Key Facts
| ESOL funding level (England) | Up to and including level 2 |
|---|---|
| Earnings threshold for full funding (adult skills fund) | £26,800 annual gross salary |
| Minimum learner age | 19 or older on 31 August within the funding year |
| Residency condition | Ordinarily resident in the UK on the first day of learning |
| Asylum seekers: time in the UK | 6 months or longer while the claim is being considered by the Home Office |
| Visa length condition | Learners need enough time on their visa to complete the course |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly.
ESOL courses in England are fully funded for many adults who live in England and meet the residency, age and earnings conditions in the adult skills funding rules, for English learning up to and including level 2. Colleges, local council adult education services and community providers run them, and the National Careers Service course search lists them by location, level and study time.
Eligibility, enrolment and the type of class differ by provider, so the sections below set out what a course contains, how funding works, how to find a class near you and what the first assessment involves. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland organise ESOL separately, and the differences are covered at the end.
What does an ESOL course involve?
An ESOL course teaches English to adults whose first language is not English, with classes built around speaking and listening, reading and writing, vocabulary, and punctuation and grammar. Courses are organised in levels, running from Pre-entry and the Entry levels up to Level 1 and Level 2, so that you begin at the point that matches your current English. Most provision is accredited and leads to a certificate at the level you reach, whilst some community classes are informal and carry no qualification.
The weekly time commitment depends on the individual course. Course listings show whether a class is full time, part time or flexible, and whether it meets in the daytime, in the evening or at weekends, which lets you choose a pattern around work or childcare.
Who provides ESOL courses?
Further education colleges, local authority adult education services and voluntary or community organisations all provide ESOL across the UK. Government funding for mainstream classes usually goes to colleges and local authorities, and the classes they run are the ones most likely to lead to a recognised qualification.
Community and voluntary groups often offer informal classes that suit people with little spoken English, or people who want a relaxed first step before joining a college course. Councils also appear as course providers in national listings, as Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council does with its online ESOL course, so a council-run class can sit alongside college courses in the same search.
ESOL tutors
Mark
Master TutorI have thirty years in education, including Head of English at an independent school and GCSE and A-Level examiner. I teach English, Literature, Language, Creative Writing and Critical Thinking, ages four to eighteen. I start from what a student can already do and adapt my methods to them.
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Hannah
Master TutorI am a UK-qualified teacher with 15+ years across private and state schools in the UK and abroad, and hold a BSc from LSE and a PGCE with QTS. I teach English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning, 11+ and Common Entrance preparation. My approach is personalised, confidence-building and rigorous.
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Johanna
Expert TutorI have two decades' teaching experience in English Literature, English Language and Philosophy, and hold a PhD in English Literature. I teach GCSE, A-Level, Oxbridge entrance and UCAS personal statements. My approach is person-centred, working through dialogue and ongoing assessment.
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A fully funded ESOL place goes to adults who meet the residency, age and earnings conditions in the adult skills funding rules, for ESOL learning up to and including level 2. The same rules place ESOL within the level 2 and below offer, and they list it as a policy entitlement alongside other level 2 and below learning. The exact age, earnings figure and evidence periods are recorded in the key facts.
Residency means being ordinarily resident in the UK on the first day of learning, with the learning taking place in England. Providers must not fund learners who would not have enough time on their visa to complete the course. Asylum seekers can qualify once their claim has been with the Home Office for a set period, and refused asylum seekers can qualify in defined situations such as an appeal against a refusal of refugee status. A no recourse to public funds condition does not affect eligibility.
Earnings are assessed by annual gross salary, and unemployed learners are covered by the same funding category. Learners who earn above the threshold are co-funded instead of fully funded. Providers may ask for evidence of earnings or benefits, such as a Universal Credit statement, so it helps to have those documents ready when you enrol. Your provider confirms your own status.
How can an ESOL course near you be found?
The National Careers Service Find a course tool is the quickest national search: type ESOL, add your town and a distance, and the results list each provider, its location, start date, cost, learning method and duration. Filters narrow the results by learning method (online, classroom based, work based or blended), by course hours, by study time and by qualification level, and results can be sorted by distance, relevance or start date.
The same page offers help choosing a course, and your local council's adult education service is a sensible second call, since councils often run classes or know which community groups do. When you contact a provider, ask whether the class is fully funded for your circumstances, which level it teaches and when the next assessment session takes place.
What happens at enrolment and initial assessment?
At enrolment a provider assesses your current English so that it can place you in a class at the right level, and it also checks that you meet the funding conditions. The funding rules require a thorough initial assessment of an individual's current level using current assessment tools.
Because levels reflect all four skills, it helps to practise each before the assessment. Say a few sentences about yourself and your daily routine aloud, read a short notice or letter in English and note the words you cannot place, and write a few lines about your family or work. If you can, check your writing for full sentences and punctuation, since punctuation and grammar are part of what courses teach. Bring documents showing your residency status and, where relevant, your earnings or benefits.
Is it possible to study ESOL online or part time?
Online and part-time ESOL are both available, and the National Careers Service search lets you filter for each. The learning method filter includes online, classroom based and blended learning, whilst the course hours filter separates full time, part time and flexible courses, and the study time filter separates daytime, evening and weekend classes.
Online classes suit adults who cannot travel to a college or who work irregular hours, though you will need a reliable device and connection. Some local authorities run online ESOL for people with little spoken English, and the listings show whether each course is delivered online before you apply. Funding conditions apply to online courses in the same way as to classroom courses, provided the learning takes place in England.
How does ESOL differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
The England funding rules apply to learning in England only, and Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each organise ESOL under their own governments. In Scotland, an earlier national strategy aimed to give all Scottish residents whose first language is not English access to ESOL, that strategy is under review, and provision comes through local partnerships. Glasgow, for example, has a strategy partnership of three colleges, the council's Glasgow Life and third-sector organisations.
In Wales, the Welsh Government funds local authorities and further education institutions to deliver mainstream ESOL, covering full-time and part-time classes at a range of levels. Most is accredited, and some informal provision is also supported. In Cardiff, a central assessment hub called REACH assesses people who want to enrol and refers them to a suitable class.
In Northern Ireland, ESOL courses run throughout the country through further education colleges, and voluntary and community organisations offer informal classes. You can search for classes on the ESOL NI site or get free advice from your local careers office. Learners at ESOL Entry 3 or above take the Life in the UK test for naturalisation, whilst those below that level combine English (ESOL) and citizenship classes.
English tuition for adults with Taylor Tuition
Adults who come to us for English usually know the situation they need it for, whether that is a job, a test or daily life in the UK, so lessons start with a level check against the CEFR scale and are then built around the tasks the learner actually faces.
English for adults is taught one-to-one or in small groups, at every level from beginner (CEFR A1) to proficient (C2), online or in person in central London. Fees start from £50 per 50-minute session and depend on tutor level, there is no registration fee and the initial consultation is free. Employers can book programmes for staff and are invoiced directly.
Read more about our English tuition for adults, or send an enquiry and we will come back with tutor recommendations.
For IELTS, see our IELTS preparation tutors.
Frequently asked questions
- Does a short visa stop me getting a funded ESOL place?
- It can. The funding rules say providers must not fund learners who would not have enough time on their visa to complete their course, so the length of your remaining leave is compared with the length of the course. If the course is longer than your leave, ask the provider whether a shorter course or a later start date is available. Providers check each learner's immigration status individually.
- Does a no recourse to public funds condition rule me out?
- A no recourse to public funds condition does not affect eligibility for adult skills funding, because the rules treat education as outside public funds. Your residency, age and earnings conditions still apply in the usual way. Mention the condition when you enrol so the provider can record your status correctly and explain which documents it needs from you.
- What if earnings are above the funding threshold?
- Learners who earn above the threshold are co-funded instead of fully funded, so the place may carry a charge. Providers often publish their fee arrangements, and some list concessions, so ask the enrolment team what applies to your circumstances. National Careers Service listings show a cost for each course, which lets you compare providers before you apply.
- How does ESOL link to the Life in the UK test in Northern Ireland?
- The nidirect page says learners at ESOL Entry 3 or above take the Life in the UK test when applying for naturalisation. Learners below Entry 3 who want to apply take English (ESOL) and citizenship classes together. Your college assessment tells you which level you are at, so it is worth asking for that result in writing.
- What can learners do if there is a waiting list for ESOL?
- Waiting lists are one reason some areas have built central assessment points. Cardiff's REACH hub assesses learners and refers them to mainstream, flexible or online provision. Elsewhere, contact several providers, ask about informal community classes whilst you wait, and use the National Careers Service filters for online and evening courses, which can have different start dates.
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