Home/ Programmes/ Functional Skills Level 2/ Level 2 English
Functional Skills Level 2 English
Level 2 English tutoring for all three parts
Reading, Writing, and Speaking, Listening and Communicating are three separate assessments, and you need to pass all three. Most learners are fine at one and stuck on another.
One to one online lessons for adults, apprentices and students, with your actual writing marked rather than a worksheet handed over. £30 a lesson, and the skills check is free.
No card details. If one component is holding you back, we start there.
Level 2 English at a glance
- Equivalent to
- Generally a GCSE grade 4 or C
- Components
- Reading, Writing, and Speaking and Listening
- To pass
- All three components, not an overall average
- Who it suits
- Adults, apprentices and college learners
- Price
- £30 a lesson, no minimum
- Free first session
- 30-minute skills check, no card details
- Awarding bodies
- Edexcel, City & Guilds, NCFE, AQA, Open Awards
- Exam booking
- Through an approved centre, not through us
The Speaking assessment is the one learners dread and the one self-study covers worst. It can be rehearsed properly, which is most of what makes it manageable.
4.9
34 reviews on Google and Bark
Google reviews
Learner reviews
Pricing
Teaching UK learners since 2020.
Start here
Book a free skills check
Thirty free minutes to find which of the three components is actually holding you back. You usually write something short so the tutor can mark it properly, which tells them more in ten minutes than any conversation would.
Tell us where you are
Your goal, whether you have sat the exam before, and when you can do lessons. We reply seven days a week, usually within minutes.
No card details are taken and there is no obligation to book afterwards. See our privacy policy. Prefer to message? WhatsApp us.
What the skills check covers
- which of the three components is weakest, and by how much
- whether reading marks are lost to comprehension or to the clock
- whether writing is losing marks on structure or on accuracy
- how you feel about the speaking assessment, honestly
- roughly how many lessons it should take from where you are
Confident speakers often assume they will be fine and then lose marks on formal written English and exam-style reading. Those are different skills from talking, and both are teachable.
The three parts
What is actually being assessed?
Three separate components, assessed in different ways, and you need to pass all three rather than average them out. That last point catches people out, because a strong Reading result does not carry a weak Writing one.
Reading
An externally assessed exam under timed conditions, using texts you have never seen before.
- Finding information quickly
- Identifying main points and purpose
- Inference and implied meaning
- Comparing texts and viewpoints
- Summarising across sources
Writing
An externally assessed exam where your own writing is marked on content and accuracy.
- Writing for a purpose and an audience
- Choosing the right format and tone
- Planning and paragraph structure
- Spelling, punctuation and grammar
- Working to the word count and the clock
Speaking, Listening and Communicating
Assessed by your centre rather than by an exam paper, through a discussion and a presentation.
- Preparing and delivering a presentation
- Contributing to a formal discussion
- Expressing and supporting an opinion
- Listening and responding properly
- Using formal register when needed
Most learners need one component far more than the other two. Tell us which at the skills check and lessons start there rather than working evenly through all three and making slow progress in each.
The usual sticking points
Why do people fail Level 2 English?
Rarely because their English is poor. Usually because the reading is timed, the writing is marked against criteria nobody explained, or the speaking assessment causes enough nerves to derail an otherwise capable learner.
Running out of time
Learners understand the texts perfectly well and simply do not finish. Reading marks are lost to the clock more often than to comprehension, and pace is trainable.
Inference and comparison
The two question types that separate a pass from a near miss. Both ask for something the text does not say outright, which is a specific skill rather than general reading ability.
Tone, format and SPaG
Writing a letter when a report was asked for, or losing steady marks to spelling and punctuation. Small, fixable and worth a surprising number of marks.
Nerves in the speaking task
Standing up and presenting to a group is a genuine fear for a lot of adults. Rehearsal is what shrinks it, and it is the part self-study cannot help with at all.
Who takes it
Who needs Level 2 English?
Most people arrive because something has made it necessary rather than because they chose to study. That is the normal starting point here.
Apprentices
Most apprenticeships require Level 2 English before completion, usually to a deadline set by the provider rather than one you chose.
Adults returning to study
For anyone who did not pass GCSE English, or sat it long enough ago that the certificate has vanished. Years away from education changes the pace, not the outcome.
English as an additional language
Confident speakers who still lose marks on exam-style reading and formal written English. Those are exam skills rather than language ability, and they respond quickly to teaching.
Career and professional routes
Teaching, nursing, social care, childcare and public service roles commonly ask for Level 2 English or an accepted equivalent.
College and university entry
Course providers frequently ask for Level 2 English. Check whether your specific course accepts Functional Skills before you enrol.
People weighing up routes
If you are choosing between this and a GCSE English resit, raise it at the skills check and we will give you a straight answer.
Inside a lesson
What happens in a lesson?
Sixty minutes live on Zoom with shared documents. You write during the lesson and the tutor marks it there and then, sentence by sentence, rather than sending feedback days later when you have forgotten what you meant.
A typical hour
- Review of the task set last week, marked live
- One component or question type agreed for the session
- A model answer broken down, showing what earns the marks
- Planning an answer together against the criteria
- You write independently, under something like exam timing
- Marked in the moment, with the reason for every change
- A short task before next week
Rehearsing the speaking assessment
The part that worries learners most and the one lessons can help with most directly. You prepare a presentation, deliver it, get feedback, and do it again. Then you practise contributing to a discussion, holding an opinion and responding to someone who disagrees.
By the time you sit it, you will have done a version of it several times. That is most of what makes it manageable.
The assessment
How is Level 2 English assessed?
Reading and Writing are externally assessed exams sat under timed conditions at an approved centre. Speaking, Listening and Communicating is assessed by your centre through a discussion and a presentation. You need all three.
| Component | How it is assessed | What it tests | Where marks are lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | External exam, timed | Finding information, inference, comparing and summarising texts | Running out of time, and inference questions |
| Writing | External exam, timed | Writing for purpose and audience, structure and accuracy | Wrong format or tone, and spelling and punctuation |
| Speaking and Listening | Assessed by your centre | A presentation and a formal discussion | Nerves, and not responding to what others say |
Awarding bodies
Functional Skills English is offered by Pearson Edexcel, City and Guilds, NCFE, AQA and Open Awards among others. Timings and paper structures vary between them, so tell us yours and exam practice is matched to that format.
Many bodies offer assessments on demand, so you can sit them when you are ready rather than waiting for fixed national dates.
We are not an exam centre
We provide tutoring and preparation only. We are not an awarding body and we do not book or run assessments, so you will book yours through an approved centre and pay the exam fee to them rather than to us.
On reviews, honestly
Has anyone passed with you?
In Functional Skills Maths, yes, and that learner wrote about it. We do not yet have a published review from an English learner, so rather than dress one up we will show you the Maths one and let you judge the service behind both.
"Raja was my tutor for level 2 maths and I passed within 2 months of private lessons. I couldn't have done it without you Raja! Thank for being so patient with me! I would recommend this company and Raja to anyone who needs someone with the patience of a saint! Thanks again."
Why we are telling you this
Plenty of tutoring sites carry glowing quotes from learners who cannot be found anywhere. We would rather say plainly that our published Functional Skills review is a Maths one, point you at all 34 reviews unedited, and let you decide.
If you study English with us and it goes well, we will ask you for a review afterwards. Until then this section stays honest.
Free guides
Read up before you book
Detailed free guides on the exam structure and the topics. Read them first if you want to understand what you are facing before spending anything.
Cost
How much does it cost?
£30 for a 60-minute one to one lesson, with no minimum and no sign-up fee. Term and annual plans bring the rate down, but most Level 2 learners are working to a deadline rather than a school year, so pay as you go usually fits better.
Pay as you go
£30
per 60-minute lessonNo minimum, stop once you pass
Term plan
£27.50
per 60-minute lesson3 months, 12 lessons, £330
Annual plan
£25
per 60-minute lesson12 months, 48 lessons, £1,200
If the skills check suggests you only need work on one component, pay as you go is the sensible answer and we will say so rather than selling you a plan. The exam fee is separate and goes to your exam centre.
Common questions
Level 2 English tutoring questions
Anything not answered here, message us and we will tell you straight. We usually reply within minutes.
Do I have to pass all three parts?
Yes, on most specifications. Reading, Writing, and Speaking, Listening and Communicating are assessed separately and you normally need to pass each one. A strong Reading result does not carry a weak Writing one, which catches a lot of people out.
How many lessons will I need?
It depends which component is weak and how weak. Someone who only needs work on the speaking assessment might need a handful. Someone rebuilding written accuracy will need more. The free skills check gives you an honest estimate before you spend anything.
Do you have Level 2 English tutors available now?
Usually. Functional Skills learners often get better availability than GCSE students, because adults are more flexible on daytime slots. Tell us when you can do lessons and we will confirm before anything is booked.
Will you actually mark my writing?
Yes, and it is the main reason to have a tutor rather than a course. You write during the lesson and it is marked with you there and then, sentence by sentence, so you can see exactly where marks are gained and lost while you still remember what you meant.
Can you help with the speaking assessment?
Yes, and it is the part self-study covers worst. You prepare a presentation, deliver it, get feedback and do it again, then practise contributing to a discussion. By the time you sit it you will have done a version several times.
English is not my first language. Can you help?
Yes, and it is a common starting point. Confident speakers often still lose marks on exam-style reading and formal written English, because those are exam skills rather than language ability. They tend to respond quickly to teaching.
Do you book or run the exam?
No. We provide tutoring and preparation only. We are not an exam centre or awarding body, so you book your assessment through an approved centre and pay the exam fee to them, not to us.
Which awarding bodies can you prepare me for?
Pearson Edexcel, City and Guilds, NCFE, AQA and Open Awards among others. Tell us yours when you enquire and exam practice is matched to that format. If you have not booked yet, the content is taught the same way and we adjust later.
Is Level 2 English the same as a GCSE?
Not the same, but generally accepted as equivalent to a GCSE English grade 4 or C. Acceptance varies, so check with your specific employer, apprenticeship provider or course before you start.
I did not pass GCSE English. Can I pass this?
Many of our Level 2 learners are in exactly that position. The tasks are more practical and real-life focused than GCSE, which suits a lot of people better, but it is still a proper qualification. The skills check will tell you honestly how far off you are.
How much does it cost?
£30 for a 60-minute one to one lesson, with no minimum and no sign-up fee. Term and annual plans bring it to £27.50 and £25, but most Level 2 learners are better off paying as they go and stopping once they pass.
Is the skills check really free?
Yes. Thirty minutes with a tutor, live on Zoom, no card details and no obligation. You will usually write something short so the tutor can mark it, which shows the gap faster than any conversation would.
Free 30-minute skills check
Find out which part is holding you back
Tell us your goal, whether you have sat the exam before and when you can do lessons. We will set up a free skills check with a tutor. No card details, no obligation.
Enquiries answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We usually reply within minutes, and WhatsApp is the fastest way to reach us.