Is a level 2 english the same as gcse?

No, a Level 2 English qualification is not the same as a GCSE. While both are qualifications at a similar level, they are different qualifications with different awarding bodies and potentially different content and assessment methods. A Level 2 qualification might be a GCSE equivalent, but it's not a GCSE itself. You'd need to check the specific details of the Level 2 qualification to see what its equivalent is (it might be equivalent to a GCSE, but it also might be something else).