Studio Cambridge Sir William, London (Ages 14 – 17)
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Studio Cambridge’s Sir William program offers standard and intensive English courses at all levels for students in an international setting and further prepares them for university. It offers a classic campus environment in one of London’s most prestigious areas. The program allows students to truly experience London through various themed activities in addition to their English lessons.
The town Richmond-upon-Thames is considered by many people to be the most attractive area of London. With its royal parks and historic houses, the beautiful Thames river front, a very high standard of living and a lively town center, this area is considered to be the best location for young people in London. In and around Richmond are several very famous London attractions, including Hampton Court Palace and the Royal Botanic Gardens.
The host facility, Richmond the American International University in London, is an international university, which is accredited in both the US and the UK. The impressive 19th century buildings are set in a beautiful, leafy campus of five acres on the top of Richmond Hill, with most of the school’s facilities, including bedrooms, classrooms and dining halls, in one main building.
SIR WILLIAM AT A GLANCE
- Location: Richmond upon Thames, London
- Age Range: 14-17
- Maximum number of students: 200
- Number of lessons per week: 28 lessons = 21 hours (intensive course) or 20 lessons = 15 hours (standard course)
- Maximum number of students per class: 16
- Ratio of staff to students: 1:6
- Number of full-day excursions per week: 2
- Accommodation: Residential
American International University, Queen’s Rd, Richmond TW10 6JP, United Kingdom
Studio Cambridge added this junior program in London just after I started working with them, and I have been booking it for my students very enthusiastically since then. The area Richmond-upon-Thames is not far from the center of London, but is located in a beautiful and wealthy area of the city, near the river Thames. It is located in the southwest part of London, all of which is less developed than the rest of the city, creating an area in which green spaces and the beauties of the English “countryside” are prevalent. Like the other Studio Cambridge junior programs for students this age, it offers the possibility of intensifying the English course at no additional cost, so this program can be suitable for either students who prefer more activities in the afternoon than lessons, or for motivated students who want to prepare for the IELTS exam and/or English at university. Siblings or friends who go together can choose different options. The campus is large, green and spacious, and beyond it, students will be able to go to the Richmond town center with the program staff. During the off-campus excursions, they will also be able to enjoy visits to the classic destinations of London, and of course, shopping in the city. Parents can also appreciate that like with all good junior programs, Studio Cambridge does not accept more than 25% of a single group of mother tongue speakers on its programs.
Studio Cambridge Sir William
Why study English on the Sir William program in London?
The Sir William Program is the perfect program for juniors in preparation of university by offering a classic, university campus setting at Richmond University, an accredited international university. The Sir William program has been successfully running for 9 years, and with its options of standard and intensive courses it truly caters to learners of all levels. The intensive course offers students of higher levels academic skills lessons that will further prepare them for university, the possibility of taking the IELTS exam. Students will have the opportunity to make many friends in English classes, on the social activities, and in the accommodation. The Sir William program goes from Sunday to Sunday (as do all the Studio Cambridge junior programs), so students can take advantage of one more full day excursion during their stay with respect to programs that go only from Sunday to Saturday. To allow students to receive a real feel of London, the program participants are offered various London discovery-themed activities. At the same time, the students are supervised and well-cared for, and have plenty of activities to keep them busy on campus. Arrival and return airport transfers on Sundays to the camp are included in the fees—students can arrive and depart from most important London airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted) without timetable restraints. Finally, the price of this program also includes insurance, which is not the case with most other programs; for those programs, if insurance is desired, it has to be added on by the agency at an additional cost. Overall, the price of the Sir William program is a very good value for everything that it offers.
The facilities
THE FACILITIES AT A GLANCE
- Beautiful historic buildings set in green campus
- Modern facilities
- High level of safety and security
- Free Wi-Fi available (certain areas)
- Computer room with Internet access and Wi-Fi
- Dining hall, with good quality hot and cold food
- Lecture theatre
- Student lounge
- Activities and Welfare offices
- Only 15 km from central London and next to a royal park
- 10 -15 minute walk to Richmond town center
- Sports facilities within easy walking distance
MORE ABOUT THE FACILITIES AND SERVICES
Program Registration
Marshall Language Services will reserve a space on the course, and if necessary, make a note to the school of any accommodation preferences such as the desire to share a room or to have a single. When the reservation is confirmed, parents will receive a letter for visa purposes, if necessary.
Airport Transfers
Airport transfers to and from Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick airports on the days of arrival and departure are included in the program cost. Marshall Language Services will need to furnish the participant’s flight information to Studio Cambridge so that the airport transfers can be organized. Parents will receive detailed instructions on what the student should do when their flight arrives. It is also possible for parents to accompany their children to the program personally. All students will receive a welcome pack when they arrive in London.
When the program is over, Studio Cambridge staff will accompany the participants back to the airport and check them into their flights. If they are traveling as unaccompanied minors, they will hand over the children to airline staff.
Student Welfare
On the campus, there is a dedicated office and staff for student welfare, and an emergency 24-hour telephone number that will be provided to parents along with the enrolment confirmation. Residential staff will be living on site with them to provide 24-hour supervision. There is one staff member for every ten students.
The courses
COURSE CONTENT AND SAMPLE TIMETABLES
The program is available for learners of all levels, from beginner to advanced. A standard program and an intensive program with academic skills are available.
English Language Studies
The program includes:
- An entry test on the first Monday of the course
- International classes
- All classes in the morning for semi intensive (standard) courses
- All educational materials
- Academic report and certificate of studies from teachers at the end of the student’s stay
Standard program
The standard program provides 20 lessons (15 hours) each week of English lessons, typically in the mornings. There are additional sports and social activities during the afternoons and evenings.
A sample timetable for a standard program
Intensive program with academic skills
The intensive program with academic skills provides 28 lessons (21 hours) each week of English lessons, typically in the mornings and afternoons. These lessons are divided into 20 lessons (15 hours) of English language instruction each week plus 8 lessons (6 hours) of Academic skills or English language skills (depending on level of English).
Students of Levels 2 – 3 are provided English skills lessons which will help to further improve general English skills. Students of Levels 4 – 6 are provided Academic skills lessons, including the opportunity to take the IELTS exam.
Students can choose to take the IELTS examination on specific dates. Please contact Marshall Language Services at the time of enrolment to inquire about availability. This examination is at an additional cost.
There are additional sports and social activities during the evenings.
A sample timetable for an intensive program with academic skills
The beautiful University campus at Richmond offers very comfortable student accommodation, with all students living on campus. All the residential accommodations have modern facilities. Students live in comfortable, fully furnished, single or shared rooms (mostly twin and some triple rooms). Rooms are shared by students of the same sex and similar age who do not speak the same language. Bathroom and toilets are shared. Studio staff members live on campus and provide 24-hour supervision.
Meals
All meals on campus are served in the modern dining room. There is a wide choice of hot and cold food for every meal. Vegetarian and non-pork options are always available. Packed lunches are offered on excursion days. Drinks and snacks are offered before bed time every day.
Laundry
Laundry facilities are available on site. One wash per week may be done free of charge. Bed linen is provided at the residence and will be changed and washed once each week.
Evenings
Students will have some free time in the afternoon and must be back by 19:45. Each evening, students on the Sir William program will have activities organized for them by our Studio staff. Students may not go off campus in the evenings without Studio staff and must be in their residence by 23:00 at the latest. Students who fail to follow this rule will be spoken to by the Studio staff. This is an important rule, and failure to comply with is considered serious misconduct and action will be taken.
Keys
Students will be given keys to their room and to the entrance to the residences. A small deposit of £20 will be taken when the keys are issued, in case the keys are lost.
Dates and Fees
Other Programs by this School
Studio Cambridge also offers the following programs:
- The summer program Sir Michael Global Leaders and Creative Social Media in Cambridge for students aged 14-17
- The summer program Sir Laurence in Cambridge for students aged 13-16
- The summer program Sir Christopher in Cambridge for students aged 16-19
- English language courses year round at the Studio Cambridge adult school in Cambridge
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