12-17 year olds, girls and boys (English level: B1/Intermediate to Proficiency)
English plus Debate & Public Speaking summer camp is designed for ambitious students sharpening their English and critical thinking skills through debate, whilst also improving their public speaking skills at one of the most prestigious boarding schools in the UK.
Debating is considered as a 21st learning strategy, where students are required to interrogate an issue, scrutinise evidence and construct logical arguments, thereby honing critical 21st century skills, such as critical thinking, logical reasoning, communication, team work and creativity.
The course programme perfectly balances English Language acquisition and usage, through Debate and Public Speaking classes and Philosophy, Politics and Economic (PPE) seminars. The course helps students open a window into the World Schools Debating Championship, develops their competitive debating skills, and improve their confidence in spoken English through lessons in debate and public speaking.
Over a two-week course, experienced teachers will guide students in small classes through the following lessons on a range of themes designed to help them become more informed and engaged global citizens.
- 15 hours of targeted English lessons designed around the key concepts and ideas discussed within the course programme
- 15 hours of content specific Debate and Public Speaking classes
- 15 hours of Philosophy, Politics and Economic seminars to help students develop their understanding of the world around them.
Students will use vocabulary from English and PPE lessons to succeed in debates and present a winning argument, and gain a deeper linguistic understanding of the content discussed and debated! At the end of the course, students will participate in a debating competition in the World Schools Debating format.
Outside the classroom, students will take 15 hours of sports activities over two weeks, and enjoy a lively programme of social activities in the evenings. Each week there is a varied social programme with fun events such as a disco, barbecue, challenge event, treasure hunt, talent show, and sports competition or similar. The full package of social, culture activities and excursions offer great opportunities for students to socialise and make new friends from across the globe.
Intensive English plus Debate & Public Speaking summer camp takes place at internationally renowned Tonbridge School, which is part of the ‘Eton Group’ of schools. This course offers international students an exclusive opportunity to experience gracious school life of this great British independent school.
Course essentials:
English plus Debate & Public Speaking summer camp consists of a well-balanced programme of English tuition, debate and public speaking classes, activities and excursions. It includes:
- 15 hours of English tuition over two weeks
- 15 hours of Debate and Public Speaking classes over two weeks
- 15 hours of Philosophy, Politics and Economic seminars over two weeks
- 4 full-day excursions and trips over two weeks
- Full activity, sports and social programme on non-excursion days
- Maximum class size is 15, and the average class size is around 12
- Insurance and Airport transfers are NOT included. (£150 per way from/to Heathrow & Gatwick airports)
Activities:
Outside classroom, students will improve language skills through a broad range of sporting, cultural and entertaining activities, such as:
- Basketball
- Badminton
- Table Tennis
- Dance
- Volleyball
- Swimming
- Softball
- Soccer
- Tennis
- Aerobics
- Disco
- Barbecue
- Challenge event
- Treasure hunt
- Sports competition
- Blind Date
- Quiz Night
- Talent Show
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 2 fully day excursion each week to experience the rich cultural heritage of Britain. The choices include:
- Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
- Buckingham Palace
- Big Ben and Houses of Parliament
- The National Gallery
- The Tower of London
- Covent Garden Market
- The Science Museum
- Shopping at Oxford Street
- Brighton
- Oxford
- Cambridge
- Leeds Castle
- Whipsnade Zoo
- Chessington World of Adventures
The sample timetables below include a typical weekly programme and a typical day of English plus Debate & Public Speaking Summer Camp.
Boarding:
Students stay in comfortable Tonbridge School’s boarding houses with single, twin, triple or quad rooms with shared bathroom facilities. 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 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 school dining room. Vegetarian meals are always available and are clearly labelled. Drinks and snacks are provided during break times. Packed lunches are provided for excursions.Facilities:
Tonbridge School boasts beautiful historic buildings in a 150 acre campus, with excellent sports facilities including modern classrooms, a recently refurbished library, a large chapel, lecture theatres and excellent sports centres – 24 tennis courts, 12 rugby fields, 9 cricket grounds, 7 hockey fields, 6 football fields, an indoor shooting range, an all-weather athletic track, as well as a large sports complex with a swimming pool. 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.Tonbridge School in Kent is part of the ‘Eton Group’ of schools. Established in 1553 by Sir Andrew Judde and King Edward VI, the school is one of most highly-regarded and exclusive UK boarding schools with around 790 boys between 13 and 18 years. It is one of the top-10 all-boy public schools in the UK.
The school aims to provide a caring and enlightened environment in which the talents of each individual flourish. It encourages boys to be creative, tolerant and to strive for academic, sporting and cultural excellence. Respect for tradition and an openness to innovation are equally valued.
For over 450 years, Tonbridge School has established a formidable academic reputation. This is achieved by high quality teachers, assisted by dedicated support staff, who together foster a broad curriculum for able boys, which seeks to encourage intellectual advancement, curiosity and creativity in a stimulating, challenging but cooperative academic environment. Tonbridge encourages all boys to aspire to academic excellence, and our pupils achieve some of the best examination results in the country. In 2022, more than 85% of A-level results and 97% of GSCE results were A*/A or equivalent. And in 2021, more than 87% of A-level results and 96% of GSCE results were A*/A or equivalent. Their remarkable achievements lead to exceptional success in gaining places at top universities, with over 99% of boys secured admission to their first-choice university, mostly at top, high tariff universities worldwide including Oxbridge, Russel Group and Ivy League schools. In 2022, 13 students were admitted to Oxford and Cambridge Universities.
The school has 24 tennis courts, 12 rugby fields, 9 cricket grounds, 7 hockey fields, 6 football fields, an indoor shooting range, an all-weather athletic track, as well as a large sports complex with a swimming pool. For comprehensive development, students are provided with scientific laboratories, a computer centre, a music school, a theatre, a weather station, a photo studio, and more recently, the school boasts its own large gallery.
Pastoral care is based on the strong house system which fosters a strong sense of belonging. Superb outdoor facilities are complemented by boarding houses benefiting from a rolling programme of refurbishment, new academic departments, a social centre, lecture theatres, and a major arts, music, creativity and technology complex linked to the near 400 seat E M Forster Theatre. The world-class Tonbridge School Centre has been used as an Olympic training venue and provides superb facilities for a range of sports.
