14-17 year olds, girls and boys (Minimum English level: B2+/Upper Intermediate)
Now in its 17th year, Global Young Leaders summer camp, based at the prestigious Tonbridge School, is a highly intensive debating and critical thinking course, designed to develop student’s confidence, critical thought, and structured reasoning. The course provides key skills required for ambitious and highly motivated students to enter into top universities globally and become future leaders of their generation. The PPE course works alongside the debating course to enable students to critically engage with the world around them.
This premier course is open to 14-17 year olds native speakers and those with Upper Intermediate and Advanced level of English, prior debating experience preferred. The course opens students a window into the World Schools Debating Championship, and the classes modelled on university seminars to prepare students for undergraduate academic disciplines. Students learn how to make and justify arguments, debate with their peers from all around the world using the format of World Schools Debating Championship, and participate in both a TED-style public speaking event and a debating tournament.
Critical thinking is developed through debating and ranked as one of the most desirable employability skills in the 21st century. 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. Academic writing and research skills are also promoted through the independent research project, a perfect preparation for the Extended Essay component of the international Baccalaureate, and for academic writing at University. These skills are invaluable for students to improve exam performance and day-to-day confidence.
Taught by experienced specialist teachers in small classes, students receive 15 hours of debating classes per week, incorporating critical thinking, and 15 hours of philosophy, politics and economics seminars per week. Lessons cover a variety of global subjects in undergraduate-level discussions. The unique combination of critical thought with debate is key to the Global Young Leaders approach and succeeds in giving students something they want to say whilst empowering them to say it.
Outside the classroom, students can participate in a wide range of sporting and social activities held every evening. A full package of social, culture activities and excursions offer great opportunities for students to socialise and make new friends from across the globe.
The Global Young Leaders Summer Camp is based at internationally renowned Tonbridge School, which is part of the ‘Eton Group’ of schools and is considered one of the most prestigious and exclusive independent schools in the UK. This prestigious programme offers international students an exclusive opportunity to experience gracious school life of this great British independent school.
Course essentials:
The Global Young Leaders Summer Camp consists of a well-balanced programme of tuition, social activities and excursions. It includes:
- 30 hours of debating and critical thinking classes over two weeks
- 30 hours of philosophy, politics and economics seminars
- 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 enjoy 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 Global Young Leaders 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 their 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. 90% of their 2023 Leavers secured a place at Russell Group and higher tariff universities. The highly influential ‘Parent Power School Guide 2024’ ranked Tonbridge School as the sixth best independent school nationally, and placed the school in fifth place in the national A-level rankings, based on 2023 results, and joint 13th nationally for its GCSE performance in 2023.
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.
