Case study: Local ESOL coordination in Hackney

The Hackney ESOL Advice Service (EAS) was a Matrix-accredited, specialist, borough-wide ESOL initial assessment, advice and data service for people with English language needs in the borough. Launched in 2010 following a successful collaborative funding bid by the borough’s ESOL Working Group to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)'s Migration Impact Fund. The funding for the service ran for one academic year after which, due to the demonstrable success of the project, it was absorbed by the local authority until 2017.

The EAS worked with all known ESOL providers in and near Hackney to help people wanting to learn English find suitable ESOL classes, offering weekly ESOL assessment and advice sessions in community venues for potential learners, and bespoke, on-site sessions for groups of learners in partnership with civil society organisations. Assessments were carried out by Level 5 qualified ESOL tutors, and included the collection of information to establish availability, preferences, childcare needs, prior education, work experience, aspirations and eligibility for the range of different funding streams available for ESOL at the time. 

Filling gaps and reducing duplication

The EAS proactively avoided duplicating the existing mainstream offer, beginning and ending assessment activities each academic year after the borough's ESOL providers had completed their enrolment periods. The service focused on filling gaps, including, for example, offering assessment and advice sessions throughout the academic year which allowed providers to top up their courses more easily, and developing a data collection form which included the information required by the full range of providers in the borough for funding and placement purposes. This allowed providers to opt to accept the initial assessment documentation completed by the EAS instead of repeat the process, reducing demands on both learners and providers.

ESOL Single Point of Contact (SPOC)

The ESOL Advice Service was a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for both potential learners and new and existing ESOL providers in the borough, streamlining the learner journey and helping to better utilise limited funding for ESOL, by matching eligible learners to ESOL provision with vacancies.

Driving improvement through data

In addition to directly assisting potential ESOL learners and formal and informal ESOL providers, the EAS indirectly worked to improve the availability and suitability of ESOL provision in the borough by collecting, analysing and sharing with key stakeholders, including providers, information on unmet need through quarterly reports on waiting lists at ward level, and an annual end-of-academic-year report. The data increased the number of ESOL providers delivering in the borough over time, supported funding bids for additional ESOL in the borough, and informed policy development at both local and national level.

Impact

Over the course of seven years, the Hackney EAS supported over 8,000 Londoners, working in partnership with all known ESOL providers in the borough. The Hackney EAS has been replicated to different degrees and at different times in other parts of the UK, including the London Boroughs of Camden, Islington, Waltham Forest, Newham and Merton, Manchester and Bedford. Visit Local ESOL Coordination to learn more about other models.

For further information, email the Head of Quality and Curriculum at Hackney Adult Learning, Jill Gander, at [email protected].

The resources produced by the service over the seven years of its operation can be found below:

• View information booklet PDF
• View outreach flyer PDF
• View learner data form PDF
• View annual report 2016-17 PDF
• View annual report 2015-16 PDF
• View annual report 2014-15 PDF
• View annual report 2013-14 PDF
• View annual report 2012-13 PDF
• View annual report 2011-12 PDF
• View annual report 2010-11 PDF
• View annual report 2009-10 PDF