Improving English Language Skills - International Study Centres

 These include the following Good Schools Guide Schools:

• Ackworth School, Pontefract - an independent co-ed boarding school for children aged 11-18
• Bedford School, Bedford - an independent boarding school for boys aged 13-18
• Blundell's School, Tiverton - an independent co-ed boarding school for children aged 11-18
• Box Hill School, Dorking - an independent co-ed boarding school for children aged 11-18
• Cambridge Tutors College, Croydon - an independent co-ed boarding school for children aged 15-19
• Concord College - an independent co-ed boarding school for children aged 13-18 (Specialises in International students)
• Dean Close School, Cheltenham  - an independent co-ed boarding school for children aged13-18 (with associated prep school for children aged 8 - 13)
• D'overbroeck's College, Oxford - an independent co-ed boarding school for children aged 11-19
• Ellesmere College, Ellesmere - an independent co-ed boarding school for children aged 7-19
• Felsted School, Essex - an independent co-ed boarding school for children aged 13-18
• International College Sherbourne School, Dorset - an independent co-ed boarding school for children aged 11-17
• Kent College International Study Centre, Kent - an independent co-ed boarding school for children aged 11-18
• Kings School (Ely) an independent co-ed boarding school for children aged 13-18 (With associated junior school)
• Leighton Park School, Reading - an independent co-ed boarding school for children aged 11-18
• Moreton Hall School, Oswestry - an independent boarding school for girls children aged 3-18
• New Hall School, Chelmsford - an independent co-ed boarding school for children aged 3-18
• Oswestry School, Oswestry - an independent co-ed boarding school for children aged 2-18
• Rossall School, Lancashire - an independent co-ed boarding school for children aged 2-18
• St Bees School, Cumbria - an independent co-ed boarding school for children aged 11-18
• St Michael's College, Tenby Wells - an independent co-ed boarding school for children aged 14-19
• Taunton School, Somerset - an independent boarding school for children aged 13-18
• The Leys School, Cambridge - an independent boarding school for children aged 11-18

All these schools are reviewed in The Good Schools Guide but on the whole, the Study Centres are not assessed by us. 

The Study Centres all specialise in boosting overseas pupils' English (preparing for recognised qualifications in English such as IELTS)  while also teaching a basic curriculum of maths, science, etc. Pupils are prepared for public exams such as: Common Entrance, GCSEs or IGCSEs and even, in some cases, A levels or the International Baccalaureate. Classes are kept small and lessons are normally taught six days a week. They can all be found through this website or through their organisation, BAISC.

How are children from overseas integrated into International Study Centres?

The overseas pupils usually wear the same uniform as the pupils in the main school and are able to use the school facilities (swimming pools, tennis courts, games halls, theatres, music practice rooms, etc). However, they are taught in separate premises and live and sleep in international student dorms.

While most of the youngsters will enter mainstream British schools, only a few will enrol at the school to which their centre is attached.

The exception is St Bees, where most of the international pupils move on to join the main school..

Is it possible to take an intensive courses in English at an ISC?

Yes, international study centres organise intensive summer English courses to prepare pupils who will be entering mainstream British schools in the autumn and some offer short GCSE revision courses for a week or two in the spring.

We generally prefer these centres to non-residential or 'home-stay' programmes offered by other academic institutions (see below) as they providie a 'soft landing' in the UK for young pupils with limited (or no) English who, in most cases, will have been attending day schools in their home countries. 

Key advantages of International Study Centres include:

• Boarding school experience.The youngsters live in dormitories and experience proper boarding school life.
• Care. They are looked after by school staff,
• Friendship. They make friends with children from around the world
• Activities. They are encouraged to part in organised outings and sports events
• Reputation. The centres are attached to schools with reputations to protect, so you are going to get what you pay for.

Disadvantages of International Study Centres

• High cost. The chances are that you will be paying in excess of £10,000 for a ten-week term (more than most British boys or co-ed boarding schools, and up to 75 per cent more than a typical girls boarding school). 
• Disruption. Your child will experience after first settling into the centre, making friends, etc and then having to start over again when he or she begins at a 'proper' British school a year later.
• International pupils. Most worrying of all to the parents to whom we have spoken is the idea that junior will be attending school in England with a bunch of foreigners who can't speak English properly themselves! Most people who send their children to school in the UK are hoping that their offspring will spend time speaking English like an Englishman, not comparing notes on the overseas arrival lounge at Heathrow airport.
• Distance. Your child will (usually) be a long way from home, in a strange country, with little support from people they know well and may find constantly communicating in a foreign language overwhelming. 

We strongly advise...

Examine subject choices. It is important the school offers a range of subjects to help stimulate your child's interest and desire to learn English. Try to avod schools that offer only maths, sciences and a nondescript course like geography if this is not your child's bent. Do check which subjects are offered beyond English; the best centres offer courses leading to recognsed qualifications such as IGCSE or  IB and a variety of subject options. 

Ask about guardianship arrangements. Like any British school, the study centres close for half-terms, between terms and sometimes for random 'exeat' weekends (expect there to be some kind of leave-out every 2 or 3 weekends). You will need to arrange a guardian to look after your child during these periods. The schools can usually arrange guardians, but at an additional price. Or you can read our article on UK Boarding Finding a Guardian.

Find out about sleeping arrangements. Some schools wisely make a point of ensuring that students share a bedroom with a student who does not speak the same mother tongue.

Uncover where pupils go when they leave. Do ask for clear evidence of the centre's placement record. Sure, one rich kid in 2008 may have got into Eton, but which schools or universities do most pupils go on to?

Results. Insist on seeing the school's exam results; they should be proud to show you.

Is studying at an International Study Centre the only option?

No, your child may prefer to learn English in their home country see improving English Language Skills, at a UK boarding school (some schools will take children, especially younger children with limited English) or, if they are 16+ and have a mature outlook, consider a Tutorial College.

Further reading

Coming Into The British School System From Abroad

Tips For Foreign Parents On Finding British Schools

Improving English Language Skills - Home or Away

Improving English Language Skills - Tutorial Colleges

UK Boarding Finding A Guardian- finding a boarding school is no longer sufficient, child protection regulations state that you must also find a guardian to look afteryour child's needs while you are based overseas. 

Independent School Admissions - It's Not Just Ability To Pay

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