Winchester College Summer English Courses

12-17 year olds
English level: Elementary – Advanced

Winchester College is one of England’s oldest and most prestigious public schools, famously part of the original “Big Seven”, alongside Eton, Harrow, Charterhouse, Rugby, etc. attracting top students globally for its strong emphasis on intellectual curiosity and leadership development. Winchester College Summer English Courses offer international students an exclusive opportunity to study English and experience the exquisite campus life of this world famous public school.

This enriching two-week course blends language learning with creative thinking, ethical exploration and real-world problem-solving, giving students the chance to use English in meaningful, collaborative, and intellectually stimulating ways. The lessons go beyond traditional language learning. Experienced teachers use questioning, dialogue, and debate to make learning active and memorable. Students practise English by exploring ideas, forming arguments, and responding to others in real conversations.

Through interactive modules and the English in Action Project, students refine their communication, reasoning, and presentation skills, while engaging with ideas that matter—from cultural heritage to science and global perspectives. The project culminates in a final exhibition where students share their insights on a global issue.

Students are streamed by age and ability and are tested prior to their arrival, to ensure they are placed in the appropriate class. The comprehensive syllabus is combined with fun activity programme and cultural excursions. Students 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.

• Programme
• Modules
• Accommodation
• School Profile

• Course Essentials:

  Winchester College Summer English Courses consist of a well-balanced programme of English tuition, activities, sports and excursions. It includes:

  • 40 hours of English coaching
  • Daily choice of afternoon activity programme
  • Varied evening social programme
  • 3 full-day excursions
  • Certificate and detailed transcript report from tutors
  • Maximum class size is 15
  • International student travel insurance
  • Airport transfers are NOT included (£135/way for Heathrow/Gatwick Airport; £165/way with Unaccompanied Minor Service)

  Timetable:

  Below is a typical two week sample programme and a typical day of Winchester College Summer English Courses.

  

  

  Activities:

  Outside classroom, students will improve language skills through a broad range of sporting, cultural and entertaining activities, such as:

  • Basketball
  • Badminton
  • Tennis
  • Volleyball
  • Swimming
  • Touch Rugby
  • Rounders
  • Zumba

  • Yoga
  • Drumming
  • Painting
  • Clay Modelling
  • Jewellery Making
  • Poetry
  • Drama
  • Music

  • Fashion Show
  • Mission Impossible
  • Casino Night
  • Disco
  • Talent Show
  • Lip Sync Challenge
  • Team Trials
  • Treasure Hunt

  Excursions:

  Excursions are a vital part of the summer experience for international students to gain a cultural understanding of the UK alongside English language learning. Students will have 3 fully day excursions to experience the rich cultural heritage of Britain. The choices include:

  • London Eye
  • Buckingham Palace
  • Big Ben and Houses of Parliament
  • The National Gallery
  • House Guards
  • Covent Garden Market

  • Shopping at Oxford Street
  • Thorpe Park
  • Oxford
  • Cambridge
  • Hampton Court Palace
  • Windsor Castle

• Week One:

  

  Week Two:

  

• Boarding:
  Students stay in Winchester College’s newest boarding houses, designed by Staunton Williams and completed in 2026. Each house features modern en-suite bedrooms, bright communal areas, and peaceful gardens. A team of friendly staff will stay with the students within the boarding houses and are available at all times to provide assistance and a high level of supervision.

  Meals:
  Well balanced, nutritious three cooked meals a day with a wide range of salads and hot dishes are provided in the historic College dining halls. Vegetarian meals are always available and are clearly labelled. Packed lunches are provided for excursions.

  Facilities:
  Winchester College boasts exceptional, diverse facilities blending historic grandeur with modern amenities, including a state-of-the-art Sports Centre (gym, courts, dojo), extensive playing fields, a boathouse, observatory, and new purpose-built boarding houses, all set within a beautiful 250-acre campus. Wi-Fi is available throughout the school.

  Laundry:
  Laundry is done once a week. All bed linen is provided and is laundered once a week. Towels are not provided.

• Winchester College is one of England’s oldest and most prestigious public schools, famously part of the original seven “Clarendon Schools,” alongside Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Shrewsbury, Westminster, and Charterhouse, known for its rigorous academics and elite status, attracting top students globally for its strong emphasis on intellectual curiosity and leadership development. 

  Founded in 1382, Winchester has the longest continuous history of any school in England. It embodies the quintessential, highly selective, historic English public school experience, focusing on all-boys full boarding for ages 13-18, with a mixed Sixth Form. 

  The school is academically ambitious for all pupils, and consistently ranks among the most prestigious and academically selective schools, with exceptionally high A-Level results and placements at elite universities worldwide. In 2025, 75% A*-A grades at A-Level and 93% for 9-7 grades at GCSE, plus strong Oxbridge offers (39 in 2024/2025), highlighting its top-tier academic performance in the UK independent school sector

  Well-known for its distinctive “Div” system, encouraging independent thought, for nearly 650 years, Winchester has offered more than academic excellence in a beautiful setting. Div is the intellectual root of Winchester education, where pupils are immersed in an environment where original thought is celebrated, curiosity is encouraged, and they are prepared to lead lives of purpose.