Author: Liam Morton

A new report by the Lifelong Education Commission says that enhancing English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) in the UK could be key to tackling national skills gaps and shortages.

ESB fully supports the report’s recommendations to ensure English language provision is accessible to all and endorses its call for an ‘ESOL Strategy for England’.

With the report’s findings also being welcomed by one of ESB’s loyal and trusted centres, London’s New City College, the report states that many migrants and asylum seekers are held back by their lack of English Language proficiency, especially in speaking and writing abilities that are essential for high-skilled jobs. 

Passionate about closing the disadvantage gap, the key points of this new report mirrors ESB’s own findings through its commitment to empowering all learners to thrive in education, training and employment, whatever their background.

Says ESB’s Chief Executive, Tina Renshaw, “We welcome this report and are excited about what this could hold for our ESOL learners. ESB promotes and assesses English language within a wide range of educational centres. Last year alone, ESB assessed over 17,000 ESOL learners, demonstrating the sheer scale of those seeking English language skills for life in the UK.”

For nearly 70 years, ESB has been empowering learners to succeed – especially those who face disadvantage – through its accessible portfolio of speech and language qualifications.

ESB’s Chief Assessor, Ben Jackson, adds: “One of the benefits of preparing learners for ESB’s qualifications, and then having them assessed by rigorously trained and standardised external assessors, is that teachers and tutors are able to focus on developing their learners’ English language skills against a set of clear criteria, whilst raising the value and understanding of these skills in the classroom and beyond. Our ESOL assessments support the development of vital English language skills, helping to boost engagement in daily life, leading to further learning and education, and gaining meaningful and sustainable employment. They offer a clear path to English language success.”

The video below demonstrates the immense impact that ESB’s ESOL assessments have on ESOL learners at another of our valued centres – Stanmore College. A number of their ESOL Learners consequently took the next step in their English language journey and completed ESB’s Ofqual Regulated ESOL International assessments.

You can also read about what some of ESB’s ESOL tutors say about our ESOL Skills for Life assessments:

“ESB Speaking and Listening assessments give a good balance between things that students can prepare and work towards, and the unknown. It really is a complete test of their whole range of language. Every assessment that I have seen is spot on for the right level – and therefore, is right for our students.”
Kirsty Barlow, the Essential Skills Curriculum Manager at Blackfriars Settlement

“I love ESB! The communication is always there and the process is easy. Everything is done externally so the pressure is off teachers and we can just prepare learners for their assessments, so it is great. We have been with ESB for about 7 years now and it has always been consistent and of high quality!”
ESB Organiser and Tutor at Stanmore College, Mafa Ardestani

ESB provides ESOL Skills for Life qualifications from Entry 1 to Level 2 and ESB ESOL International qualifications from B1 to C2 – enabling every individual to realise their potential, whatever their circumstances. Learners can also receive up to 36 UCAS points at Level 3 (C2), a great steppingstone into further learning or employment.

Please contact a member of ESB’s Business Development Team at business@esbuk.org if you wish to enrol your students to complete our ESOL assessments. You can also find out whether your organisation is eligible for financial support through ESB’s Christabel Burniston Fund.

You can read the full report here.

Speech and Language UK’s new report highlights that 1.7 million children are struggling with talking and understanding words in the UK, which is adversely affecting their future personal development and wellbeing.

ESB wholeheartedly supports the report’s recommendations and the charity’s call on the Government to take urgent action so that these children can have their needs identified and met.

“Supporting children with speech and language challenges should be as much of a priority as literacy and numeracy.” (1.7 million Young Futures Report)

Research from Speech and Language UK’s report highlights that if children don’t get help with speech and language, they risk...

• Worse literacy and numeracy
• More mental health problems
• More offending
• Less secure employment
• Low GCSE grades
• Being excluded from school

ESB’s CEO Tina Renshaw, says: “What has always been evident to us at ESB, is the centrality of oracy in achievement – commensurate with literacy and numeracy. They are the building blocks of effective learning, participation, economic achievement and development.”

For nearly 70 years, ESB has been empowering learners to succeed – especially those who face disadvantage – through its accessible portfolio of speech and language qualifications.

ESB is passionate about closing the disadvantage gap and the key points of this new report mirrors ESB’s own findings through its commitment to empowering all learners whatever their background.

Through its Christabel Burniston Fund, ESB is instrumental in opening up a host of opportunities for disadvantaged learners. Financial provision from the Fund, established in honour of ESB’s founder, Christabel Burniston MBE, is allowing learners who face disadvantage due to socio-economic factors, special educational needs and disabilities, and/or migration status, to access its qualifications and, in turn, develop the key speaking and listening skills they need to achieve their aspirations.

Says Tina: “Giving learners the tools to thrive in education, training and employment has always been at the forefront of ESB’s work and we recognise that by giving free training for staff and offering a reduction in assessment fees to those in need, opens more doors for all.  In order to evidence the benefits of this funding, ESB is currently undertaking a project to provide individual impact report to funded centres to allow them, and us, to fully understand the benefits to their learners. Each report highlights the extent to which a focus on oracy using external assessment has a quantifiable impact on learners’ knowledge, skills and personal and social development.”

The reports use data provided by schools and learners such as:

• Learner Pre and Post Assessment Data
• Teacher Baseline Assessment Data
• Qualitative Data collected from questionnaires.

Adds Tina: “The individual reports are incredibly useful and we are in the process of producing an Annual National Report on ESB’s impact on closing the disadvantage gap, using the data and information gathered”.

You can read Speech and Language UK’s new report: 1.7 million young futures here.

If you believe your learners or young people would benefit from ESB’s speech and English language qualifications, we would love to hear from you. Please get in touch to find out whether your centre is eligible for financial support through our Christabel Burniston Fund by emailing business@esbuk.org.

ESB assessor Lulu Dale led a number of oracy workshops at the WayWord Festival held at Chester’s Storyhouse Theatre, this October half-term.

Celebrating the power of words, the WayWord Festival is designed for young people, offering them an exciting and inspiring programme of events and activities to fire up their imagination. 

Key speakers at the festival included famous poets, Benjamin Zephaniah (pictured with Lulu Dale below), Dame Jacqueline Wilson, Julian Clary and Nick Sharratt.

Lulu, together with curriculum expert, Tara Jones, encouraged learners’ confidence in communication and fostered creativity during the interactive sessions.

The young people were given the opportunity to take to the stage and share in speaking and listening with others in small groups. 

Parents also had the opportunity to talk with Lulu and Tara as they explained the importance of modelling and teaching spoken language and listening skills.

One learner, Alex said: “The workshop helped me to express my mind!”, with another parent, Jade Palmer adding, “The workshop was absolutely fantastic. We were so impressed with Lulu!”

Famous poet, activist, novelist, actor and broadcaster, Benjamin Zephaniah, says about Storyhouse: “I wish I had something like this when I was growing up”.

Lulu adds, “I thoroughly enjoyed leading the fun, interactive sessions and witnessing the huge impact they had on these young people’s oracy skills. With the same goal as ESB assessments, the workshops provided children with a platform and opportunity to speak about what matters the most to them and listen to other members of the group.

“Similar to the workshops, the majority of ESB’s Speech assessments are carried out in groups where learners are assessed individually – replicating real life opportunities for speaking and listening. At ESB, we understand the importance of possessing key communication skills and we’re here to support our learners to develop them. What a fantastic day!”

ESB offers a full range of accredited oracy qualifications, recognised and mapped to the relevant common curriculum requirements. Find out more about our speech qualifications here.

If you believe your learners or young people would benefit from ESB qualifications, we would love to hear from you. Please get in touch to find out whether your centre is eligible for financial support through our 70/70 campaign by emailing business@esbuk.org.