SPS focuses on the Polish and East European community but accepts learners from other countries (space allowing), trying to work mostly with women. English classes are free of charge and fairly casual, but we do want people to show up or let us know if they can’t. The Beginners ESOL class runs on Tuesdays 10am to 12 noon for 12 weeks. The Intermediate ESOL class runs on Tuesdays 12:30 – 2.30 for 12 weeks. In June 2024 they were full and are accepting new students from September 2024.

Sunflower College. Tuesday mornings 10am to 11:30am at St St Christopher’s Church, 85 Colwick Road, Sneinton, Nottingham NG2 2AL. Open to people who live in Sneinton. See this Facebook page. Email
SunflowerCollegeNottingham@gmail.com.

Trinity Church. Trinity church at 192 Mansfield Road, email info@trinitychurchnottingham.org. They run a free English class at 1:30pm on a Wednesday afternoon with lunch beforehand. The class is run in partnership with Refugee Roots. 

Vanclaron CiC, 57-63 Boden Street, Nottingham NG7 3JY. Website. Email admin@vanclaronchatscic.uk. Classes on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:30am to 11:30am.

Worker’s Educational Association. WEA has a large programme of courses and lectures, listed here. Email digital@wea.org.uk.

YWAM Forge. English conversation sessions are being offered for free at YWAM Forge in Sneinton between 3pm and 5pm on Thursdays in term time. Email ywamforge@gmail.com  or phone 07925 753735.Top of Form

Shut down

The following groups and organisations used to help people learn English and their details may still exist on the internet, but they appear to have closed down their English teaching activities or their whole organisation has shut:

  • Awate Education Centre. Awate Educational Centre is at 200A Ilkeston Road, Nottingham NG7 3HG. There are opportunities for English conversation as well as poetry and other cultural activities. Awate was established by the Eritrean community in Nottingham and has hosted cultural events by World Jam and NCBI. Inquiry sent 14/12/21. Facebook. No online evidence of activity 07/07/2024
  • Bridges Community Trust. In December 2021, the Bridges Community Trust, which serves the Meadows and Clifton, advertised for volunteers to facilitate a literacy group. They are based at 5-7 Bridgeway Centre, The Meadows, Nottingham NG2 2JD. Inquiry sent 14/12/21. Their Website shows no sign of English classes here.
  • Broxtowe Children’s Centre
  • Playworks.
  • Red Cross Nottingham used to run a Tuesday evening meal and conversation session at St Andrew’s with Castlegate, but this has closed. A webpage suggested that the charity Refugee Action had some involvement, but this is incorrect and they have no offices or projects in Nottingham.
  • Nottingham Arimathea Trust, Email info@nottinghamarimathea.org.uk do not run any classes themselves, but work in collaboration with Belong, who do.
  • Trent Vineyard previously ran a face-to-face free English class on Tuesday mornings from 10.30 – 12 that was about Entry Level 2 and met in the Children’s Centre at Trent Vineyard. The closest tram stop is Gregory Street. Contact Caroline Seal, Refugee Support and Overseas Lead. Email: caroline.seal@trentvineyard.org. At June 2024 there was no ESOL provision.
  • Global Sistaz United (inquiry sent 28/11/21)
  • Ukranian Centre. Refugee Roots partnered with the Ukranian Centre to deliver a free English class in Spring 2023 but this has ended. Email nottingham@augb.co.uk.