Nottingham College leads a transformative partnership with local stakeholders to unlock potential in disadvantaged groups through a truly holistic, multi-agency ESOL service across the communities we serve (recognised by Ofsted as a national exemplar of best practice). Our innovative solution delivers a harmonised, city-wide engagement, referral, delivery and supported progression offer that significantly drives up educational participation and transforms life chances.
At the heart of this initiative is BEGIN (Basic Educational Guidance in Nottinghamshire), a central ESOL referral service that acts independently to reduce duplication across the city. This is aligned with significant investment in our ESOL provision, which has grown by 56% since 2020/21 to 4,350 enrolments in 2023/24. Our innovative delivery includes our ESOL Plus programme (core vocational skills and contextualised language co-designed with employers) and our GLASS (Grammar, Language and Study Skills) sessions to boost English language proficiency.
Our offer is enhanced with wrap-around, comprehensive support delivered through dedicated Wellbeing Mentors and Learning Achievement Coaches. The impact is significant: 96% achievement for adult ESOL (against 86.8% national average) with 78% of leavers progressing to positive outcomes. This initiative demonstrates how colleges can lead city-wide partnerships to create efficient, effective ESOL ecosystems, driving both individual and community transformation.
