13-16 year olds, girls and boys (English level: Elementary to Advanced)
Plumpton Intensive Summer English Courses are designed for students who want to learn and improve their English, experience an inspirational combination of varied social, culture activities and excursions alongside their structured English tuition. It’s based in Plumpton College in the magnificent English countryside at the foot of the South Downs, and only 20 minutes away from the popular tourist resort of Brighton.
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. The course includes 20 hours per week structured English lessons, varied activities and fantastic excursions. They will be taught by qualified EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers who have ability to make language learning fun. The course syllabus incorporates essential English language study, language for life, group project sessions, excursion link lessons and academic skills sessions.
- English Language Study: The lessons focus on the communicative style of language learning and provide grammar and vocabulary tailored to a student’s ability. The language for life lessons also integrate a wider range of topics including learner training, literacy, culture and life skills.
- Academic Skills: This course gives students an introduction to exam techniques and is designed to help students improve the skills of their academic reading, writing, listening and speaking over two hours per week.
- Excursion Link Lessons: The lessons bridge the gap between the academic and activity programme. Students learn about popular tourist attractions and destinations through the medium of English.
- Group Projects: Group projects aim to encourage teamwork, participation and communication through the completion of real-world tasks that use English with an authentic purpose. Each group will present their group work in a presentation evening.
- Assessment: At the end of the course, teachers will assess students’ skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening, as well as their overall English proficiency to provide students with a realistic determination of their English ability. All students will receive a certificate of recommended English level measured against the CEFR scale, which can be applied against other international English exams such as Cambridge ESOL & IELTS.
Students live, study and play in an English speaking, safe and secure multinational environment, where they have fun, make new friends from around the globe, and enjoy every opportunity to improve their English ability.
Course essentials:
Plumpton Intensive Summer English Courses consist of a well-balanced programme of English tuition, activities, sports and excursions. The structured programme includes:
- 20 hours of tuition per week
- 2 full-day excursions and 1 half-day trips per week
- End-of-course Assessment & Certificate
- Full afternoon and evening activity programme
- Optional extras of Horse Riding
- Maximum class size of 11 students
- Staff to student ratio is 1:7
- Insurance and Airport transfers (Heathrow & Gatwick airports between 10:00-20:00 GMT)
Activities:
Outside language tuition, students will improve language skills through a broad range of sporting, cultural and entertaining activities, such as:
- Camp Fire
- Tennis
- Swimming
- Football,
- Drum
- Bowling
- Arts & Crafts
- Summer Fete
- Kite Making & Flying
- BBQ at the Beach
- Sports Tournaments
- The Cube
- Trash Fashion Show
- Scavenger Hunt
- Family Fortunes Quiz
- Climbing Wall
- Badminton
- Discos
- Film Evenings
- Inflatables
- Musical & Dance
- Volleyball
- Basketball
- Table Tennis
- Talent Shows
- You Bet
Excursions:
Excursions are a vital part of the summer experience for international students to gain a cultural understanding of the UK alongside English language study. Students will have 2 fully day and 1 half day excursion and trips each week to experience the rich cultural heritage of Britain. The choices include:
- Buckingham Palace
- Houses of Parliament
- West End Musical
- Natural History Museum
- Hyde Park
- London Eye
- British Museum
- Southbank Walking Tour
- Camden Market
- Oxford Street
- Hever Castle
- Hastings
- Bognor Regis
- Thorpe Park
- Guildford
- Bath
- Oxford
- Cambridge
- Portsmouth & Spinnaker Tower
- Windsor Castle
- Eton College
- Brighton beach
- Leeds Castle
- Stratford Upon Avon
- Warwick Castle
- Canterbury Cathedral
- Ely/Ely Cathedral
- Chessington World of Adventure
The sample timetable below is a typical two-week programme of Plumpton Intensive Summer English Courses.
Boarding:
Students will live in the college bedrooms which are close to both the classrooms and the large dining room. Most rooms are single study bedrooms with facilities ranging from shared to en-suite, and many of which were completely new in 2010. Girls and boys are accommodated separately. In each boarding house, there is a senior member of staff who looks after the students in the evenings and is on duty throughout the night.
Meals:
Well balanced, nutritious cooked meals are provided in the beautiful dining hall. Drinks and biscuits are available in the lesson breaks. Packed lunches are provided for excursions.
Facilities:
Indoor facilities include 5-a-side football, netball, badminton, cricket, basketball, volleyball, hockey and indoor tennis and a popular climbing wall. Outdoor facilities include a sports field, two tennis courts, football, rugby and cricket pitches. Horse riding stables including two indoor riding rings. Working farm with farm animals, and an animal care unit. 3 student computer rooms. Wi-fi access in common areas.
Laundry:
Laundry is done once a week. All bed linen is provided and is laundered once a week. Towels are not provided.
Plumpton College is located in the magnificent English countryside at the foot of the South Downs, and only 20 minutes away from the popular tourist resort of Brighton.
The College has one of the largest agricultural estates of all Colleges in England, covering over 890 hectares of farmed land and woodland, which also includes ancient semi-natural woodlands, chalk downland, a network of small streams. Its proximity to the South Coast with its varied coastal habitats is also an advantage. The estate is managed for habitat conservation, agriculture, forestry, gamekeeping as well as general recreation. Setting in an area of outstanding natural beauty in the centre of the South Downs National Park, the Plumpton College offers a tranquil, safe, and state-of-the-art learning environment.
The College is an agricultural college during the academic year and as such it has an on-site working farm; an Animal Care Centre; stables including one of the best horse-riding schools in the country; beautiful grounds for outdoor activities; and a new Children’s Rural Education Centre opened by HRH The Princess Royal in 2008.
The College specialises in providing a wide variety of highly-respected, practical, land-based courses. In association with the University of Brighton, the college also offers degree courses, international students can study a work-focused degree course such as BSc Viticulture and Oenology – the only undergraduate degree in wine production delivered in English in Europe, or BSc Equine Sports Performance. Accommodation on campus is guaranteed for all international students.
