“I have been on an English course at Reach and really enjoy it. It’s completely different from being at school. When I started I had no confidence and was scared about coming to a new class. The tutor and other students made me feel at home and I look forward to seeing them every week. My goal is to find work and be able to help my children with homework as they get older”
Community learning courses
Reach runs a range of courses at venues across the area. We offer accredited courses in English, maths and IT, and a range of non-accredited leisure courses, including yoga, creative crafting and cooking. Some courses also include free childcare.
Who are the courses for?
Any adult can enroll on one of our courses. They are particularly useful for people who are not working and would like to gain qualifications to improve their employment prospects; for people who have been unwell and would like to get out more to improve their wellbeing; and for people who are not native English speakers and would like to improve their communication in English. Our courses can help to improve confidence and unlock hidden talents. Courses run termly and classes take place once a week.
“When I started, my confidence was low, I joined What Makes your Computer Tick with no knowledge of how computers work at all. By the end of the course, I had learned how to strip a PC and fully rebuild it. I enjoy getting out of the house and have made some good friends on courses with Reach.”
Enrolling on a course
Enrollment takes place at the first session of each course. To enroll, please bring evidence of your identity, such as a driving licence or bank card, as well as proof of any means tested benefits you are receiving.
“I had no idea I could do lessons in my community that can lead to getting some qualifications. I would recommend Reach to anyone, the staff and teachers are really nice.”
Course venues
We hold courses at the following venues
Newfield Green Library
Lowedges Community Centre
Gleadless Valley Methodist Church
Reach Employment and Learning Centre
Herdings Community and Heritage Centre
Reach Classroom, Blackstock Road
See our course brochure for more details
Any questions?
Wesley Peters, our Learning Champion, will be happy to answer any questions you may have about our courses. He can be contacted on 0114 239 4466 or at wesley.peters@gvcf.org.uk
Learning resources
Below are links to some learning resources that could help you.
English as a second language (ESOL)
http://a4esl.org (Quizzes, tests and exercises for ESOL students)
bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/
http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/
Other resources
bbc.co.uk/skillswise (Functional English, Maths, Job skills, games and phonics tool – a very useful resource)
abcfastphonics.com (Aimed at children but adults could use, too. Some of the pronunciation given is American)
learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/grammarandvocabulary
spellzone.com (You have to pay for this one but there is a free trial option)
dictionary.com (Good for checking definitions, thesaurus, synonyms)
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com
typingclub.com (Free. Learn to touch type)