ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages)
At WAES we offer ESOL courses for adults to meet your individual needs and at levels that work for you. We offer part-time courses in the day, evening and at the weekends for permanent or temporary residents in the UK. We have a proven track record and are a successful provider of ESOL courses and are proud of how our learners have progressed into work and further study.
Our teaching staff are fully-qualified with years of experience to help you develop your English reading, writing, speaking and listening skills which lead to recognised qualifications. Courses are free for many learners living in Greater London who are unemployed, on means-tested benefits, or earning below the London Living Wage which is £27,007.50 per year as of 23 October 2024. ID and proof of low income and benefits are required for assessment.
You can apply online for our ESOL courses. After submitting your application, you will be contacted by email to invite you to an assessment. Please note, due to very high demand, our courses fill up quickly, and spaces are limited, so please get your applications in as quickly as possible.
In the event of a course being oversubscribed, we will operate a waiting list. If places become available, these will be allocated and prioritised to applicants who are Westminster residents in the first instance.
During term time, our assessments take place at our Lisson Grove centre on Tuesdays from 10am and at our Pimlico centre on Fridays from 10am. During WAES holidays, specific days will be arranged for assessments. Please contact us for more information. For general course enquiries or for further information please call us on 020 7297 7297 or use our contact form.
If you are not looking to work towards a qualification at this time, you might instead be interested in applying for our Gain Confidence in English courses.
For the following courses, you may be eligible for full or partial government funding or a loan, depending on factors like your age, location, residency status, employment situation, or income.
It is based on the syllabus of the ESOL Skills for Life Curriculum for each level and focuses on developing reading, writing and speaking and listening skills over an academic year. Please note, due to very high demand we have very limited availability, so you may not be able to start a course before September.
Do you want to feel more confident in English? Our "Gain Confidence in English" course is perfect for you! This course is available from Pre-Entry to Level 1.
- Highly qualified and professionally experienced tutors
- Accessible Central London centres with bespoke facilities and great transport connections
- A wide range of in-person, online, distance learning and community-based courses
- Unique work experience opportunities through partnerships
- Guest speakers offer introductions to career pathways in a variety of sectors
- Excellent progression to employment, apprenticeships or further learning including university
