A recent visit to HMP Pentonville revealed the impressive work they are doing with foreign nationals to support their language needs and development. The prison education department, currently contracted to City & Islington College, are using the NOCN Entry Level ESOL Skills for Life qualifications to accredit their learners. Since February 2006 they have awarded ESOL certificates to 117 offender learners, which is no mean feat bearing in mind the rapid turnover rate of the population in this prison.

Philip Hoyte, the ESOL Co-ordinator and Internal Moderator, proudly explained how the provision is tightly co-ordinated and structured, with staff and material resources designated specifically to support the teaching and assessment of ESOL. As we walked through the education department, he pointed out the two classrooms used solely for ESOL and the separate room used for exam/external assessment purposes. The classrooms were clearly ESOL focused with phonemic charts, vocabulary and visuals on the walls and computers set up to support the delivery and learning.

The classes run in morning and afternoon sessions each day, with each session being 2.5 hours. The Entry 1 and Entry 2 classes run twice a day and Entry 3 once a day, with class sizes averaging between 6 and 12 learners. There is also a 3 hour session put aside each week for qualification assessments. In addition to this, the team run outreach classes in the workshops where there is a room put aside for teaching Skills for Life qualifications, and this catches those who wish to work but don’t want to miss out on support with their language and literacy development. On top of this direct delivery, all ESOL learners have access to the library once a week. This well-organised provision is delivered by a team of eight part-time and full-time staff, all of whom are qualified EFL/ESOL teachers.

The learners do a Basic Skills Assessment during the Prison Induction process and one of the ESOL team are at the session (that takes place every afternoon) to catch those requiring ESOL provision. A foreign national orderly is present at Induction to help with translation issues and discussing agencies within the prison. A lot of effort is put into co-ordination, including chasing and checking up when learners do not attend classes. The team also work closely with the Foreign Nationals Co-ordinator to ensure the inmates are integrating within the prison.

The diversity of the foreign national population in the prison is clearly reflected in those participating in the ESOL classes. This diversity ensures the learners speak English in order to communicate with each other in the classroom. Philip explained that around 10% of the learners are not literate in their first language, which presents additional challenges for the tutors. Common to most ESOL provision, many of the learners also have spiky profiles with their speaking and listening skills usually at a higher level at the start of the learning process. A qualification that allows assessment of the different skills at the most appropriate level is essential to motivating learners.

It is common knowledge that prisons have limitations placed upon teaching and assessment that are specific to and determined by the context. HMP Pentonville is no exception; a large number of the population in the prison are on remand with a 6 week average stay, although there are others who may be there for a year or more. With this in mind, the qualifications used need to be achievable in small steps and flexible enough to allow assessment as and when the learners are ready.

When I asked Phil why he had chosen NOCN ESOL qualifications for his provision, he explained that the nature of the prison context necessitates assessment on demand and a rapid response from the awarding body on certification. The OCN can provide both of these, with external assessments that are internally run and externally moderated and a two week turnaround of certificates (from receipt at the OCN). As External Examiners are not required, the team can discuss and decide when the learners are ready for assessment and implement it straightaway. It is important that learners do not leave the prison without recognition for what they have achieved; the achievement of a qualification boosts confidence and in many cases, is a learner’s first experience of certification for their learning. (Qualifications also enable learners to approach employers on a firmer footing and are becoming increasingly important for those seeking citizenship.)

With the caveat of a recommendation to NOCN for fewer and smaller assessment tasks for speaking and listening, bearing in mind the logistics of operating assessment for these skills, the team are happy with the qualifications and with the support provided by the OCN. During my visits to the classrooms I also experienced first hand the learners’ enthusiasm for the qualification and particularly for the certificates. The atmosphere in the rooms was convivial and positive, and there was obvious engagement with the learning process. All of this is a tribute to the ESOL team in the prison and to the contracting provider, all of whom are clearly committed to raising levels of attainment of offenders and, hopefully, contributing to the reducing re-offending agenda.

With thanks to Philip Hoyte and the ESOL team for inviting us in to HMP Pentonville.