Many UK boarding schools run short holiday courses for students aged between 8 and 17. These Summer Schools provide a varied programme of activities, including lessons, excursions, sports and social events. These courses either run from March-April, or from July-August, depending on when the host school’s holidays are. Summer Schools are a fantastic opportunity for international students to experience British boarding life, or for UK students to enrich their summer holidays.
Summer Schools run from 2-6 weeks, with 3 weeks being the most popular length. The average class size is between 12-16 pupils, and although students are often from lots of different nationalities, English is always the common language in the classroom.
Course content
The majority of courses are a mixture of lessons and fun activities. The summer schools often combine English language learning with academic study, social and sporting activities and excursions. Some courses offer specialist subjects, for example dance, drama, sailing or tennis, but all courses will give students a variety of experiences.
These courses will often include trips to historic UK cities, such as London, Oxford and York, as well local excursions. The school will also host other fun activities, such as talent shows, parties and mini Olympics, for the students to get involved with.
Accommodation
For the duration of the course, students will stay in the school’s accommodation and have access to the boarding house facilities, including the common room and dining hall. Boarding schools are known for their exceptional facilities, so students will feel right at home. Boarding schools often have specialist sporting facilities, for example rock climbing, that the students can use during their time at the school.
Benefits of Summer Schools
For international students, Summer Schools are excellent for improving English skills, and experiencing British culture.
For all students, Summer Schools provide an opportunity for students to build life-long friendships with other pupils. There are also opportunities to try new activities, visit new parts of the UK and do something fun during the summer holidays.
Summer Schools also give pupils a taste of boarding life and can help them to decide whether they want to board in the future.