Adults, 19 and over
Get the English and maths that jobs ask for
Job adverts want a grade 4, or a level 2. If you haven't got yours yet, we'll help you get it.
Your options
GCSE or Functional Skills
Both get you to level 2. Both are taught in class, days or evenings, starting September or January.
Graded 9 to 1
GCSE
- The one most job adverts name
- Grade 4 is the pass you need
- Written exams in May and June. No coursework, though English adds a short assessed talk
Entry level 3 to level 2
Functional Skills
- English and maths you'll use at work
- Level 2 counts instead of a grade 4
- You sit the exam when you're ready
Apply
How you get started
Start on the right. We'll walk you through the rest.
- 01 Today
Apply
Two minutes on the form. Tell us English, maths or both.
- 02 Within a week
We'll arrange your assessment
We'll send you the dates we have and you pick one, then come in to Doncaster College to do it. Nothing to revise and no pass or fail: it decides the level of course you are offered.
One to two hours Two dates if you do both - 03 Usually the same day
Find out your course and level
Based on your assessment, your tutor will talk you through the course and level that suit you, and agree the right class with you.
- 04 September or January
Start
We'll be in touch about your start date, and confirm your class, your day and your times.
Apply to study with us
Will it cost you anything?
Most local adults pay nothing. Put your postcode in and we'll tell you what to expect.
An indication, not a decision. We check the council area your postcode sits in, using the Office for National Statistics postcode data. Whether you are actually funded also depends on your age, residency and prior qualifications, and is confirmed individually when you enrol.
What do you need?
You do not choose a course or a level. That is what the assessment is for.
Apply for your place
What happens next. We'll invite you in for your assessment, and after that we'll be in touch about your start date.
Not ready to apply? Send an enquiry and the English and maths team will come back to you.
Before you apply
Asked most often
I left school years ago. Is that a problem?
Not at all. Nearly everyone in our adult classes left school years ago. You will be starting again alongside people doing exactly the same thing.
What happens at the assessment?
You will answer some English or maths questions, then talk it through with a tutor. It takes between one and two hours, and it is there to find your starting point, not to catch you out. If you apply for both subjects you will be given two separate appointments, on two different dates.
Why does it say £0 with a star?
Your fees are paid for you if you are 19 or over, live in the right area, have lived in the UK or EU for the last three years, and are not on an apprenticeship. You also cannot already hold the qualification. We check all of this with you before you start.
Do I need any qualifications to start?
None at all. You just need to be 19 or over, and to not already hold the qualification at that level.
I have got dyslexia. Can you help?
Yes. Tell us when you apply and our support team will arrange extra help for your exams.
I am under 19.
English and maths come with your main course instead. See how it works if you are 16 to 18.