English Skills

GCSE English includes developing your writing skills and language analysis of 19th, 20th and 21st Century texts.

Courses are delivered through single 2 1/2 hour classes and up to 5 hours of home study per week. Optional supplementary classes and tutorials will also be offered.

GCSE classes will start the week beginning Monday 15 September.

The exam dates will be in May and June 2026

Course costs

If you do not already have a grade ‘C’ GCSE in English (or grade 4 if you’ve studied the new curriculum), then the course is free. (We claim funding from the Government)

If you have a grade ‘C’ (or grade 4) GCSE in English and are looking to improve your grade, then email us on AESessentialSkills@coventry.gov.uk and we can discuss costs with you.

Enrolment

Prospective GCSE learners should have a minimum of GCSE grade D/3 or Functional Skills Level 1 and must pass a pre-course assessment before starting the course.

If you have been away from education for a while or have no qualifications but are confident in your everyday skills, come and talk to us.

Passing the pre-course assessment is the criteria for being offered a place on a course. You should allow 2 hours for the assessment.

Sign up for a course

You can book a place on an enrolment session. This will ask you to choose the venue where you would like your appointment and then ask you to choose the day and time that suits you.

If you don’t feel able to apply online, please ring our Learner Services team on 024 7697 5200.

ID needed to enrol

You will need to prove your identity and that you meet the grant eligibility criteria. To do this we need to see some ID

• If you are a UK National, please bring your birth certificate, driving licence or British passport.
• If you are an EU citizen, please bring your passport/ID card and a share code generated within the last 90 days.
• if you are currently seeking Asylum, please bring your ARC card and Aspen card (if applicable).
• Otherwise, you will need to generate a sharecode for your online eVisa document to prove your residency status. 
• (If you have not yet applied for your eVisa, please bring your residence permit (BRP), passport with visa or whatever documentation you have that shows your residency status.)

Exams for private students

Contact us on AESessentialSkills@coventry.gov.uk to discuss this in more detail.

Exam board

We use the AQA exam board.

Further information

If you are offered a place on the course, you will be required to purchase a textbook at a discounted price of £6. Textbooks are available at Southfield Old School and at the Broad Street Centre.

If you study online there will be a requirement to have a PC, Laptop or tablet.