English and Maths

English and Maths at GCSE Grades 9-4 are essential qualifications for progression within further education, to higher education and employment.

Employers frequently stress the importance of GCSE/functional skills and they are recognised as being vital to the world of work and the college incorporates these skills within your studies.

The college will ensure that every student who enters with anything less than a Grade 4 at GCSE, will continue to develop and improve their GCSE English and Maths as part of their study programme.

All students starting a new study programme of 150 hours or more, aged 16 to 18, or aged 19 to 25 if they have an Education and Healthcare Plan, who do not hold a GCSE grade 9-4 or an accredited, equivalent qualification in Maths and/or in English, are required, by the government, to be studying these subjects as part of their study programme in each academic year.

Please note that we do not offer stand alone English and Maths qualifications; we only provide English and Maths courses for learners enrolled on a full study programme.

What does this mean at Hadlow College? 

If you have not yet achieved a Grade 4 or higher in English and Maths, from Sept 2025, you will have to attend English and Maths for a minimum of 100 hours per subject over the academic year (3 hours per week). This will be a full morning or afternoon for each subject. This is a compulsory part of the full programme of study and will be timetabled within your lessons for the week. It will not impact or overlap with any other lessons you may have.

If you are required to continue to study maths and English , since you have not yet achieved a Grade 4 or higher, then attendance at English and maths is a compulsory part of your study programme and poor attendance can put your college place at risk.

From September 2025, the vast majority of learners will be following the GCSE level course (Edexcel GCSE for Maths and Edexcel LIFT 2.0 GCSE for English). Functional Skills will only be offered as a Stepping Stone qualification to a small number of courses (learners enrolled on mainly Entry 3, Level 1 courses and a few Level 2 courses at Hadlow only).

English and Maths Exam Dates 2024-2025

 Functional Skills Exam Dates

Functional Skills Final Sittings

20.05.25 - 22.05.25 | English Reading / Writing and Maths Mop Ups

GCSE May/June Timetable

If you have any further questions or queries please contact

Michaela Sesay
Head of Maths (English and Maths)
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