Summer courses in the UK

Why a summer in Britain

In an English-speaking environment, passive vocabulary quickly becomes active. Pronunciation and intonation improve, children pick up everyday expressions — and, most importantly, lose their fear of speaking.

What a good course feels like

The atmosphere is positive and lessons never feel like a chore: songs, films, games, classes in the school garden or out in town. Children talk to peers from other countries in English because there is no other option. The best programmes limit the number of students who share a native language.

• A full timetable of activities: sport, excursions to castles and London landmarks, West End musicals
• Evening talent shows, ceramics, dance, tennis, basketball and swimming
• Specialist academies in football, tennis, golf, riding, music or dance alongside English

How to choose

There are hundreds of accredited language centres in the UK, so choose carefully.

• We advise residential programmes on a school campus rather than homestay for younger children
• Photos can be misleading — accommodation, cleaning and food standards vary widely
• Check the nationality mix: few schools set quotas, and some groups are dominated by one language
• As a rule, a much lower price means lower quality

Try boarding life

Some schools run June programmes for small groups of international students who join the school's normal routine — an ideal way to test boarding before applying. There are also programmes for children from age five who come with a parent.