St Giles International English Language School offers Family Course programs for the whole family for future students. This is a great opportunity to combine vacation with study abroad for children and their parents. Recall that St Giles International is an international language school with campuses located in the UK, USA, and Canada. Today, the language center is one of the most famous international private English language training organizations based in the UK.
Language courses for children and parents are offered in Brighton, Cambridge, London, and New York. In 2021, the program is offered for the first time not only in summer but also in spring. The study program is quite complicated, so many students need essay writing help to improve their grades.
The recommended age of children is 7-15 years old, and in London and Cambridge, programs are also developed for children of five or six years old!
What does the standard program include?:
- 20 English lessons per week
- Active recreation and excursions
- Accommodation and meals
- Certificate after successful completion of the course
After the morning classes, the whole family can enjoy together three times a week afternoon classes, as well as a weekly full-day excursion with other families from around the world. Activities include sports in the park, guided walks, and visits to local attractions and museums. Families can also enjoy their free time together exploring the cities of Brighton, Cambridge, London, or New York!
St Giles International School does not have its residence, but you can use one of three accommodation options: family accommodation, rent an apartment, or a hotel room. The price of the full package includes family accommodation in double rooms with breakfast every day and light lunches on weekdays. These families are usually 45-60 minutes away from the school.
How will the classes take place on the Family Course program?
Courses start all year round on Mondays, you need to arrive at school one day in advance on Sunday. Classes start at 9 am – usually parents bring their children to class five minutes before the start of the lesson so that they can then have time for their class. Classes are held in neighboring rooms, so parents should not worry.
Lessons last until 13-00, after their completion you will be offered lunch. From 14-00 to 17-00 – time for scheduled activities.
In Brighton, this can be an excursion to the Brighton Royal Pavilion or Sap surfing (a water sport in which a surfer, standing on a board, rides the waves and at the same time rowing with an oar).
In Cambridge, you will be offered to visit the famous university of the same name or a boat tour on the river. And the location of the school in New York, next to the Empire State Building on the famous 5th Avenue, means that you do not need to walk far to see the city’s main attractions.
The school is very flexible both in terms of English language courses and leisure activities, and you will find something you like.
What is a foundation training program in the UK?
Many students are familiar with the fact that for successful admission and study in the UK, students from other countries need special training or the so-called Foundation program because education systems are different. In addition, the number of academic hours and the number of academic years that students study at school does not coincide.
For the UK, one-year training is a mandatory requirement for admission to the university, since an English student studies for 13 years, and most Europeans study 11-12 at School.
There are many Foundation programs on the educational services market and they are all very different, each has its advantages and disadvantages.
How to distinguish between foundation programs and which one to choose?
You can take the foundation program and prepare for university:
- at a private school/college of secondary education
- at the university
- from the Foundation provider
- at a language school
Private School/College (Sixth form college)
This is often the classic way for an English student to prepare for university. Students enter a private school/college to gain in-depth knowledge in three subjects( A-levels), get a certificate, and enroll in more ranked universities.
A University Foundation Program has been created for international students already with certificates at these schools.
What does a student get from the Foundation program at an independent college:
* Freedom to choose a university (applications for admission are submitted to at least 5 universities, of which 3-4 send an offer (an invitation to study with them)
* Flexibility in the program and the ability to change the direction (if you started training for a lawyer, but wanted to change to IT, it is possible in a private school (up to a certain stage)
* Academic knowledge (the student is preparing for admission, trying to earn the highest possible scores for which he will be enrolled. Some Foundation programs at universities promise automatic enrollment to a student who has scored a passing minimum.
* The training is based on the system of A-Levels or IB programs, which brings the student as close as possible to English schoolchildren.
* Full support with admission to Universities (preparation of documents, questionnaires, resumes, and submission via the UKAC system)
* Career counseling
This program was developed in David Game College, London. You can start studying at the training program in September or January. Taking into account the academic needs of students, the training is carried out in seven directions:
– Architecture, Art and Design
– Business and Finance
– Engineering and Computing
– Law, Humanities and Social Sciences
– Pharmacy and Medical Sciences
– Medicine
– Custom Made Course – an individual course where you can choose any modules that you like in the second and third semester if they are relevant to your intended course of study
University
The Foundation program at the university is good for those students who have already decided on the choice of a university and are ready to conquer it. If we talk about the British rating universities, there is no fully automatic enrollment here, the student needs to score a passing number of points, or pass additional tests and interviews. In a university with an average rating, automatic enrollment is possible. Often the learning process is accompanied by encouraging grades to guarantee admission, but it goes to the detriment of knowledge if the student does not try very hard.
By choosing the Foundation program at the university, you will receive:
* Automatic enrollment in one university.
- You do not need IELTS to switch to a bachelor’s program
* Issuance of a visa for the entire duration of the program
- Very little or no support from the university if a student for some reason wants to enroll in another university
Provider centers
Here, Foundation programs are developed by the provider independently of the university but are taught based on partner universities. This is a good way to enter “without obstacles”, but I think it will be universities of average or not high ranking.
* Automatic enrollment in one university
- In most cases, you do not need IELTS to switch to a bachelor’s program
* A little support if a student for some reason wants to enroll in another university.
- The choice of other universities will be quite limited.
* Often there is a concentration of one or more nationalities in such centers, which complicates the process of learning and adaptation for a foreign student.
Language school
* The emphasis in the program is on language learning.
- In most cases, the program is designed for one or more universities.
- The choice of other universities will be limited.
Choosing the path of study, each student can set priorities differently and choose the program that is more suitable for him.
Students with good knowledge, who are interested in the rating of the university and who want to try their chances to enter the top universities in England should still consider independent Foundation programs in private schools/colleges.
Students who are less ambitious and are willing to compromise with universities can consider universities or provider centers.
Students with poor knowledge of the language should pay attention to language schools.
