Welcome to our training page

Upcoming training dates

January 2025

• 29 Jan 25

  NOCN and NATECLA Online Teachmeet: Embedding Employability in the ESOL Classroom

  You are invited to an online ‘Teachmeet’ from the National Association for Teaching English and Community Languages to Adults (NATECLA), sponsored by NOCN Group! DATE: Wednesday 29th January 2025 TIME: 12:30 – 13:30 LOCATION: Online – via Microsoft Teams COST: Free THEME: Employability and Progression
  Go to link NOCN & NATECLA
• 29 Jan 25

  Middle Leadership Mastery

  Looking to Strengthen Your Middle Leadership Team? Middle Leadership Mastery is a comprehensive course designed for new and current middle leaders in the FE and Skills sector. Developed by the Education and Training Foundation (ETF), this programme provides your leaders with the knowledge, tools, and techniques they need to drive organisational improvement, enhance teaching environments, and boost learner success.
  Go to link Education and Training Foundation
• 30 Jan 25

  NATECLA Webinar: Tiny Changes, Big Impacts: Simple Ways to Make Learning Accessible in the Mixed Ability Classroom

  FREE Title: Tiny Changes, Big Impacts: Simple Ways to Make Learning Accessible in the Mixed Ability Classroom Date: 30 January 2025 Time: 19:00- 20:15 Presenter: Emily Bryson
  Go to link NATECLA

February 2025

• 06 Feb 25

  Introduction to trauma-informed practice

  This LU webinar explores the challenges of working with learners who may be suffering from PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder) in language and literacy learning contexts. It presents current thinking around trauma along with its possible causes and effects, including how it may manifest in learning contexts, and highlights the most effective and supportive approaches and strategies for working with learners who may be survivors of deeply traumatic events. Thursday 6th February, 9.30am – 11.30am (GMT)
  Go to link Learning Unlimited
• 11 Feb 25

  Using a ‘language experience approach’ with English literacy learners

  What is the ‘Language Experience Approach’? Come along to this LU interactive webinar to find out how to use this successful, tried and tested method to teach reading to any learner who has little or no literacy in any language – on a one-to-one basis or with a group. You’ll watch a demonstration video and then explore the many ways this approach can help learners to develop their reading skills. You’ll go away from the session with ideas you can put into practice in your next lesson. Tuesday, 11th February, 4.30pm – 6.30pm (GMT)
  Go to link Learning Unlimited
• 13 Feb 25

  NATECLA Webinar: Growing happier: How can trauma-informed teaching help my students?

  Title: Growing happier: How can trauma-informed teaching help my students? Date: 13 February 2025 Time: 19:00- 20:30 Cost: Non member £30 Presenter: Michaela Hendriks
  Go to link NATECLA
• 14 Feb 25

  NATECLA Yorkshire and Humber Conference 2025: Thrive & Teach – Face-2-face winter conference

  THEME: Thrive & Teach: Self-Love, Self-Care, and Wellbeing for ESOL Teachers DATE: Friday 14th February TIME: registration from 12.15pm, First session from 13:00. Finishing at 16:00 LOCATION: Wakefield College, Margaret Street, Wakefield, WF1 2HD COST: £10 members, £40 non-members
  Go to link NATECLA
• 27 Feb 25

  NATECLA Webinar: Phonics unleashed: Navigating the soundscapes of English

  FREE Date: 27 February 2025 Time: 12:30- 13:45 Presenter: Ania Banks This session explores the world of adult phonics education, focusing on the two main approaches: Synthetic and Embedded phonics. It highlights their unique advantages and challenges, encouraging vibrant discussions and the sharing of experiences. Participants will gain practical insights and teaching strategies to enhance their phonics instruction. The session provides an opportunity to connect with fellow educators and expand teaching toolkits, ultimately aiming to foster impactful phonics and literacy education.
  Go to link NATECLA
• 27 Feb 25

  English and Maths

  Are your ESOL learners struggling with maths or numerical concepts? The aim of this LU interactive online session is to raise awareness of language and literacy issues relating to maths/numeracy teaching and learning, and to explore some strategies for addressing them. You’ll be encouraged to share your experiences of supporting ESOL learners with maths, and we’ll explore some motivating activities for integrating maths into ESOL teaching and learning. Thursday, 27th February, 4.30pm – 6.30pm (GMT)
  Go to link Learning Unlimited
• 28 Feb 25

  NATECLA Midlands: Face-2-face winter conference

  DATE: Friday 28th February TIME: registration from 12.30pm, First session from 13:00 LOCATION: The Brasshouse Centre within the Library of Birmingham, Centenary Square, Broad Street, Birmingham B1 2HP COST: £10 members, £40 non-members
  Go to link NATECLA Midlands

March 2025

• 06 Mar 25
  07 Mar 25

  Linguistic Injustice and Inequality in the Public Domain at University of Stirling

  All Dates: 06 March 2025 | 07 March 2025 - please note this is a multi-date training event.

  Registration costs In-person attendance: £50 Concession (student, unwaged, precariously employed) & online attendance: Free Sessions at the conference will cover a range of topics across four main themes: 1) Linguistic Justice in Health and Law; 2) Education and Livelihoods; 3) Decolonisation: Moving beyond a monolingual Western model; 4) Language Rights, Access and Revitalisation.
  Go to link British Academy conference
• 14 Mar 25

  NATECLA Webinar: Teaching ESOL online

  This session invites educators to explore digital tools, resources, and teaching techniques for creating effective online ESOL lessons. It is designed for those adapting from face-to-face teaching or looking to enhance their current online practices. The session will cover strategies to increase student interaction, engagement, and success through authentic materials and differentiated instruction, providing valuable insights to elevate online teaching. Date: 14 March 2025 Time: 16:00- 17:15 Presenter: Olena Kolesnyk
  Go to link NATECLA
• 20 Mar 25

  Teaching mixed-level English classes

  Do you find catering for ESOL learners with different levels a challenge? In this LU interactive session we’ll look at a range of ways of differentiating learning outcomes, activities and materials (including the use of AI) with Entry-level learners. We’ll consider practical ways of adapting speaking, listening, reading and writing texts and tasks for different learners in the same class. The session will give you ideas for activities to inspire you and your learners! Thursday, 20th March, 4.30pm – 6.30pm (GMT)
  Go to link Learning Unlimited
• 25 Mar 25

  Missing in action: sociolinguistics for language and literacy teaching

  Mainstream approaches to language and literacy teaching often foreground idealised models of language and language users, and spend little time considering real language use in real social contexts. This LU training explores how ESOL practitioners can incorporate vital sociolinguistic insights into their practice, highlighting powerful elements of real-world language use such as the roles of culture, gender, social class and power relationship – and suggests some practical classroom activities that focus on sociolinguistic aspects of language. Tuesday 25th March, 9.30am – 11.30am (GMT)
  Go to link Learning Unlimited
• 27 Mar 25

  Participatory photography and creative writing in the English classroom

  Nowadays nearly everyone has a smartphone with camera and photo album, making it an invaluable resource for teachers and learners. Taking and sharing photos allows learners to express themselves, share their worlds and articulate thoughts and ideas on topics significant to their lives. This builds community and is a catalyst for creative writing, including poetry. This LU session will explore how photography supports and enriches language learning in the ESOL classroom and look at activities to try in the classroom. Thursday, 27th March, 9.30am – 11.30am (GMT)
  Go to link Learning Unlimited

April 2025

• 01 Apr 25

  The naked teacher Part 2: Working with emergent language

  Emergent language is any unplanned language item that arises naturally in a learning context. As a teaching approach closely linked to the ‘naked’ or mostly resource-free approaches referred to above, working with emergent language has many benefits for learners and teachers alike. This LU webinar explores the responsive and language skills practitioners need to adopt this very learner-centred, participative and increasingly recognised methodology, and highlights some practical techniques for implementing this approach in your practice. Tuesday 1st April, 4.30pm – 6.30pm (GMT)
  Go to link Learning Unlimited

June 2025

• 12 Jun 25
  04 Jul 25

  Linguistic justice: a summer school for teachers

  All Dates: 12 June 2025 | 04 July 2025 - please note this is a multi-date training event.

  This FREE summer school will be led by Dr Ian Cushing, Senior Lecturer in Critical Applied Linguistics at Manchester Metropolitan University. Dr Cushing, an ex-school teacher, is a world-leading scholar in issues of language and social justice, whose work focuses on the production and maintenance of linguistic inequalities in schools. The summer school is fully funded by MMU AHEAD’s scheme, with all travel, expenses, and refreshments paid for.
  Go to link MMU
• 27 Jun 25
  28 Jun 25

  NATECLA ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2025

  All Dates: 27 June 2025 | 28 June 2025 - please note this is a multi-date training event.

  Join ESOL teachers, managers, academics and others working in the field for a weekend of inspirational guest speakers, superb workshops, discussion sessions and social activities.
  Go to link NATECLA