ESOL
International students are fully integrated with British students both inside and outside the classroom, sleeping in bedrooms, sharing meal facilities and social activities. Boarders are accommodated in houses according to age each run by a Housemaster or Housemistress with a team of resident tutors. The House staff aim to ensure the welfare and happiness of the young people particularly when they are so far from home. All students from abroad are registered with the school doctor who visits once a week and we have a Medical Centre which is run by qualified nurses.
Additional English language tuition is provided through the ESOL department (English for Speakers of Other Languages) with a comprehensive programme of English language tuition, combining small group teaching with individual learning. Cross-curricular support is given in liaison with subject teachers by highly qualified, experienced staff.
The amount of time spent on ESOL depends on each student’s need and this is regularly monitored. Your child will leave the school at the end of the course with an internationally recognized qualification offered by the University of Cambridge that can be used to gain acceptance in British universities.
We expect children to have reached an intermediate level of English before they can be admitted to the school, and they will be expected to take an English assessment as part of the entrance procedure.
All children whose parents are abroad need to have a guardian resident in the UK.
Entry and Courses
Entrance is by either, personal interview, entrance tests or recommendation from the student’s present school. All pupils are tested on their English ability upon arrival and then depending upon whether they have passed the ” Threshold Level”, are offered either the main programme or one with additional support tailored to their needs.
The main programme consists of 3 hours per week of English as a Foreign Language Teaching and costs £600 per term. Additional support to this would incur an extra charge depending on the level of support required. (Click here to see the section on school fees.)
Examinations
The University of Cambridge offers examinations in English as a Foreign Language which are recognised worldwide. Friends’ School prepares students for these examinations so that continuous progress is assured and monitored. Students leave Friends’ School with an English Certificate, which can be used for employment purposes or for entry to further study.
Qualifications that can be obtained are:
- P.E.T. - Intermediate level
- I.G.C.S.E. - Upper Intermediate level
- I.E.L.T.S. - Advanced level
( IGCSE or IELTS is required for entry to a British University)
