WEA courses

This course is funded by the East Midlands Combined County Authority and only available to residents living within the East Midlands Combined County Authority area. Get Ready for ESOL is a pre‑entry course for adults who are at the very beginning of their English language journey. This 24‑hour course helps you build the essential skills you need before joining an accredited Entry 1 ESOL qualification. You will learn to take part in short conversations, understand simple spoken information, read everyday words and signs, and write basic words and phrases. You will also develop strategies to ask for repetition or clarification when you do not understand. This course provides a supportive introduction to English and prepares you for further ESOL study.

This course is funded by the East Midlands Combined County Authority and is only available to residents living within the East Midlands Combined County Authority area. English for Everyday Life (Entry 1) helps learners develop basic English for daily communication. The course focuses on simple speaking, listening, reading and writing skills used in familiar situations such as shopping, travel, appointments and home routines. Learners practise short conversations, understand basic instructions, read simple words and sentences, and write short phrases. Activities are practical and confidence‑building, helping learners use English in real‑life situations. This course prepares learners for further ESOL study and progression to Entry 2 ESOL level courses such as Practical English Skills.

This course is funded by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and is only available to residents living within the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority area. English for Everyday Life (Entry 1) helps learners develop basic English for daily communication. The course focuses on simple speaking, listening, reading and writing skills used in familiar situations such as shopping, travel, appointments and home routines. Learners practise short conversations, understand basic instructions, read simple words and sentences, and write short phrases. Activities are practical and confidence‑building, helping learners use English in real‑life situations. This course prepares learners for further ESOL study and progression to Entry 2 ESOL level courses such as Practical English Skills.

This course is funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority and is only available to residents living within the West Midlands Combined Authority area. English for Work Readiness (Entry 3) develops the language needed for more complex everyday and work‑related communication. Learners practise taking part in discussions, understanding longer explanations, reading everyday documents and writing short paragraphs. The course builds confidence in communicating independently at home, in the community and in work‑related situations. Activities focus on real‑life tasks such as making arrangements, giving opinions, understanding procedures and writing clear messages. This course prepares learners for Level 1 ESOL course such as English for Work and Study or entry‑level employment.

This course is funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority and is only available to residents living within the West Midlands Combined Authority area. English for Work and Study (Level 1) develops the language and study skills needed for more advanced communication in work, education and community settings. Learners practise taking part in extended discussions, understanding detailed explanations, reading longer texts and writing structured paragraphs. The course builds confidence in using English independently and accurately. Activities focus on real‑life tasks such as problem‑solving, presenting information, interpreting documents and writing for different purposes. This course prepares learners for Level 2 ESOL or further study.

This course is funded by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and is only available to residents living within the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority area. There are many reasons to study this English functional skills course but you might be surprised to know that they’re not academic. Whether you want to feel more confident at public speaking or would like to study an apprenticeship or traineeship, this Level 2 English Functional Skills course can help you achieve your goals in a fun and practical way. Functional skills courses teach you English skills for learning, life, and work- not just to pass an exam. Enjoy the learning process as you watch your vocabulary grow, your spelling improve, and your confidence soar. If you’re fed up with academic courses and want to learn English in a practical and gratifying way, you won’t regret taking this English functional skills level 2 course. Functional Skills qualifications are free if you don't already have a GCSE in English or Maths at grades A*-C, or 4-9. We'll check your level and any previous qualifications before you start. This ensures you are on the correct course.

This course is funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority and is only available to residents living within the West Midlands Combined Authority area. English for Work Readiness (Entry 3) develops the language needed for more complex everyday and work‑related communication. Learners practise taking part in discussions, understanding longer explanations, reading everyday documents and writing short paragraphs. The course builds confidence in communicating independently at home, in the community and in work‑related situations. Activities focus on real‑life tasks such as making arrangements, giving opinions, understanding procedures and writing clear messages. This course prepares learners for Level 1 ESOL course such as English for Work and Study or entry‑level employment.

This course is funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority and is only available to residents living within the West Midlands Combined Authority area. English for Work and Study (Level 1) develops the language and study skills needed for more advanced communication in work, education and community settings. Learners practise taking part in extended discussions, understanding detailed explanations, reading longer texts and writing structured paragraphs. The course builds confidence in using English independently and accurately. Activities focus on real‑life tasks such as problem‑solving, presenting information, interpreting documents and writing for different purposes. This course prepares learners for Level 2 ESOL or further study.

This course is funded by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and is only available to residents living within the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority area. This Get Ready for Functional Skills English course provides a supportive introduction to reading, writing, speaking and listening for adults working at Pre‑Entry level. Delivered over 24 guided learning hours across 12 two‑hour sessions, it helps learners build confidence, develop essential foundation skills and prepare for progression to Entry Level 1 Functional Skills English. Learners take part in practical, everyday activities such as recognising key words, understanding simple spoken information, writing short phrases and taking part in brief conversations. Taught in a relaxed, inclusive environment with no formal exams, the course builds confidence and readiness for further English study.

This course is funded by the Department for Education and only open to residents living in non devolved authorities. English Conversation – Entry 1 helps learners build confidence using simple spoken English in familiar, everyday situations. The course focuses on short conversations such as greetings, introductions, asking simple questions and giving basic personal information. Learners practise listening for key words, responding with short phrases and using everyday vocabulary to communicate needs. Activities include pair work, role‑play and guided conversations to help learners feel more comfortable speaking in English. The course provides a supportive starting point for learners who are beginning to use spoken English and want to develop confidence before progressing to higher‑level conversation classes.