In my opinion, UK summer schools are not only a programme for children to improve their language skills. It is also a great opportunity for them to expand their perspectives by having a cultural experience in a different country. Last summer I sent my son to a summer school in London and now I will share the details of the summer school he attended.

London Summer School Experience

There are many summer school options in London. You can make completely different choices according to your child’s interest. In all parks, you can see groups of children of different ages skating, playing football, riding horses and similar activities, and the same is the same in museums. What I am going to share here is entirely based on our own experiences. I did not receive support from any intermediary organisation, but there are many people who arrange schools with agencies.

Curriculum and Method of Education

Summer schools in the UK offer intensive language training as well as the opportunity for children to develop their social skills. My son goes to a British school where we live and studies 100% in English. Naturally, his English is quite good, so it was my priority for him to have a different experience with other children of his age in London rather than the language. I chose the school in this direction.

Our school runs from the beginning of June until the end of August, you can attend as many weeks as you wish and you pay accordingly. Each week has a different concept and they visit different museums and parks accordingly. While travelling, they constantly get information from English-speaking teachers. Sometimes they reinforce what they have learnt in class, sometimes they do experiments, .

If your child knows little English, it would not be right to expect miracles in a few weeks at this school, but they will still develop self-confidence in speaking. In order to get full efficiency, it may be more appropriate to go to this school all summer. I suggest you consider other alternatives for language development in a short time.

Age Groups

There is a summer school for every age group in London. Whatever the age of your child, there are activities and friend groups for them. In our school there were children from 5 to 18 years old. They are divided into 5-11 children and 12-18 teenagers. They are also divided into small groups within their age ranges. So you can think of it as 5-6 years old, 7-8 years old, 9-10 years old hanging out together. There are also schools that take students starting from a very young age.

Language Barrier and Adaptation

‘How will my child adapt?’ you may be thinking. Summer schools are very experienced in this area. Everything is so well organised that children quickly get to know their friends from different cultures. They accept students from all language levels, including beginners. They may be a little shy in the first few days, but after 1-2 days they make friends and adapt to the environment completely. Children overcome the language barrier more quickly as they make friends. Improving the language by practising is a natural part of this process.

London Summer School Cost

Let’s talk about the financial side of the business, the most frequently asked question is of course the school fee. Our school’s fee for this year was £495 per week for 2 full and 3 half days and £695 per week for 5 full days. We opted for the full day one. Lunch was included on full days. We were also asked to pack a water thermos and snacks. The name of our school was Hi-London. You can check much more details on their website. I do not have any collaboration, we paid ourselves.

Accommodation in London

The second most asked question was about accommodation in London. I will write about our experience here, but for more comprehensive information, you can read my London Accommodation Guide article. My son’s school was in South Kensington and I wanted to rent a house in that neighbourhood. I didn’t even think of staying in a hotel because when you stay for a long time, you want the comfort of home. First, I rented a house almost next to the school, but there was a problem with the reservation system and just before the school started, they cancelled it and asked me to find an alternative place. Of course, my options were limited. The available houses in South Kensington were either too expensive or not suitable for my criteria. I expanded my search area a little more and found a house in the Earl’s Court neighbourhood, which is one of the places that can be reached with a single bus, which is tiny but has everything we need. It was a very safe neighbourhood and there were markets, cafes and restaurants around it. If you want to see the house, you can check here.

By the way, there are boarding schools, but it was too early for my son. Maybe it will be more convenient for you that way.

You can check all available accommodation options in London here.

I hope my guide to summer schools in London, will be useful. If there is anything else you would like to add or ask, please write in the comments so that everyone can benefit.

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