What are English Country Schools?
'English Country Schools' is a summer school organisation for children and teenagers aged 7 – 17. English Language teaching is combined with a fully inclusive programme of sports, social activities and excursions in some of Britain’s most beautiful and interesting locations.
What makes your courses special? (Why should I send my child to your school?)
Beautiful countryside locations; highly organised and personal administration; a friendly, safe and well-supervised environment; separate courses for 7 - 10, 11 - 14 and 14 - 17 year olds enabling us to provide better for the needs and interests of each age group; excellent communications and feedback to parents; a maximum of 5 boys and 5 girls on each course who share the same mother tongue; a clear mission statement - ‘fun, friendship and learning in a healthy natural environment’ – to provide an enjoyable and worthwhile experience for all our students.
Where are the schools?
We have 2 residential centres, both situated in beautiful countryside locations. Our centre for teenagers (Sibford, for 14 - 17 year olds) is situated in the Oxfordshire countryside with easy access to London, Oxford and Stratford-upon-Avon. Our centre for children (Port Regis, for 7 – 13 year olds) is situated near Shaftesbury in Dorset in southern England, about 2 hours from London.
Who are the students?
Children and teenagers from 25+ different countries from all races, religions and cultures, typically attending international school in their own countries. In order to encourage the use of English on each course we accept a maximum of 5 boys and 5 girls who share the same mother tongue.
My child already has good English. Will he/she benefit from attending?
Yes. Often students who speak good English still need to improve their writing: spelling, grammar, etc. The workshop choices on our course for teenagers (drama, digital photography, grammar and pronunciation, creating a course journal, poetry) are highly motivating and allow students to concentrate on particular interests and areas of weakness. All students benefit by participating in a variety of sports and activities with their peers from other countries and cultures. They have a lot of fun and become more internationally minded, self-confident and independent.
Can my child attend as a day student?
No. Experience suggests that students who do this do not integrate fully into the life of the course.
Can my child arrive or depart outside your official course dates?
Our courses are normally completely full. If we accept some students for less than the full course (see course dates) this leaves places empty which would otherwise be filled by full fee-paying students. This is not economical for us. Furthermore, the course is conceived as a whole, with a beginning, a middle and an end. For example, a lot of the work that students do in the morning classes and workshops comes together in the end-of-course Revue. This helps to make sense of the whole experience for the students. Finally, students on a residential course make very close friendships: when they leave early this can have a demoralising effect on the other students. For these reasons I'm afraid we do not accept students for less than the full period of each course.
How do you decide which class my child will join?
At each centre we organise classes for a variety of levels ranging from Beginner to Advanced. We ask parents to estimate their child's ability in the Booking Form. This gives us an initial idea of placement. We also assess each child's level of English on the first teaching day of the course (after they have had time to rest from travelling). There is generally a correlation between age and ability: the younger students tend to be in the lower ability classes, older students tend to be in the higher ability classes. Where this is not the case - for example a young student with very good English, or an older student with limited English - we ask parents to decide whether they wish their child to be placed by age or by ability. Even so, we aim for each class to contain students with no more than 3 years between the youngest and the oldest. This is made possible because we organise separate courses for children aged 7 - 10, 11 - 14 and 14 - 17.
Can I stay near my child?
Both centres have a variety of local accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets. We will be happy to provide details for parents dropping off or collecting children from the schools. However we *do not recommend* that parents live locally while their child is at the school: experience suggests that this often upsets the child and disrupts progress. Instead, why not take the opportunity to tour our beautiful country while your child is at the school? Both you and your child will be much happier!
Can parents learn English too?
Our expertise is in working with children and teenagers. We do not teach adults. We can however help with finding places for adults at British Council Accredited schools in Dorset and Oxfordshire.
How do children benefit?
In addition to learning and improving their English, children and young people have a great time, become more independent and develop socially. They meet and make friends with children and teenagers from different countries and cultures. This helps them to broaden their horizons, develop an understanding of others and further practise their English. We expect children to return home healthy and refreshed and return to their studies with renewed enthusiasm and determination.
How much does it cost?
Approximately 700 Pounds Sterling (see currency converter) per week. See here for further info.
What does the cost include?
Just about everything except pocket money, optional extra sports lessons and the cost of air fares. more information
Is it worth it?
We think so – and so do the approximately 50% of students who return to us each summer. Compare the cost of taking your child on holiday to a hotel: in addition we provide English Lessons, excursions, excellent social company, a full sports and social programme, 3 meals a day and 24-hour supervision!
Do you offer discounts?
We don't offer discounts for siblings, returnees, friends, relatives or any other reason: we prefer instead to provide value for money for everyone. We are sure that you will find our courses offer excellent value for money compared to other similar organisations.
How can I be sure?
We have been organising summer courses for nearly 20 years. Both of our centres are inspected and accredited by The British Council. Any of the parents on our list of Parental Contacts will be happy to talk with you about their child’s experience of our courses. See also What Parents Say.
How will my child get there?
You can bring your child personally to the school or we can provide free airport transfers from selected local airports on the first and last day of each course. Where possible we put parents from the same country in contact with each other so that students can arrange to travel together. more information
What if my child gets homesick?
Not many children get homesick and it usually disappears after a few days. Children who overcome homesickness benefit by becoming more self-confident and independent. Sometimes it is the parent, not the child, who is reluctant to ‘let go’. Please send your child to us only when both parents agree.
When do I need to book?
On each course we accept a maximum of 5 boys and 5 girls who share the same mother tongue and we give priority to returning students. Because of this, places for Italian, Spanish, German, Russian, Japanese, Chinese and Arabic speakers are usually fully booked before April and sometimes even earlier. We occasionally get cancellations so we operate a reserve list. If you need a visa this can take longer than expected so please allow plenty of time.
How do I book?
Complete our Booking Form. If we can accept your child we will send you full pre-course information (clothes, airport procedures, school rules, etc) and request your deposit payment (250 GBP) to secure the place. The balance of fees is payable six weeks before your child attends.
What if I can’t find the answers to my questions?
Please ask a question via our enquiry form. We aim to respond within 1 working day.
