8 – 17 year olds, girls only (English level: Elementary to Advanced)
These are girls only summer English courses offered at all girls’ boarding school – Heathfield School in Ascot, which has educated many daughters of the world’s royal families. Girls aged 14 plus have opportunity to attend “English with Style” in the final week to learn more about British culture and etiquette, fashion, style, life skills and well-being.
Heathfield School summer English courses are carefully designed for girls who want to learn and improve their English. Girls enjoy a well-balanced programme which comprises 20 English lessons per week in the mornings, three weekly excursions and an exciting range of activities in the afternoons, evenings and at weekends. The course contents and varied activities and events are designed to best serve girls interest, including art, crafts, photography, drama, music, floristry, hair and beauty and a whole range of field, water and racquet sports. The girls from around the world will meet native English speakers students for joint activities and excursions.
Students are given an English level assessment on the first morning to make sure they are placed in the right class to really enjoy and learn as much as possible. They will be taught by qualified EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers. The course syllabus covers essential English language skills with particular emphasis on speaking, listening and pronunciation. Heathfield promotes the learning of English both in and out of the classroom. Girls live, study and play in an English speaking, multinational environment, where they have fun, make new friends from around the globe, and enjoy every opportunity to improve their English ability.
Alongside standard English language course, girls aged 14 plus with confident spoken English (Intermediate to Advanced level) can choose “English with Style” in the final week to learn more about British culture and etiquette, fashion, style, life skills and well-being. It is designed to help young women develop confidence and poise and extend their linguistic fluency.
Course details
Heathfield School summer English courses consist of a well-balanced programme of English tuition, activities, sports and excursions. It includes:
- Girls only summer school environment
- 30 hours of English tuition over two weeks (including juice breaks)
- Three weekly trips: one full-day and one half-day excursion plus one evening or late afternoon trip.
- Full afternoon and evening activity programme on non-excursion days
- Mixing with British girls in social activities
- Staff to student ratio is 1:6
- Maximum class size is 16, and the average class size is around 12
- Insurance
- Heathrow Airport transfers (Arrival days 06:00-19:00, departure days 09.00-19.00)
Activities:
Outside the classroom, girls will improve language skills through a broad range of sporting, cultural and entertaining activities, such as:
- Aerobics
- Archery
- Arts & Crafts
- Badminton
- Barbecues
- Basketball
- Bowling
- Cookery
- Dance
- Fashion Shows
- Discos
- Drama
- Fancy Dress Parties
- Film Evenings
- Gymnastics
- Hair & Beauty
- Horse Riding
- Karaoke
- Kayaking
- Music & Dance
- Soccer
- Swimming
- Synchronised Swimming
- Table Tennis
- Talent Show
- Tennis
- Theme Evenings
- Trampolining
- Treasure Hunt
- Volleyball
Excursions:
The summer English courses at Heathfield School offer students a wide range of interesting and enjoyable excursions to London and other places to experience the rich cultural heritage of Britain. The choices include:
- Covent Garden
- London Sightseeing Tour
- Waterslide Park
- Westfield Shopping Centre
- Westminster Abbey
- Bath
- Chessington World of Adventure
- Oxford
- Cambridge
- Reading
- Windsor Castle
- Warwick Castle
- Stratford-upon-Avon
- Chichester
- Arundel Castle
- Winchester
- Salisbury
- Stonehenge
- Hampton Court
- Brighton
- Henley-on-Thames
- Ascot Races for seniors
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14 – 17 year olds, girls only (English level: B2Upper Intermediate to Advanced/IELTSS 5 )
English with Style has been designed for girls to learn more about modern manners, behaviour and style while developing their fluency in English. Students must have a spoken level of English that is Intermediate or higher – 5 plus on IELTS or Cambridge First Certificate level.
The course takes place in the final week of the Heathfield Summer School programme. Attending one or more weeks of General English and Activities before the course is obligatory. Places are strictly limited so early booking is advised.
The course includes 15 hours of general English in classroom lessons and special groups. Activities from the following list will be included to improve girls’ understanding and use of English in everyday situations and in interview:
Culture & Education- Theatre visit – a London show
- Fashion, Art & Design – a workshop and visit to a top London design or art museum
- Technology and Innovation – video making, photography, technology and the future
- Developing campaigns on current issues such as climate change, fast fashion and social media
- Debate and discussion of global issues with girls from the UK
- The British education system – a guidance session for studying in the UK
Developing Skills- Standing Tall – confidence, body language and social strategies
- Communication – verbal and non-verbal tools
- Preparing and making presentations
- Critical Thinking
- Team-building
- Leadership
- Modern social management – for socialising, further education and the workplace
Living Well & Style- Style and Design workshops – choosing your colours
- Mindfulness and relaxation techniques
- Cookery – create a delicious tea party, Ascot style
- Flower Craft – designing and making floral decorations
- Skin care – skin analysis, facials and light make-up with beauticians from SpaceNK
- Wellbeing evening – yoga and pamper sessions
- Sports and the fitness suite
Plus
- English with Style Welcome Evening
- Course Booklet
- End-of-course photo session, followed by dance and farewell party
- Final Report and Certificate
The sample timetable below is a typical summer English course programme at Heathfield School.
Boarding:
Girls are accommodated in attractive single rooms and there are shared rooms for younger girls. All rooms have wash basins and there are plenty of bathrooms and shower rooms nearby. Staff and student assistants sleep in rooms located nearby.
To help girls settle in and make friends, they will be assigned to a House – a group of girls of different nationalities and ages. Together they put on dance and drama shows or take part in inter-House sports competitions to help girls to mix with each other. Pastoral care is first class. The school nurse and matrons supervise the girls’ welfare and an excellent staff:student ratio ensures high levels of supervision.
Meals:
The School has excellent dining room service offering a wide range of British and International dishes, including a vegetarian option at each meal. Soup and a salad bar, fruit, cheese and puddings are also available. Special diets can also be catered for. Juice and biscuits are provided at break times and barbecue lunches are arranged each week. Heathfield’s kitchens have a five-star local council award for Health and Hygiene.
Facilities:
The boarding houses have well equipped games rooms that are very popular with girls throughout the day. Each House also has at least one TV room where girls can watch TV and DVDs. Student can access to computer room with free Wi-Fi. The school is equipped with first class teaching, sporting and leisure facilities, including an indoor swimming pool, modern theatre, sports hall, tennis courts, dance and drama studios, art room as well as cookery room.
Laundry:
A daily laundry service is available for all personal washing. All bed linen is provided and is laundered once a week. Towels are not provided.
Heathfield School is a unique school – the only small, all girls, full boarding school in England. Founded in 1899, originally to educate daughters of the upper classes, over the years it has been home to young ladies from some of the world’s best known families, including HRH Princess Alexandra, cousin of The Queen and daughters of many of the world’s royal families.
The school is set in 36 acres of magnificent grounds near Ascot, within easy reach of Windsor, London, Oxford and Heathrow airport. The picturesque grounds of the school with attractive gardens, grass sports pitches, paths and woodland provide girls a safe and enjoyable living and studying environment.
The school is equipped with first class teaching, sporting and leisure facilities, including an indoor 25 meter 6 lanes swimming pool, a modern brand new theatre, an excellent sports hall, tennis courts, dance and drama studios, art room, and a well-equipped cookery room.
Academically, Heathfield School strives to provide the best education for all their girls, focusing on the needs of individuals, nurturing both academic and personal development. The school has excellent performance in Arts, which was confirmed again with more than 60 per cent of A Level candidates sitting an Art A-Level with over three-quarters achieving top A*-A grades. The school was named the winner of Good Schools Guide’ for the fourth year running (since 2009) for the Best Result at A-Level achieved by girls taking Art and Design at an English school. The A-Level examination results 2013 shows that 90% of their girls have gained an A*-A grade in their A-Levels with an impressive clean sweep of A*-A grades in seven subjects. More than half of the school’s A Level candidates also sat a Science or Maths A-Level, and the results were significantly above the national average for girls at either state schools or for girls in mixed independent schools. The school’s excellent A-Level results mean that Heathfield girls go to top universities in the UK after leaving the school.
