Monthly Update October 2025
Dear members ,
Welcome to our October 2025 Update.
We have a busy and exciting autumn ahead, with new branch conferences, online forums, and sector news. You can find all the details below.
We are also thrilled to announce the dates for the NATECLA Annual Conference 2026! The event will take place on 26–27 June 2026 at Conference Aston. Save the date!
There are still a few seats left for this Thursday’s webinar, “Be More Neurodiverse Aware: How Dyspraxia Can Affect Language Learning”, so make sure to book your place if you haven’t already.
We hope everyone is having a good first term!
If you have any queries, please 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: Celebrating diversity, not hostility
NATECLA strongly condemns the ongoing hostile climate and scapegoating of refugees, people seeking asylum, and others who have made their home here.
As the professional body for ESOL and community language teachers across the UK and Ireland, we see every day how a multilingual and multicultural society enriches lives and strengthens communities.
NATECLA responds to Jenrick ‘integration’ comments
NATECLA Co-Chairs, Naeema Hann and Paul Sceeny, have responded to recent remarks by Conservative Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick, condemning his comments about ethnic diversity in Birmingham and calling out the use of racist tropes in political discourse.
They highlight the vital role ESOL plays in promoting social cohesion and integration, and the damaging impact of long-term cuts to ESOL funding.
Save the date- NATECLA Annual Conference 2026
Planning has started for NATECLA Annual Conference 2026!
After a sold-out event last year, we’re thrilled to announce the dates: 26–27 June 2026 at Conference Aston, Birmingham.
We’re also delighted to confirm that our main sponsor for the conference this year is NOCN.
Save the Date! We can’t wait to share more details soon and look forward to welcoming you back for another inspiring conference.
NATECLA Webinars
Our webinars take place approximately every two weeks on weekdays, with sessions offered at different times to try to accommodate everyone’s schedule.
Can’t make the live session? No problem! All webinars are recorded, and a recording will be shared with you, accessible for up to a month after the event.
A big thank you to Ascentis for sponsoring this term’s webinar programme.
Webinars cost £30 per person, with NATECLA members paying a reduced rate of £5.
Be More Neurodiverse Aware: How Dyspraxia Can Affect Language
Title: Be More Neurodiverse Aware: How Dyspraxia Can Affect Language Learning
Date: Thursday 16 October 2025
Time: 12:30 - 13:45
Presenter: Matt Starr / Rachel Oner
Navigating the complexities of language learning can be challenging, but for learners with Dyspraxia, these challenges are often magnified. This training session will equip you, as an ESOL tutor, with the knowledge and strategies to better support your learners with dyspraxia. With an overview of the key characteristics of Dyspraxia, the particular challenges that might affect learning and some practical tips and strategies to help you, this session should empower you to create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment for your learners with dyspraxia.
How to Embed Work Skills into ESOL Classes
Title: How to Embed Work Skills into ESOL Classes
Date: Friday 7 November 2025
Time: 12:30 - 13:45
Presenter: Lauren Saunders
This webinar will explore some of the common challenges in delivering ESOL for Work programmes and provide practical ideas for addressing them. Participants will be able to share their own experiences and see example schemes of work and materials in action. We’ll also look at how authentic workplace materials can be used effectively in lessons.
By the end of the session, you’ll feel more confident and equipped with strategies to embed work-related topics into your ESOL classes.
Unlock learning: AI Escape Activities for Engaged Learners
Title: Unlock learning: AI Escape Activities for Engaged Learners
Date: Friday 21 November 2025
Time: 16:00 - 17:30
Presenter: Viorica Lucuta
This interactive webinar explores how AI-enhanced escape activities can bring immersion and excitement into the online classroom. Participants will experience how digital clues and collaborative challenges can spark curiosity, build language skills, and promote teamwork; all within a virtual setting. You’ll come away with practical strategies and adaptable tools to design engaging, game-based experiences that integrate technology and pedagogy to transform your ESOL teaching toolkit.
Quick and Easy Pre-entry Prep!
Title: Quick and Easy Pre-entry Prep!
Date: Friday 5 December 2025
Time: 16:00 - 17:30
Presenter: Dave Butler
Do you find yourself spending ages looking for material and planning your lessons for the week? This session will focus on approaches, strategies and material for teachers to draw upon in order to make planning lessons for pre-entry as fast and effortless as possible! I will use material from my pre-entry series, 'Read and Write every day'
but will also look at how to create your own resources (esolbooks.com for more details).
AI Prompt Craft
Title: AI Prompt Craft
Date: Thursday 18 December 2025
Time: 19:00 - 20:30
Presenter: Eve Sheppard / Rachel Oner
This session explores how ESOL teachers can harness generative AI to create tailored resources that reflect their own professional expertise. Rather than replacing teachers, AI can act as a flexible tool to support planning, adapt materials for different levels, and generate bespoke activities that respond to learners’ needs. Together we’ll look at practical strategies for prompt writing, ways to maintain control over the output, and examples of how AI can complement — not compete with — the creativity and knowledge teachers already bring to their classrooms.
NATECLA Midlands: TeachMeet Forum on the theme of British Values
Title: NATECLA Midlands Forum- Teachmeet about British Values
Date: Tuesday 21 October
Time: 16.30 - 17.3
Join NATECLA Midlands for an inspiring Teachmeet focused on British Values. A Teachmeet is a friendly, informal event made up of snappy, 4-minute presentations where ESOL practitioners share their most effective classroom ideas.
Come along to pick up fresh teaching tips, exchange best practice with colleagues, and contribute your own insights in a supportive space.
Ideas Swap event for Voluntary ESOL
Title: ESOL IDEAS SWAP - for People Working in the Voluntary Sector
Date: Friday 24 October
Time: 13:15 to 14:45
Cost: Free
The Voluntary ESOL Working Group Come invites you to an ideas exchange for supporting people learning English. Share your tips, activities or resources that worked well, in an informal 3-minute presentation.
NATECLA Managers’ Online Forum
Title: NATECLA Managers’ Online Forum
Date: Thursday 6 November
Time: 14:00 to 15:30
Cost: Free
Join us for the next network meeting for ESOL managers working in Further Education(FE), adult education and third sector settings across the UK.
The agenda will be shared soon.
NATECLA Cymru: Is there a gap in ESOL provision for 16 to 18 year old migrant students in Wales?
Title: Is there a gap in ESOL provision for 16 to 18 year old migrant students in Wales?
Date: Friday 14 November 2025
Time: 13:00 - 14:30
Cost: Free
Join NATECLA Cymru for a discussion and Q&A with learners, parents, teachers and managers on the challenges young people face moving from school to college.
Natecla EoE Online Forum - Building Better Habits (Study Skills & Emotional Intelligence)
Title: Natecla EoE Online Forum - Building Better Habits (Study Skills & Emotional Intelligence)
Date: Friday 14 November 2025
Time: 16:00 - 17:30
Price: free.
This interactive event is a chance to connect with like-minded ESOL practitioners and explore practical ways to help learners build stronger study skills and emotional intelligence to be ready to learn. The forum will also feature interactive activities designed to share good practice, spark new ideas and have some fun.
NATECLA Scotland Annual Conference
Title: NATECLA Scotland Annual Conference
Date: Saturday 15 November 2025
Time: 10:30 – 15:30
Location: Paisley Campus, University of the West of Scotland (UWS), High St, Paisley PA1 2BE.
Cost: £35 members / £70 non-members
NATECLA Scotland proudly presents their first conference in 2 years! Join us for a day of ESOL presentations, workshops, discussions, and networking at University of the West of Scotland, Paisley Campus.
The conference will feature an opening plenary, parallel workshops, facilitated mingle sessions, and inspiring talks, including:
Teacher wellbeing and emotion labour in the ESOL classroom (Orsolya Dunn)
Language, Power, and Policy: Unpacking Neoliberal Narratives in ESOL (Declan Flanagan)
The Influence of Reading on Vocabulary Acquisition (Eliza Kelly)
Creating Lessons with Real-World Outcomes (ESOL Scotland)
Promoting Safe Spaces and Confidence for Women Refugees (Juana Simpson)
Learning by Sharing: English Learners and Cultural Exchange (Marzanna Antoniak)
Who Are We When We Teach? Understanding ESOL Teacher Identity (Paula Barrowcliffe)
East of England ESOL Conference
Title: East of England ESOL Conference- Roots and routes: Building resilient communities through language and belonging
Date: Friday 21 November 2025
Time: 9:00 - 15:00
Location: Peterbourough College, Park Crescent, Peterborough PE1 4DZ, United Kingdom
Cost: Free.
NATECLA East of England and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority are hosting a hybrid half-day conference.
Topics include:
Resilient classroom and empowerment for staff and learners
Trauma-informed ESOL and best practices in ESOL provision
Supporting and signposting to external agencies
Learner voice and video case studies
National Changes: Skills England and Funding update
Engaging discussion and Q&A session covering update from EEGLA, DWP,
CRC - College of Sanctuary, inspiring learners stories and Q&A session.
Other events from across the sector
IATEFL Themes Online Conference 2025
Title: IATEFL Themes Online Conference
Date: Saturday 1- Sunday 2 November 2025.
Time: 10:00- 16:30 (UK time)
Price: General registration: £15, IATEFL members- free, NATECLA members: £10.
IATEFL’s Themes online conference returns this November.This special event brings together some of the most significant sessions from this year’s IATEFL International Conference.
NATECLA members have discounted rate of £10 (normally £15) for the full two-day event. Send an email to info@natecla.org.uk to ask for the discount code.
News and resources
Connect, Share and Collaborate on NATECLA’s Member Discussion Forums
Did you know that as a NATECLA member, you have access to a growing suite of online discussion forums designed to help you connect, share ideas and collaborate with colleagues across the ESOL and community languages sector?
Whether you’re an ESOL teacher, manager, researcher, trainee, or teacher trainer, there’s a dedicated space for you to exchange resources, ask questions, and contribute to the professional conversation.
Our forums cover a wide range of topics including:
ESOL teaching and training – for teachers, trainees and teacher trainers to share experiences and best practice.
Digital specialists in ESOL – to explore tools and technology in language learning.
Equality & Diversity Working Group – for members committed to inclusive practice.
Events and Management Council forums – to support planning and leadership discussions.
Volunteers in ESOL, Community language teachers, and Teaching young learners (14–19) – for sharing practical ideas and advice.
Whether you want to ask for teaching tips, discuss research, or stay connected with NATECLA initiatives, the forums offer a supportive and professional space for conversation.
👉 Access the forums now via the Members’ Platform — open to all personal members and staff from institutional member organisations.
Join the conversation and be part of the collective voice shaping the future of ESOL and community languages teaching.
Voluntary ESOL Forum
We are writing to invite you to join this much-needed and long-awaited discussion forum for the voluntary ESOL sector, hosted by jiscmail, moderated by NATECLA.
To subscribe please email the owners at: VOLUNTEERSINESOLFORUM-REQUEST@JISCMAIL.AC.UK and request to be added to the mailing list.
We very much welcome volunteers as well as coordinators to join the group.
New NATECLA discussion forum for Teaching Teens
If you teach ESOL to young learners, you might find our new online discussion forum useful.
As a starting point, why not pop in and introduce yourself and share your top tips for teaching this demographic, alongside your biggest challenges.
You’ll need to be a NATECLA member or a staff member within one of our member institutions to access this.
New Dual ESOL Pathways Programme – Bradford College
Title: Dual ESOL Patways Programme- Bradford College
Date: Friday 16 October 2026
Time: 18:00- !9:00
Price: Free
Are you interested in becoming an ESOL teacher, or are you an experienced practitioner keen to move into teacher education?
Bradford College, in partnership with Migration Yorkshire, is launching a Dual ESOL Pathways Programme with two tailored routes:
Pathway A: For new teachers and volunteers – develop core teaching skills, gain placement experience, and prepare for accredited training or employment.
Pathway B: For experienced ESOL teachers – grow as a mentor and teacher educator through co-training and supporting new entrants.
📍 Open to residents of Yorkshire and the Humber region.
NATECLA In-House Training: Book now for your CPD day
After the summer break, it’s a great time to focus on professional development.
At NATECLA, we understand that high-quality, affordable, and practical in-house training for ESOL departments is hard to find. That is why we offer a training service, connecting highly rated teacher trainers with further education colleges, adult and community education services, and private training providers, including those in EFL.
Our goal is to help teachers and managers to develop practical teaching skills. Our expert trainers offer a variety of 90-minute, half-day, or full-day sessions, all tailored to your department’s needs. Some of our sessions include:
Trauma-informed ESOL
Online ESOL Teaching
Creating Active ESOL Learning Programmes
Best practice in developing, sharing and using ESOL resources
ESOL and Neurodiversity
Embedding ESOL in mainstream courses
Basic literacy for ESOL learners
Teaching pronunciation
Differentiation: stretching and supporting learners without over-stretching teachers
Giving effective feedback
Happiness and wellbeing in the ESOL classroom.
IATEFL discount for NATECLA members
NATECLA is an associate member of IATEFL, so all our individual members can benefit from discounted IATEFL membership
IATEFL Individual membership: £74 per year.
IATEFL Associate Individual Membership: £27 per year.
Some of the advantages of being a member of IATEFL include:
Keep up to date with all that's new in your profession interactionally.
Build your network of colleagues from around the world, sharing your ideas and your challenges.
Attend regular webinars on a wide range of topics.
Search their archive of recorded webinars, articles and publications
Get discounted prices on a range of publications and resources.
Benefit from member prices to attend the annual IATEFL International Conference and Exhibition.
Apply for a range of IATEFL scholarships only available to members.
How to join with the discounted price:
Write to info@natecla.org.uk to ask for the discount code.
Go to IATEFL website.
Introduce the code.
Complete the form.
Resource of the Month
1000 Words for Belonging is a new podcast which explores language and belonging in the classroom. Through interviews with teachers, pupils and experts (including Sahar Afshar, Warda Farah, Li Wei and Naomi Wells), it examines how acknowledging the multiple languages in young people’s lives can enrich learning and wellbeing.
Across four episodes, 1000 Words for Belonging discusses the educational benefits of celebrating linguistic diversity and challenges some of the assumptions that have become normalised in education settings.
Share your story with NATECLA
We love hearing from our members! Whether it’s a success story, a useful teaching tip, an inspiring resource, or a special moment from your ESOL lessons or journey—we want to showcase it!
Your contribution could be featured in our social media posts to inspire and connect our community.
Here are some ideas of what you can share:
What you love about teaching ESOL
Why you joined NATECLA
A recent classroom success
Any challenges you’re facing
Classroom tips or activities that have worked well for you
Jobs and volunteer opportunities
Join NATECLA EDI Working Group
The NATECLA Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Working Group is looking for new members. We meet - briefly, online about once a term. After publishing the member survey last year, we plan to curate resources to support and embed inclusion and could do with some help.
If you’d like to get involved, we’d love to hear from you! You can reply directly to this post, send a message on LinkedIn, or email naema.hann@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you.