St Clare’s, Oxford
THE DESTINATION | THE SCHOOL | MAP | RACHEL’S TAKE | WHY THIS SCHOOL? | FACILITIES | THE COURSES | FROM OUR CLIENTS | HOUSING | SOCIAL LIFE | INSURANCE AND PRICING | REQUEST AN ESTIMATE | OTHER PROGRAMS | SIMILAR PROGRAMS
One of Oxford’s oldest language schools, St. Clare’s provides international students with an enjoyable learning experience in a friendly, intimate, and historic environment. Offering English language and academic programs taught by expert teachers, St. Clare’s lives up to Oxford’s worldwide educational reputation.
Oxford, “The City of Dreaming Spires,” is a beautiful city of stunning architecture, history and culture. For over 800 years, it has been home to royalty and scholars, and since the 9th century, an established town, although people are known to have lived in the area for thousands of years. Nowadays, the city is bustling and cosmopolitan. The visitor will find traditional and modern colleges, fascinating museums and galleries, and plenty of parks, gardens and green spaces in which to relax. The city center is compact enough to cover on foot, and only a few minutes’ walk from both the main rail and coach stations. With its mix of old and new, there is plenty for both the tourist and resident to do, and for more, Oxford is a just a short hop away from many other attractions and from London.
ST CLARE’S AT A GLANCE
- Year of foundation: 1953
- Type of location: University city
- Main type of public transport in Oxford: buses
- Approximate number of nationalities in school each year: 20 – 25
- Position in the city: Centre
- Age of students in adult school: minimum 17, average 23
- Average number of students in school: 80
St Clare’s: 139 Banbury Rd, Oxford OX2 7AL, United Kingdom
“In a city that is teeming with language schools, I chose to work with St. Clares’s because it differentiates itself in many ways. To begin with, it is the only school belonging to the prestigious IALC association that is located in the very center. Next, many of the schools in Oxford are part of large international chains, and not only is St. Clare’s independent, but also one of the longest-established schools in the city. Students will benefit from being able to choose between English language classes and/or a wide variety of courses and programs in other academic subjects. This offering will give foreign students the ability to not only study the language, but once they have reached a more advanced level, to also study topics that may interest them without the need for the formal type of grammar and vocabulary lessons that they may have had back home. The presence of native English-speaking students in the school for these other subjects and on the social program (along with a very good nationality mix in general) will also allow them to better practice their English. St. Clare’s is also one of the few schools in Oxford that is able to offer its own residential options, which are not always easy to find outside of summer.”
St Clare’s, Oxford
Why Study English at St. Clare’s Oxford?
- Clare’s is an independent language school (not affiliated with a large chain) with over 60 years of experience
- Clare’s offers a high standard of teaching including classes taught by Oxford university lecturers
- St Clare’s close-knit school community creates a friendly and personal feel
- Clare’s offers a wide range of extra courses available such as Russian, Politics and Maths to create a stimulating learning programme
- St Clare’s is accredited by the International Baccalaureate Organisation, the British Council, English UK, and the prestigious IALC
- St Clare’s offers a fantastic location, with the benefits of living in the city but with close proximity to the countryside
The facilities
THE FACILITIES AT A GLANCE
- 16 classrooms
- Projectors, Blu-Ray players and sound systems in classrooms
- Activities hub with computers and printers
- Free Wi-Fi
- Study zone with teacher
- School dining hall
MORE ABOUT THE FACILITIES AND SERVICES
The Campus
Recent developments include a new art studio, mathematics classrooms, science laboratories, top-quality accommodation and award-winning buildings within the grounds and gardens.
Weekly Themes
Cross-college themes are used for class discussions and to give students the opportunity to engage with each other academically outside of the classroom. Talks and free seminars are often held around these topics.
Student Activities Coordinator
An activity coordinator is available to advise students, accompany excursions and reserve/organise activities.
Career Advice
Free career advice and volunteer opportunities are offered to students of all ages and levels of experience.
The courses
GENERAL ENGLISH, EXAMINATION AND PROFESSIONAL COURSES
English for Life
The English for Life course concentrates on speaking, listening, reading writing. Classes in the mornings focus on fluency and accuracy and in the afternoon, students can choose from Pronunciation, English for Business and Work, Popular Music and Film, and more options.
- Course duration: 2+ weeks
- Levels: Elementary +
- Minimum age: 16+ (term time), 18+ (summer)
- Class size: average 9, maximum 12
- Weekly number of lessons: 21
- Entry point: year-round
English for Examinations
The English for Examinations course is designed to prepare students for the IELTS, Cambridge First Certificate in English (FCE), or Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE). Morning classes focus on general skills for exam success, while the afternoon sessions focus on practicing for the chosen examination.
- Course duration: 2 weeks – 12 + months
- Levels: Intermediate +
- Minimum age: 16+ (term time), 18+ (summer)
- Class size: average 9, maximum 12
- Weekly number of lessons: 21
- Entry point: year-round
Online Personal Language Training
Our 1-to-1 online lessons with a personal language tutor help you to focus on your language development so make the maximum progress in the shortest possible time. Our English language classes build confidence, improve fluency and develop your language ability.
- Course duration: + weeks
- Levels: Beginner +
- Minimum age: 16
- Class size: 1 person
- Weekly number of lessons: 5 to 20
- Entry point: year-round
English plus Academic Subjects
The English plus Academic Subjects combines English language classes with academic study in preparation for your university studies. Each week, you’ll attend 10 lessons of English for Academic Purposes and study 3 Academic Subjects of your choice (3 hours per subjects).
- Course duration: 6 or 14 weeks
- Levels: Upper intermediate +
- Minimum age: 16
- Class size: 15
- Weekly number of lessons: 19
- Entry point: September, January, May (compact course only)
Business and Leadership in Oxford
The Leadership Course is designed to discover the attributes of leadership through case-studies, research topics, and debates. You will enhance your research skills and express yourself analytically by assessing trends and patterns.
In this course, you will learn vital leadership skills including critical thinking, strong communication and public speaking confidence. You will learn how to make effective presentations and develop the right level of formality in speaking and writing.
- Course duration: 2 weeks
- Levels: Intermediate +
- Minimum age: 18
- Class size: Maximum 15 students
- Weekly number of lessons: 25
- Entry point: July, August
HOMESTAY
One of the best ways to experience full immersion into British culture is to choose homestay accommodation. All homestays are carefully selected and visited regularly to ensure consistently high standards. In almost 70 years of operation, the school has amassed a huge selection of host families in Oxford, and homestays are in fact the accommodation of choice for the majority of St Clare’s students. The school and Marshall Language Services recommend this form of accommodation the most for language learning. Family life is informal and the people are welcoming, friendly and talkative, so students will have plenty of opportunities to practise their English with native speakers. By booking homestay accommodation, students will also not have to worry about shopping for food and preparing meals every day. Mealtimes are often the occasions in which families converse most with the students.
Additional homestay provisions and information:
- A single room with a shared bathroom
- Superior room with an ensuite bathroom upon request
- Storage space and study space in the room
- Breakfast and evening meals 7 days a week
- Room cleaned and sheets and towels changed once a week
- Weekly laundry
COLLEGE ACCOMMODATION
St Clare’s offers four residences for students aged 18 +. Support is always available from either the Accommodation and Welfare Officer or the 24-hour hotline.
Logan House
- Distance to campus: 2 km
- Number of students: 48
- Room types available: single standard, single superior, twin standard and twin superior
- Facilities: two common rooms, kitchen, garden, laundry room, bed linen and towels provided, Wi-Fi
3 Bardwell Road
- Distance to campus: 50 m
- Number of students: 16
- Room types available: single standard, single superior and twin standard
- Facilities: common room, kitchen, garden, laundry room, bed linen and towels provided, Wi-Fi
177 Banbury Road
- Distance to campus: 1 km
- Number of students: 11
- Room types available: single standard, twin standard and twin superior
- Facilities: common room, kitchen, garden, laundry room, bed linen and towels provided, Wi-Fi
Insurance
Insurance covering medical and travel assistance, personal liability and trip cancellation is not included in the price of the academic year programs. Marshall Language Services has a policy available through Guard.Me that covers these elements, as well as an additional policy through CareMed that covers cancellation under a wider range of circumstances, including the need to repeat school exams.
For the summer programs, St. Clare’s Oxford includes an insurance policy in the course prices that covers medical assistance, travel, personal liability and course cancellation or curtailment.
A summary of these policies may be downloaded below.
Dates and Fees
Calculate your own approximate quote
The following tool will help you to get a good idea of the cost of a language course and accommodation, if requested, at this school. It may not include all the courses and accommodation options available or take into account promotional offers or costs associated with student visas, insurance, study materials or exam fees. For these reasons, the availability of any course, accommodation option (especially in the high season) and the final price of a package will always have to be verified with Marshall Language Services prior to enrolment.
Other Programs by this School
St. Clare’s Oxford Junior Summer Program
St Clare’s in Oxford offers Interactive English, Intensive English, IB Introduction, Business in Oxford, Science in Oxford and Art in Oxford programs for teenagers aged 15 – 17 and an English with Activities program for juniors aged 10 – 15. Please contact us for more information.
Other Similar Programs
