Monthly Update September 2026
Dear members ,
Welcome to our Monthly Update September 2026!
We hope you’ve had a chance to switch off, recharge and enjoy the summer. As the new academic year starts, we’re excited to get things moving again and have plenty to share with you.
You may notice a few changes in this month’s Monthly Update. We’ve given it a fresh new look to make it easier to navigate, and we’ve also made some exciting changes to our membership options.
One of our new options is a Large Organisation Membership, designed for larger colleges and organisations that would like to involve more members of their staff in our events. Read on to find out more about our updated membership options and what they mean for you.
We’ll soon be announcing our new season of webinars, with a programme of practical sessions planned for the months ahead. In the meantime, we’ve gathered some interesting events, opportunities and news from across the ESOL sector to help you get the new academic year off to a great start.
We look forward to connecting with you again in the new academic year!
If you have any queries, get in touch with us by emailing info@natecla.org.uk or calling 07443 601 298.
All the best,
Laura, Doeon and Irene
NATECLA National Centre
NATECLA News
NATECLA New membership packages
From 1 September 2026, NATECLA has introduced a clearer, simpler membership structure designed to better reflect the needs of our members.
The changes are designed to make it easier to find the membership that’s right for you and ensure our categories better reflect the needs of our growing community. Some changes include:
✅ Clearer individual membership categories
✅ NEW organisational membership
✅ Free supported membership for eligible members
New research on the ESOL crisis in Scotland
We’re delighted to share the publication of the ‘Evidencing the ESOL Crisis’ project, led by the University of Glasgow in partnership with NATECLA Scotland and Migration Policy Scotland.
The report explores the challenges facing ESOL in Scotland and sets out key recommendations for a stronger and better-supported future for the sector.
News from across the sector
NATECLA is deeply saddened to hear of the death of Matthew Corbett. Matt was a long-standing member and supporter of NATECLA and a much-loved figure in the ESOL community, having worked as a practitioner and manager at Blackburn College, Lancashire Adult Learning and Oldham College.
He was a passionate advocate for ESOL and a pleasure to work with, and he will be greatly missed by his family, friends, colleagues and the wider ESOL community.
NATECLA Events
NATECLA Scotland Conference 2026
Date: Saturday 7th November 2026
Time: 10:00 – 16:00
Location: Edinburgh College, Granton Campus
Cost: £35 members / £70 non-members
NATECLA Scotland are delighted to invite you to the 2026 Annual Conference.
⭐ Exhibitor opportunities
Organisations interested in exhibiting at the conference are invited to complete this form to register their interest.
Exhibitor fees:
Standard organisation: £250
Small organisation: £120
NATECLA SW & Y&H
Date: Monday 5 October 2026
Time: 11:45–13:15
Join NATECLA South West and Yorkshire & Humber branches for a joint online mini-conference. Topic TBC.
Other Events
Developing Fluency in Workplace Communication
Date: Friday 9 October 2026
Time: 13:00- 16:00
Location: University of Reading
Speaker: Professor Parvaneh Tavakoli (University of Reading)
Join us to explore how to help students develop greater fluency and confidence in workplace communication. Free for NATECLA members.
ESOL Research Community
Date: Thursday 22 October 2026
Time: 16:00 17:00
Location: Online, via Teams
Presenters: Professor Richard Smith and ESOL teacher Nermen Kan
Join a session of advice and ideas for teachers who would like to research their own classrooms.
Resources
NATECLA In-House Training: Book now for your CPD day
At NATECLA, we provide practical, affordable in-house training for ESOL departments, connecting colleges and training providers with highly experienced teacher trainers. Sessions are tailored to your department’s needs and can be delivered as 90-minute, half-day or full-day workshops.
ESOL practitioner research study in Ireland
Trinity College Dublin is conducting research into ESOL provision in Ireland’s Further Education and Training (FET) sector and is inviting ESOL practitioners working in funded FET provision to share their perspectives through a short, anonymous survey.
The study explores the strengths, challenges and opportunities within the sector and aims to inform future policy and practice
Resource of the Month
This month’s resource is Learning Unlimited’s ESOL and photography toolkit, Picture This!.
Picture This! is a participatory ESOL and photography project that brings together language learning and creative photography. The toolkit shares learning from the project, including tips, tools, activities and practical resources to help you run your own ESOL and photography course.