What’s included in the programme? What’s included in the programme? Our standard programmes include: How long does the course last? Course duration are two weeks, however this is regularly extended to 3 and 4 week courses. Please speak to an Ardmore member of staff for dates and availability: info@theardmoregroup.com What’s it like at an Ardmore centre? Ardmore prides itself on its high quality centres, which range from traditional British Boarding Schools, University and College Campuses, to our own Language Schools. Ardmore is ‘A’ rated by the British Council accreditation, this ensures the quality and standards of all our courses and centres. Please see our centres webpage for full details of what’s on offer. Which day should the students arrive and depart? The courses run from Sunday to Sunday. Will the centres and classes be of mixed nationalities? Ardmore currently teaches students from over 40 different countries. Students are grouped according to their English ability and not their age or nationality. This creates the need to communicate in English as a common language, and allows students to develop new international friendships. Where will students visit on excursions? On excursions students will visit local places of interest and attractions; which depend on the location of their centre. On our standard programme, students will have one half day and one full day excursions per week. Ardmore also offers Discovery Programmes at selected centres, where students will enjoy more excursions per week. Students will always be accompanied by Ardmore staff, at a ratio of at least 1:20, as well as the Foreign Group Leaders accompanying the groups. How many English lessons will students have per week? Each student will receive 15 hours of English tuition per week divided over 5 mornings or afternoons. Each daily session consists of 4 lesson periods of 45 minutes plus a 30 minute allowance for breaks. Ardmore’s English language courses are designed to help students not only increase their knowledge of English grammar and vocabulary, but also their confidence in using English. We always teach ‘spoken English’ which is up-to-date and relevant. Our courses are designed to really help students improve communication skills. Therefore lessons include plenty of opportunities for students to use the language. Classroom activities include role-play, pair-work, group-work, group projects, surveys, questionnaires and games. Emphasis on communication helps students to use English for a variety of purposes and in a variety of situations. Our aim is simply to build students’ knowledge and confidence of English. How is the level of English determined? On the first day of lessons each student takes a placement test to determine their level of English. From there they are divided into four levels of ability and are taught accordingly, using the Ardmore work book specifically designed for their level. How many students per class will there be? Students will be taught in a maximum of 15 class size. What qualifications do the teachers have? Our teachers are qualified professionals, and are qualified to work at British Council accredited schools, with the majority holding a Trinity Certificate or Cambridge CELTA teaching qualification. All our teachers work very hard to provide interesting and fun language lessons. Teachers are friendly and always happy to help. Will the student need to bring their own course books? No, Ardmore will provide all the necessary course materials. There are four levels of workbooks to suit every student’s level of English. Students are advised to bring: Are the courses suitable for student who speak limited English? Yes, we can accept all levels of English including complete beginners. Will the students practice their English throughout the course? Students will be encouraged to speak and practice English at all times throughout the course: from meal times, sporting and leisure activities, whilst on excursions and in the accommodation. How is the student’s progress checked? At end of each course students will be tested on their progress, which is then mapped against their original score to show their improvements made whilst with Ardmore. What kind of activities will students do? On Multi-Activity Programmes in the UK: On Adventure Activity Programmes in the UK: On Multi Activity Programmes in the USA: What evening activities are there? Evening activities will vary depending on the centre, below is a list of example activities: How many members of Ardmore staff are there? Ardmore prides itself on carefully selected centre staff, many of which have worked with us year on year. To ensure the safety and supervision there will always be: In each centre there is: All our standard courses are full board. In residential centres students will have: In Home Stay centres: What food can students expect? Each centre will vary slightly, however we always ensure that there are a variety of choices, with healthy nutritious food. Breakfast at residential centres: Lunch and Dinner includes at residential: Below is a sample menu from our Brighton College centre: Sample Breakfast Options: Sample Lunch Options: Sample Packed Lunch Options: Sample Dinner Options: What items/information will the students need to bring? Here is a list of things we suggest your student should bring if attending a general English course: Students will not need to bring sporting equipment. Unless attending a sports course, please see ‘what should students pack?’ section. We strongly advise that students do not bring any valuable items: General Multi Activity Course: Ardmore Plus Sports Courses: Ardmore Adventure English Courses: Can the students have extra sports lessons? Yes, we run many different English Plus Sports programmes. Please speak to a member of Ardmore staff for further details, or alternately visit the ‘English Plus Sport’ section on our website. The following options are currently available: How does the student travel to the centre from the airport? We are able to arrange return airport transfers with Meet and Greet Service. Each of our transport suppliers are reputable companies, all of which we have audited to check their safety records, as well as being police checked. Will the student be met at the airport? Yes, we have an Ardmore Meet & Greet Service. This ensures that every student is met at arrivals, and placed onto their transfers, and the same on their return journey, where students are checked in and seen into departures. Can students make their own way to the centre? Students may like to make their own way to our centres or be brought by parents. Please let us know at the time of booking. Do all the coaches have seat belts? Yes all coaches must be fitted with seatbelts. All transport suppliers are reputable companies, which have been audited to check their safety records. Are the centres residential or home stay? In the UK we have: In the USA we have: Who will the students share a room with? Students can be placed with their friends or other students from their group. Alternatively some students may like to mix internationally. We will always try and accommodate any requests. Will the students be in same sex rooms/blocks? We always divide male and females students up in the accommodation, including the bathroom facilities How many students share one bathroom The average ratio is 1:6, however each centre will vary slightly. Yes all bed linen is provided; this is washed at least once a week. Will they have to bring a towel? Students will need to bring their own towels; both our residential and home stay centres do not provide them. Students are advised to bring a face towel and bath/swimming towel. Will the students be able to do their laundry? Bed linen is washed by the centre every week. We encourage personal laundry to all students. Depending on which centre the student is at, some students will be given a laundry bag where the washing will be done by the centre, and others will have access to laundry facilities. Ardmore always provides the washing power, but in some cases students are required to use a coin to operate the machine. An Ardmore member of staff is always on hand to assist students if necessary. What time will the students have to go to bed? In residential centres, all students must be back in their rooms at 22:00, with lights out at 22:30. How do they keep their belongings safe? We advise that students bring a lockable suitcase. In addition all centres have a safe. We recommend that students to do not bring highly valuable items with them. Yes there is 24 hour security in our residential centres, as well as Ardmore staff on site. Where are the host families located? We always try and ensure that students are located within close distance to the centres. In the busy seasons this is not always possible, in which case students will take a bus together with the other student in their house and other students in the area. Each student is given a street map, and provided with directions of how to get to and from the centre. What will the host family provide? The host families will provide them with their own bedroom, which are mostly twins for the student to share with another student from their course. The family provides all the meals for the student, which consist of: Bed linen is provided by the host family and cleaned once a week. Students should ask their host family to assist with personal laundry. Will linen and towels be provided? Bed linen is provided by the host family and cleaned once a week. Students should ask their host family to assist with personal laundry. Will the student have their own room in the host family’s house? Yes, each student has their own room which is normally a twin room, to share with another student on their course. How will the student get home safely to the host family? We will try and allocate students as close to the centres as possible, however all students are placed in areas with other students, as well as sharing the host families. They will then be shown the route to walk or the bus to take. In addition they are given a student card with 24 hour contacts to a local Accommodation Officer. Will students be able to stay at host families with a friend? Yes, most of our host families have twin sharing rooms. Please let us know at time of booking, so this arrangement can be allocated. How many evening activities are there at Home Stay centres? Due to students being located away from the centre, and to get the most out of the English host family experience, students will have two evening activities per week with the other students, then 4 evenings with the host families. Do the students have access to a 24 hours Accommodation Officer? Yes, each student is issued with a student card on arrival, this contains contact details to a 24 hour Accommodation Officer. Most of our centres will have pay phones on site for students to use. Please ask an Ardmore member of staff, who will show students to the nearest pay phone. In emergencies students would have access to the Ardmore Offices’ phones which are on site. Many of our centres have internet access; however this will vary from centre to centre. Most internet is limited to computer rooms. Can students bring their mobile phone? Yes, students can bring a mobile phone, however they should be aware of the high overseas calling cost. We do not advise they do, however we discourage students from bringing expensive luxury items. Due to our full activity programme, students will have limited time to use their own laptops or computers. However if students choose to bring this with them, then please ensure they have adequate insurance to cover the items. How can the parents contact their child whilst at Ardmore? Each centre has a parent contact telephone and fax number. Alternatively our friendly and professional Head Office staff are available during office hours and are always happy to help in any way they can. Parents should contact the centre emergency number. How much money should students bring? Our course prices already include accommodation, meals, workbooks and excursion entrances; therefore we do not recommend that students bring too much pocket money. Parents may like to provide them with enough for souvenirs and snacks. Who is responsible for their money? The student will need to take responsibility for his or her spending money. Each centre will have a safe, but we also advise students to bring a lockable suitcase for extra security. Can the students take money out from their banks? Most our centres do not have facilities on site, but it is possible for students to use ATM’s whilst out on excursions, however it is not advisable to rely on this as the only form of access to spending money, as it is not always convenient to use an ATM whilst on excursions. Also please contact your bank to notify them of the trip abroad. Yes, each centre has a safe on site. Only the centre director and senior members of staff will have access to this. Yes it is possible for the parents to send money. Please contact an Ardmore member of staff at head office or the agency the course was booked through. This should only be used in emergencies. What if the student has a medical condition/allergies/dietary requirement? You must advise of your students’ dietary/medical requirements at the time of booking. We will then inform the centre/host family and ensure that your students’ needs are catered for. Where does the student store medicine? Medicines can be stored at the centre and refrigerated if necessary. Please inform us before travel and the student with details of the dosage and administration requirements. Please note students are responsible for their own medication. What happens if a student becomes ill? Our staff will deal with any minor illnesses/incidents on site – however if your student requires medical attention our staff will accompany them to a doctor/hospital for consultation. Parents will of course be informed if we have to take this course of action. What if the student becomes home sick? We understand that some students are homesick when they first arrive in England. Ardmore recommends that parents discourage their student from calling home too often at this time and try to persuade them to speak to someone at the Centre. Individual students will be looked after by the Senior Welfare Leader/Head of Pastoral Care – who will assist the student to settle in, introduce them to other students and answer any questions they may have. Senior Welfare Leader/Head of Pastoral Care will monitor the student and generally take care of them. If students are part of a group, the group leader will assume these duties. If the student cannot overcome their homesickness and wants to return home, we will assist them in any way we can to make the experience less traumatic. Does the student require travel insurance? It is essential that everyone on our courses/programmes is fully insured and we recommend purchasing our Travel Insurance which is designed to cover all of the activities included in our courses - please see our Booking Terms and Conditions for more information. Can they purchase travel insurance from Ardmore? Yes, please contact a member of Ardmore staff before the student travels to quote and arrange the insurance. Does the student require a visa to travel to the UK? Students travelling from the European Union to the UK will not need a visa. Does the student require a visa to travel to the USA? Students travelling from the European Union to the USA, will need to apply on the ESTA web page on the following link, if their country is a part of the American visa waiver programme: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/ Does the student require a visa to travel to the UK? Students travelling to the UK from the rest of the world may require a visa. Please check and then specify at the time of booking, Ardmore will provide you with a signed and stamped visa letter to give to your local embassy. Does the student require a visa to travel to the USA? Many countries have joined the American visa waiver programme, but not all, you will need to check and apply on the ESTA web page on the following link: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/ How will the student receive their visa? Students will need to take their Ardmore visa letter to their local British or American embassy, who will then issue a tourist visa. To make a booking, please complete a booking form and send it to Ardmore Language Schools: Ardmore Language Schools, By email: By fax: +44 (0) 1628 826699 If you require information prior to booking, please feel free to contact us on the above details, where an Ardmore member of staff will be able to help you. For any bookings made through an agency, please go directly to your contact there. We must also receive a deposit in order for the booking to be considered provisional – please see our Booking Terms and Conditions for more information. Where can course prices be found? Please contact an Ardmore member of staff for pricing questions. What happens after you have booked? We will confirm that we have received and processed your booking and will give you a unique reference number which we ask that you quote in all correspondence. The booking will remain provisional until the full balance is received. We will send you further information relating to your course when available. Who can you speak to about a booking? We understand how important it is to keep you informed about your booking and our friendly Head Office staff are available by email (info@theardmoregroup.com) or by telephone (+44 (0) 1628 826699) Monday to Friday (9:00 – 17:30 GMT) to answer any questions you may have. A minimum of 10 per cent deposit is required to secure the booking. Full payment must be paid 4 weeks prior to arrival. What payment options are there? Please make payment to Ardmore via bank transfer or credit card, quoting your booking reference at time of payment. Please see payment instructions on your invoice or booking forms’ terms and conditions. What is the cancellation policy? Whilst every effort is made to limit the costs incurred by cancellation, the following maximum scale of charges will apply to persons withdrawing from a group after the deposit has been paid. How can you contact Ardmore Language School To contact one of our friendly and professional staff, please use the following details: Ardmore Language Schools, By email: By fax: +44 (0) 1628 826699 Where can the centre’s address and contact details be found? At the beginning of each season our contact list is issued. Please contact Ardmore or your agency representative for full centre addresses and contact persons.
How long does the course last?
What’s it like at an Ardmore centre?
Which day should the students arrive and depart?
Will the centres and classes be of mixed nationalities?
Where will students visit on excursions?
How many English lessons will students have per week?
How is the English taught?
How is the level of English determined?
How many students per class will there be?
What qualifications do the teachers have?
Will the student need to bring their own course books?
Are the courses suitable for student who speak limited English?
Will the students practice their English throughout the course?
How is the student’s progress checked?
What kind of activities will students do?
What evening activities are there?
How many members of Ardmore staff are there?
What meals will be provided?
What food can students expect?
What items/information will the students need to bring?
What should students pack?
Can the students have extra sports lessons?
How does the student travel to the centre from the airport?
Will the student be met at the airport?
Can students make their own way to the centre?
Do all the coaches have seat belts?
Are the centres residential or home stay?
Who will the students share a room with?
Will the students be in same sex rooms/blocks?
How many students share one bathroom
Is linen provided?
Will they have to bring a towel?
Will the students be able to do their laundry?
What time will the students have to go to bed?
How do they keep their belongings safe?
Is there security on sites?
Where are the host families located?
What will the host family provide?
Will linen and towels be provided?
Will the student have their own room in the host family’s house?
How will the student get home safely to the host family?
Will students be able to stay at host families with a friend?
How many evening activities are there at Home Stay centres?
Do the students have access to a 24 hours Accommodation Officer?
Are there payphones on site?
Is there internet on site?
Can students bring their mobile phone?
Can students bring a laptop
How can the parents contact their child whilst at Ardmore?
How much money should students bring?
Who is responsible for their money?
Can the students take money out from their banks?
Is there a safe?
Can parents send money?
What if the student has a medical condition/allergies/dietary requirement?
Where does the student store medicine?
What happens if a student becomes ill?
What if the student becomes home sick?
Does the student require travel insurance?
Can they purchase travel insurance from Ardmore?
Does the student require a visa to travel to the UK?
Does the student require a visa to travel to the USA?
Does the student require a visa to travel to the UK?
Does the student require a visa to travel to the USA?
How will the student receive their visa?
How you book?
Where can course prices be found?
What happens after you have booked?
Who can you speak to about a booking?
What deposit is required
What payment options are there?
What is the cancellation policy?
How can you contact Ardmore Language School
Where can the centre’s address and contact details be found?
Please see each centre’s web page for further details.
We will do our best to cater for any special dietary requirements. Please make agents aware of these at the time of booking.
Cagoule or water proof jacket
Always single sex rooms.
By post:
Berkshire College,
Hall Place,
Burchetts Green,
Berkshire,
SL6 6QR,
United Kingdom
Notification 2 weeks or less The Ardmore Group retains 100% of total
By post:
Berkshire College,
Hall Place,
Burchetts Green,
Berkshire,
SL6 6QR,
United Kingdom
Ardmore Language Schools, Berkshire College, Hall Place, Burchetts Green, Berkshire, SL6 6QR, UK
T: 01628 826699F: 01628 829977E: info@theardmoregroup.com