Bede’s Summer School University of Sussex, Brighton (Ages 15-20)
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Bede’s Summer Schools offers English for the Future, a medium-sized, international and unique program for students aged 15–20 on a beautiful university campus near the sea. Here, students with a minimum B1 level can study on an intensive course that helps them to improve their English, prepares them for university in the UK or their own countries, and teaches them practical skills for the professional world.
The University of Sussex is an attractive location, near the vibrant and cosmopolitan city of Brighton. The university campus, with its award-winning architecture, can be described as a self-contained village for all of the facilities it offers students. It is the only university campus in England surrounded by a National Park (South Downs), meaning that students can walk straight out of the campus into green parkland. The campus itself has restaurants, banks, bookshops, a pharmacy, a health centre, cafés, and other types of shops.
The University of Sussex is just 10 minutes away by train from Brighton, and is close to Hove and Lewes. It is under one hour away from central London.
BEDE’S UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX AT A GLANCE
- Location: Brighton, England
- Age Range: 15- 17 (English for the Future) / 16 – 20 (Pathways for Higher Education)
- Maximum number of students: 80
- Number of lessons per week: 21 (English for the Future) / 25 (Pathways for Higher Education)
- Maximum number of students per class: 14
- Ratio of staff to students: 1:5
- Number of full-day excursions per week: 2
- Accommodation: Residential
Bede’s Summer School University of Sussex Falmer, Brighton BN1 9RH, United Kingdom
“I have been sending teenage clients to the Bede’s schools for several years now. Once of the aspects that I appreciate most about these schools, beyond the fantastic facilities and wide assortment of courses and activities, is the fact that enrolments for speakers of a single mother tongue are limited. As a result, I can always feel confident that a student I send here is going to be able to make friends from many other parts of the world and language backgrounds, and speak English all day with those persons. The University of Sussex is in a beautiful location near Brighton on the south coast of England, and is easily accessible from London, for the ease of coming and going to its airports, and for the possibility of student excursions to the capital. All of the courses at Bede’s are more intensive than those found on most summer English language teenage programs, and Bede’s is one of the few schools that offer the possibility of its students preparing for the Cambridge exams during the summer, and for a relatively short period. What I like about the English for the Future course is that first of all, it is targeted at an age range that is difficult to find in summer English programs. Usually, they are for 13/14 to 17/18 year olds, so students who are 17-19 often find themselves in class with students on adult programs who are all older than they are, or they are the oldest on programs that also include 13/14 year olds. Secondly, this program includes preparation for the highly requested IELTS, or the more difficult CAE, and then a set of practical lessons aimed at their attendance at university and/or the world of work. For the Bede’s programs in general, perhaps the most telling indicator of quality and client satisfaction for these schools is that I rarely have to “sell” them. Many of the clients I send to them request these schools by name, and some send their children there year after year. As for clients who are unfamiliar with them, one of the most demanding and discerning parents that I have ever had in my career requested a residential program of this type a few years back, and after weeks of sending her brochures of some of the best that I deal with, she finally decided on Bede’s!”
Life at the University of Sussex
Why study English on the Bede’s University of Sussex Program?
- The Bede’s University of Sussex program is one of the rare programs in England designed specifically for students aged 15 – 20 years, meaning that students aged 16 and 17 will not be in programs with 13 and 14 year olds, and students aged 18 and 19 will be in the company of students their age, unlike on adult programs, where the average age is 23-25.
- In 2017, based on information from British Council inspection reports, Bede’s International Summer Schools were ranked in the top 20 by the EL Gazette from hundreds of programs available in the United Kingdom for teenagers.
- The Bede’s University of Sussex program hosts a maximum of 80 students per week from different countries and imposes limits on each nationality to ensure a good mix.
- Students are guaranteed a single bedroom with en-suite bathroom in a modern student residence on campus for the accommodation.
- The Bede’s University of Sussex program offers weekly progress checks to monitor students’ performance.
- The 25-hour intensive course consists of English Skills (10 hours), Communication Skills (5 hours) and Professional Skills (10 hours), which combine to give students effective strategies for communication in a variety of academic and professional contexts, and give them a practical understanding of certain careers and professions, underpinned by theoretical knowledge.
- The Bede’s University of Sussex program offers teenagers modern and useful practical subjects in addition to English, which include Entrepreneurship, Finance, International Politics, Law, Management, Business Etiquette, and others.
- An intensive CAE or IELTS preparation course and exam is also available for students on this program.
The facilities
UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX FACILITIES AT A GLANCE
- Various restaurants
- Health Centre
- IT Centre
- Supermarket
- Pharmacy
- Bars and Cafés
- Banks and ATMs
- Tennis courts
- Fitness rooms
- Football pitches
- Bookshop
More on Bede’s University of Sussex Services
Care
Bede’s staff provide excellent care for students 24 hours a day and live in the same sleeping areas as the students. During students’ free time, they must respect Bede’s Free Time Policy and must be contactable at all times. There will be a dedicated Bede’s staff member responsible for the welfare of students who are under 18.
Meals
The different restaurants on campus offer a wide range of Fairtrade foods from which students can choose. Students will have a £20 daily meal allowance with which to buy their meals.
The courses
Bede’s English for the Future Program
Age range: 15 – 17 Years Old
ENGLISH FOR THE FUTURE
Morning English for the Future classes aim to improve students’ English language ability across four skills, with a focus on current global issues. Students will improve their presentation abilities by viewing TED lectures and preparing their own lectures, as well as expand their vocabulary on sustainability and global challenges.
FUTURE THINKING
This course prepares students for the ‘Friday for the Future’ debates held between two classes. Students will gather and analyze enough knowledge on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through a series of practical workshops on online research and critical thinking to suggest real solutions to global concerns.
PROJECT FOR THE FUTURE
Students will spend a week researching and discussing one of the 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals, including eradicating poverty and hunger, protecting the environment, promoting peace, attaining gender equality, and empowering women and girls. Then they will communicate their findings by writing a blog post or a news report, running a survey and analyzing the results, or delivering a sketch or performance. These seminars aim to improve not just students’ speaking and communication skills, but also their social and interpersonal skills, as well as broaden their outlook on life in the future.
Please see a sample program for Bede’s University of Sussex Program.
Bede’s Pathwayw for Higher Education Program
Age range: 16 – 20 Years Old
ACADEMIC ENGLISH
English Skills focuses on developing students’ general language competencies (including grammar and vocabulary) and improving their linguistic accuracy when writing and speaking English. This session particularly focuses on the forms of English which are used and encountered in university settings. These include essay writing, note-taking, lectures, seminars and presentations. Students are tested on arrival and placed in small classes of students of similar ability.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Communication Skills lessons enable students to develop more effective skills and methods for high- level oral and written communication in a wide range of professional and academic contexts. These lessons develop students’ ability to work in a professional English-speaking environment and improve their style, technique and accuracy when producing written reports for work or academic-related purposes. This will be delivered
through a wide range of professional and academic contexts, and
can involve debating, problem-solving, presenting, essay writing,
critical thinking or negotiating.
ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PATHWAYS
These lessons, which are centered on the particular path the student has selected, offer an overview of the field they have selected as well as the language proficiency required to advance their comprehension of it. In addition to improving students’ style, technique, and accuracy while generating written and spoken work, the classes help them expand their vocabulary in the selected field and build their confidence in working in English-speaking academic environments.
Students can choose among the following pathways
- English for Humanities
- English for Business & Economics
- English for Law
- English for STEM
Exams
IELTS EXAM PREPARATION (B1 LEVEL REQUIRED)
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is an essential qualification for students seeking a place at a university in the UK or looking to work in certain professions such as law or medicine in the UK.
Please see a sample program for Bede’s University of Sussex Program.
Accommodation at Bede’s University of Sussex
Students will be accommodated in flats with those of a similar age and from different countries. Each flat at has a common area with sofas and a fridge. The rooms are single and bathrooms are located in each room with a shower, sink and toilet. Each student will receive their own key for their bedroom (deposit required). Bede’s accepts accommodation requests, but these are subject to availability on arrival and cannot be guaranteed. All students must be in their accommodation by 11.30pm at the latest, unless special permission is given by the Centre Director.
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.
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