At St. Sidwell’s Community Centre we provide free, open‑access ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes to anyone who wants to learn English. More than 250 students from 33 countries — speaking around 55 languages between them — access our classes each week. Many of our learners come from refugee and asylum‑seeking backgrounds.
The central concept of our approach is welcome. We work with our volunteer teachers, classroom assistants and students to create a learning community where every person feels valued, respected, included and safe. Our classrooms are places where everyone is listened to, and where students know that the wealth of experiences, languages, knowledge and cultures they bring with them is important and valuable.
We have a team of over 60 extraordinary volunteer teachers and assistants who deliver English classes at every level, from basic literacy (ESOL Foundations) through to Advanced. Each week, we run 20 two‑hour classes at the community centre, including:
– 14 general ESOL classes
– 3 foundational ESOL classes for learners building basic literacy
– 2 exam preparation classes (Trinity B1 and IELTS)
– ESOL for Employment
– ESOL and Cooking
Every summer, we run a month‑long ESOL Summer Programme, enabling more than 100 learners to access courses on specific subjects such as ESOL and Computing, ESOL for Hairdressing and Cosmetics, and ESOL for Everyday Life in the UK.
We are passionate about widening ESOL access for learners in less urban or more isolated areas of Devon, and for those who find it difficult to attend classes for health or other reasons. Alongside our Exeter classes, we teach a weekly basic literacy class in Exmouth, run a beginners’ session in Chudleigh, and teach an online ESOL and Employment course. We also have a team of 14 dedicated volunteer teachers who visit learners in their homes on a 1‑1, 1‑2 or small‑group basis.
Our classes are a source of stability, encouragement and kindness for people navigating enormous life changes: waiting on asylum decisions, facing housing uncertainty, searching for work, or worrying about loved ones far away. Because our programme is neither accredited nor exam‑driven, we have the freedom to shape learning around our students’ real lives — their needs, interests, challenges and hopes. This flexibility allows ESOL at St. Sidwell’s to become a tool for personal and collective empowerment, a space where people can grow in confidence, find their voice and transform their futures.
In a world where headlines are so often full of negativity and division, the hope, laughter and shared joy that ripple through our classrooms serve as a daily reminder that community matters.
For more information: maria@stsidwells.org.uk
