Skills Explained

As part of your Bridgend College Learning Journey, you are required to follow a Skills Programme.

There are 3 pathways. Each pathway will be selected at enrolment. This selection will reflect your current course application, your chosen curriculum area, as well as your previous learning in Maths and English.

The aim of these courses is to help you develop your Maths and English skills so that you can build strong number and communication skills and gain worthwhile qualifications in addition to successfully complete your vocational course.

GCSE Maths and English explained

GCSE Maths and English lessons are a pathway for learners who have received a D Grade in previous exams or for learners who have followed an ESQ Level 1 or Pre-GCSE course at the college and want to work towards a C Grade or higher. GCSE Maths/English lessons make up 2 hours of students’ timetables.

In addition to regular lessons, GCSE students will be invited to come along to exam-focused revision sessions. The revision sessions will run over both campuses, either face-to-face or online. They will be held during the Easter and the May half-term holidays as well as the days leading up to the GCSE exams.

The location, dates, and times of these revision days will be sent out to students over the course of the academic year.

Exam Dates for GCSE Maths 2026:

Paper 1 (non-calculator) – Thursday 14 May (am)
Paper 2 (calculator) – Wednesday 10 June (am)

Exam Dates for GCSE English 2026:

Unit 1 – coursework (1 x Individual Presentation and 1 x Group Discussion) completed by the end of January 2026, making up 20% of your overall grade.
Unit 2 – Thursday 21 May 2026 (am)
Unit 3 – Friday 5 June 2026 (am)

ESQ explained

Some curriculum areas prefer learners who do not have GCSE maths or English to follow an ESQ route rather than re-take GCSE. This is because ESQ number and communication skills are developed in a vocational context. Each ESQ course makes up 1 hour of a student’s timetable.

Learners at the college who are following a vocational Level 1 course will follow both an ESQ Application of Number and ESQ Communications course at Entry 3.

Learners at the college who are following a vocational course at Level 2 or higher will follow either an ESQ Application of Number or ESQ Communications course at Level 1 or higher.

The aim is to help learners develop their maths and communication skills in a vocational context. Both of these assessments can be taken in English or Welsh.

These City and Guilds accredited qualifications are intended for learners over the age of 16 in a wide range of settings, including:
– Colleges
– Apprenticeships
– Traineeships

These qualifications are useful for learners to demonstrate their level of literacy, numeracy and IT and are a useful stepping stone to either further education or an apprenticeship.

Towards the end of the year there will be formal assessments taken under examination conditions at the level most appropriate for the learners.

ESQ qualifications are available at six levels (Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3, Level 1, Level 2, Level 3).

Entry 1 – Not directly equivalent to a GCSE but is a milestone entry qualification
Entry 2 – Not directly equivalent to a GCSE. It is generally seen as a preparatory step before GCSEs
Entry 3 – Equivalent to GCSE G
Level 1 – Equivalent to GCSE D
Level 2 – Equivalent to GCSE C
Level 3 – Equivalent to A level GCE

Application of Number includes:
– understanding numerical data
– carrying out calculations
– interpreting and presenting results and findings

Essential Communication Skills include:
– speaking and listening
– reading
– writing

Essential Digital Literacy Skills include:
– digital responsibility
– digital productivity
– digital information literacy
– digital collaboration
– digital creativity
– digital learning

Advanced Studies explained

Advanced Studies is for learners who have passed GCSE maths and English. These sessions give learners the chance to explore a whole wealth of courses from the Open University at the level of their choice. This is a great opportunity for learners to follow any subject at the level best suited for them.

These sessions are self-directed and there is no room allocated, however, learners can access the Skills Hub.

Learners enrolled on Advanced Studies are encouraged to become ‘Changemakers’, lead student activities, become peer mentors, and help facilitate student clubs or societies.

For your information, Advanced Studies Session are scheduled to start in the Success Hubs in October

Please attend your Advanced Studies sessions in the following weeks: