12-17 year olds, girls and boys (English level: Intermediate – Advanced)
Wycombe Abbey is a world leader in outstanding education and is consistently one of the UK’s most prestigious and high-achieving boarding schools, with over a third of students received Oxbridge offers every year. Attending Wycombe Abbey Summer English Courses enable international students to experience gracious school life of this leading British independent school.
Wycombe Abbey Summer Programme is an immersive, intensive and international summer course, combining exceptional English language tuition with a broad range of exciting electives and premium excursions. Students will not only improve their language proficiency and progress academically but also develop creativity, confidence, leadership and teamwork. The programme is designed to be immersive, inspiring and engaging to provide a world-class experience with the following learning outcomes.
- Increase confidence in spoken English;
- Enhance creative and collaborative skillset;
- Practice presentation design, delivery, and debating skills;
- Build and broaden English vocabulary;
- Boost understanding of different texts and media;
- Improve English skills and systems – from lexis and pronunciation to reading and writing;
- Develop power skills (soft skills) to succeed in the modern world.
Students are asked to take an online English test before the start of the course to make sure they are placed in the right class to really enjoy and learn as much as possible. Lessons are taught in small classes of 12 students by professional and highly experienced teachers using European ground-breaking teaching method – Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), allowing students to learn and develop their language proficiency while studying a range of topics and applying their skills to something interesting and relevant.
Students receive 4 hours of language lessons in the mornings with several thematic English language studies, including British Culture, English for Academic Purposes and Exams, Projects and Creations and 21st Century Skills. Language learning is supported by 2 hours of electives every afternoon, and students can choose one out of the four electives for the duration of the course. The comprehensive syllabus is combined with fun activity programme and cultural excursions, where students are encouraged to exchange ideas, collaborate, show initiative and improve their confidence whilst having fun.
Course essentials
Wycombe Abbey Summer English Courses consist of a well-balanced programme of English tuition, electives, sports and excursions. It includes:
- 40 hours of English tuition over two-week programme
- 16 hours of elective study
- 3 full-day and 1 half day excursions including Oxford and London
- Afternoon and evening activity programme and house socials
- Maximum class size is 12, and teacher to student ratio of 1:8
- London Heathrow Airport transfers on published arrival/departure days between 10:00am and 6:00pm
- Discounts available for siblings and multi-bookings
Course outlines:
The course programme allows students to engage in 4 hours of morning lessons exploring British Culture, English for Academic Purposes and Exams, Projects and Creations and 21st Century Skills:
Electives:
Students can choose one out of four electives to study 2 hours every afternoon for the duration of the programme.
Activities:
Outside morning classroom, students will improve language skills through a broad range of sporting, cultural and entertaining activities, such as:
- Football
- Handball
- Ultimate Frisbee
- Basketball
- Rounders
- Volleyball
- Cricket
- Indoor hockey
- Badminton
- Lacrosse
- Climbing
- Tag Rugby
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Around the World
- Oscars Night
- Know me in five minutes
- Talent Show
- Sports tournaments
- Fashion shows
- Quiz Night
- Golf (with onsite golf simulator)
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. Wycombe Abbey Summer English Courses offer students 3 fully day and 1 half day excursions to experience the rich cultural heritage of Britain. The choices include:
- Hop-on-Hop-off Bus Tour
- London Eye
- Big Ben
- Houses of Parliament
- British Museum
- Science Museum
- London’s West End
- Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
- Oxford with the Christ Church College
- University of Oxford Harry Potter Tour
- Covent Garden Market
- Shopping at Oxford Street
- Cambridge and University of Cambridge
The sample timetable below is a typical programme of Wycombe Abbey Summer English Courses.
Boarding:
Students stay in Pitt and Rubens – two mordern boarding houses of Wycombe Abbey, all en-suite bedrooms for two to four people. Girls and boys are accommodated separately. Common rooms and kitchens provide the perfect environment for relaxation and socialising. A team of friendly staff will stay with the students to look after them in the evenings and is on duty throughout the night.Meals:
Well balanced, nutritious three cooked meals a day with a wide range of salads and hot dishes are provided in the school dining room. Vegetarian meals are always available. Any dietary requirements or allergies can be catered if informed in advance. Packed lunches are provided for excursions. Mealtimes are subject to change.Facilities:
Excellent sports facilities including Large Sports Hall, 25m Indoor Swimming Pool, 12 x Tennis Courts, 5 x Sports Pitches, Cricket Pitch, Athletic Track, Gym and Fitness Suite, Astroturf Pitch, Climbing Wall, 4 x Squash Courts, Golf Simulator Bays, 364-seat Theatre. Wi-Fi is available in campus.Laundry:
Laundry is done once a week. All bed linen is provided and is laundered once a week. Towels are not provided.Wycombe Abbey is a world leader in girls’ boarding education and a place where academic excellence, empathy and integrity thrive. It is one of the UK’s most successful independent boarding schools for girls, aged 11 to 18. The School is committed to creating tomorrow’s women leaders and has a long tradition of academic excellence, it is consistently one of the country’s best performing schools with over a third of girls received Oxbridge offers every year.
Founded in 1896, the School is set in 170 acres magnificent parkland in Buckinghamshire, England with its own lake, woods, gardens, and rises up to 150 metres above sea level in the Chiltern Hills. It is only 30 miles from the centre of London, 20 miles from Heathrow airport. It provides a secure and comfortable country lifestyle setting for the course.
The vision of Wycombe Abbey is to pursuit of academic excellence, the development of each pupil’s talents, the fostering of an awareness of God and an understanding of the needs of others. The ISI inspectors were blown away, bestowing a rare and much coveted ‘exceptional’ status on the pupils’ learning and achievements. The School has twice in the last ten years been named Independent School of the Year by The Sunday Times in its annual review of the independent school sector in the UK. In the Spear’s Schools Index, Wycombe Abbey is regularly named as one of the top 100 schools internationally and in 2023 was listed as a Finalist for School of the Year.
The School has an extremely impressive record of academic success and is consistently one of the top performers in public examination league tables. The GCSE and A level results for 2021/2022 were outstanding with 89.9% of examinations awarded 8 or 9 (A*) and 96.5% of results at 7 – 9 (A-A*) in GCSE. At A level, 65.2% of grades were awarded A*, with 97.4% of results graded at A*-B. The GCSE and A level results for 2022/2023 were outstanding with 90% of examinations awarded 8 or 9 (A*) and 97.5% of results at 7 – 9 (A-A*) in GCSE. At A level, 92% of results were grades A*-B.
With such excellent exam results, Wycombe Abbey girls gain admission to competitive courses at leading universities throughout the world. One third secure Oxbridge offers with the majority heading to Russell Group universities or prestigious Art, Drama or Music Schools. Also US top universities such as Brown University, Duke University, Columbia University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University and Yale University.
