Summer School English Course
A Residential English Language Course At One of England’s Longest Established International Summer Schools!
Our Summer School accommodates all levels of ability and Courses vary in length from 1 to 5 weeks. It is a General English Course. Normally we accept students aged 8-17 but in exceptional circumstances there may be students who are just under or over.
What does the English Course include?
Our English Course is delivered by English teachers with a range of relevant and suitable training and experience (mostly with recognised ELT qualifications or teaching degrees). It is designed to help our students communicate more effectively and confidently in everyday situations.
We believe in small class size learning (maximum 17 students per class in 2023) as the best route to success in learning English.
As one of the longest established language schools in England, we attract students from a wide range of nationalities. Our students benefit from this rich cultural mix and we encourage multilingual classes where we aim to mix 4 or more nationalities per class. This creates a dynamic learning environment for our students and broadens their learning opportunities.
Our English Course will help you:
- Advance your English communication quickly and easily
- Improve your English grammar knowledge
- Develop your English communication confidence
- Discover culture and places in UK, and in other students’ countries
- Share and report your summer experiences
- Demonstrate your progress and recycle the language you have learnt
Tailored content
Our teachers rely on a wide range of materials and learning opportunities to provide a truly teacher-created yet student-centred course of learning that allows our students to learn English at a deeper level regardless of their stage, learning style or ability. All content is planned to be engaging, interactive, fun, challenging and informative.
What does the English Summer course include?
Our General English course is delivered by qualified English teachers and is designed to help our students communicate more effectively and confidently in everyday situations.
We believe in small class size learning (maximum 15 students per class) as the best route to success in learning English. As one of the longest established language schools in England, we attract students from a wide range of nationalities. Our students benefit from this rich cultural mix and we encourage multilingual classes where we aim to mix 4 or more nationalities per class. This creates a dynamic learning environment for our students and broadens their learning opportunities.
Our English Course Structure
We try to split our students into 2 age groups. So classes are comprised of either 8-14 or 11-17 year olds. All students receive a Residential English Language Course of 18 hours per week. It is a General English Course, that we have defined as our CLEAR syllabus. This is the average content over a week:
- 4 Language lessons – (90 minutes each)
- 4 Communication lessons – (90 minutes each)
- 4 Explore, Activity & Review lessons (90 minutes each).
Some 90 minutes lessons are divided into 45 minutes for our younger and lower level students. In additional to Language and Communication lessons, they have more active and practical lessons, appropriate to their age and ability.
Language Lessons
During Language lessons we focus on accuracy, developing grammar knowledge and usage. Learning English in these lessons typically includes the use of Cambridge University Press course books such as: Your Space, English in Mind and Interactive.
All content is reviewed in weekly Review Lessons and Progress Tests.
Communication Lessons
Our Communication lessons are fun and engaging and focus on conversational skills and fluency. We give students useful strategies to help improve their overall verbal communication but also sue writing and reading tasks. Learning is dynamic and students are given practical opportunities to learn about their other students’ lives, contemporary topics, current issues, etc.
Explore and Activity Lessons
Learning through real life experiences is an essential component of the General English course. Lessons give students the opportunity to learn more about the United Kingdom by focusing on UK culture and history, in addition to other students’ countries. These lessons give students opportunities to exchange information, and report and share their experiences at the Summer School and their participation in the Activity Programme.
English learning tailored to ability
Appropriate levels for every child. We provide classes for all levels of ability, but we assume students have already had some exposure to English (either formal education or informal experience).
We provide at least 2 classes for each of 6 levels: beginners to advanced (or Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) levels A1 to C1), for most of the summer period.
Accurate level placement test at the start: We use a ‘Quick Placement Test’ (it tests grammar, vocabulary and reading) and an interview to assess oral ability. Students are placed into classes according to their language ability, nationality and age.
Review lessons and monitored learning. At the end of each week we review each students’ progress and at the end of their stay we provide each student with a Manor Courses certificate of attendance and progress report.
English Course Timetable
Each morning students have 2 teachers and 2 different kinds of lessons – this gives students a variety of teaching styles, accents, ages, nationality, gender etc. After break students change classrooms and teachers. Younger lower level groups may have more teachers, who may offer a wider range of shorter lessons.
Lessons 1 & 2 – from 9:30-11:00am and 11:30am-1:00pm (5 times per week). These are 90 minute ‘Language’ or ‘Communication’ lessons. These may be 4 lessons of 45 minutes for the younger lower level groups.
Breaks – students leave class for a 30 minute refreshment break, 11:00-11:30am.
Lesson 3 – from 2:00-3:00pm (three times a week). These are 60 minute ‘Explore’ (excursions and culture), ‘Activity’ or ‘Review’ lessons. After lunch students return to the same room as lesson 1.
Variations: Once a week 2 classes may be combined for a joint lesson with one teacher. Students may only receive a full complement of 18hrs per week tuition only if they depart after lesson 2 on their day of departure.
The Manor Courses English Course has clear goals, clear content and 5 clear lesson types.
Manor Courses Summer School Videos
Watch our videos to get a flavour for what you can expect this Summer!
Watch our general promotional video
A look at our English course
Our Activities programme
Life at MC and our Welfare services
Manor Courses Talent Show
A new general promotional video
Some students give their feedback, below:
Circus skills workshops were new this year, below: