Summer School

International
Summer School

Bishop’s Stortford College International Summer School is for international students aged 8 – 17 who are visiting the UK for a short period of 2 weeks. We welcome groups of students aged 8 – 17 accompanied by one or more Group Leaders and individual students aged 13 – 17. The courses combine English language tuition, general or specialist activities and classes, events, local visits and excursions to places of historical and cultural interest.

College Facilities

Bishop’s Stortford College is set in extensive, safe, attractive grounds with excellent residential, educational and sporting facilities. The campus is conveniently located on the edge of town and is just a short walk from all the shops, cafés and restaurants as well as the train station. 

On campus there are extensive and well-maintained playing fields, all-weather surface courts for tennis and astro pitches for football, a well-equipped sports hall for basketball, badminton, table tennis and indoor hockey and cricket as well as a 25m indoor heated swimming pool. Additional facilities for activities include a dance studio, theatre and Art & Design centre.

During breaks in lessons and activities, students can relax and buy refreshments in the student café. WiFi is available across the campus and in the boarding houses.

New experiences, new friends and memories for life at

BSC International Summer School

Accommodation & Catering

Students are accommodated in 5 different boarding houses, all located on the main campus. Each house has between 30 – 50 beds in different-sized rooms. The majority of bedrooms are single and either have a private bathroom or individual wash basin but there are several twin and 4-bedded rooms in each of the Senior School houses. The Prep School house is ideal for Kids’ groups with a large spacious and comfortable common room and multi-bedded bedrooms which can sleep between 5 – 10 students per room. Group Leaders have single rooms in all houses unless otherwise requested and summer school staff are resident and on-call at all times. The College provides bed linen and towels every week and each boarding house has its own laundry. Girls and boys are accommodated on separate floors or in different parts of the boarding houses and have separate bathrooms if the bedrooms are not en suite. There is a common room in each boarding house where students can relax, socialize with each other, watch TV or DVDs, play video-, indoor- and board-games.

The College has a large dining room and provides the students with 3 wholesome meals each day. Breakfast offers a selection of cold and traditional cooked items; lunch and dinner consist of soup with bread, pasta bar, a main dish, vegetables, salad bar, desserts, fresh fruit basket. Packed meals are provided for full-day excursions, late arrivals and early departures and there is a weekly barbeque.

New experiences, new friends and memories for life at

BSC International Summer School

English Language Courses

Experio English is a partnership between Experio Summer and EngXcel. EngXcel is the latest enterprise from the founders of ABC Cambridge, a school built on 60 years’ experience of delivering quality English language tuition at all levels and in accordance with British Council standards. All students are tested on their first full day and subsequently placed in classes of no more than 16 students at an appropriate level for their ability. The lessons are topic-based and are designed to help students develop communication skills, natural English and a range of vocabulary. Materials have been specifically chosen for both the Kids’ and Teens’ courses and include authentic resources.

For English classes and daytime activities, students are divided into 2 age-groups:

  • Kids (8-12 yrs)
  • Teens (13-17 yrs)

All students have morning English classes from 09:00 – 12:40 (15 hours per week) and afternoon activities from 13:45 – 17:30.

Each course finishes with a Certificate Ceremony and Prize Giving.

Activity Programmes

Kids’ activities are a combination of language practice, culture, arts and crafts, sports and lots of fun!

A wide range of afternoon Academy options are on offer for Teens from 13:45 – 15:45 on 3 afternoons per week. Students should choose their preferred course(s) at the time of booking: Intensive English, Multi-activity, Creative Arts, Performing Arts, Sports Coaching (either 2 courses x 1 week each or 1 course x 2 weeks).

Intensive English Academy

Intensive English is for motivated students wishing to make additional progress with their communication skills in English (speaking, listening, reading, writing).

Multi-activity Academy

Multi-activities combine a variety of sports (basketball, volleyball, badminton, table-tennis, swimming, rounders, touch rugby, cricket) with artistic activities (dance, film-making, arts & crafts).

Creative Arts Academy

Creative Arts is for students with an artistic flair who would like to learn or improve their skills in drawing, painting, design, sculpture and ceramics. Their work will be exhibited for the summer school to admire.

Performing Arts Academy

Performing Arts is for students who have an interest in theatre and want to develop their knowledge and experience of performance skills and theatre-making techniques.
These techniques will include improvisation, mime, dance, puppeteering, magic etc.

Sports Academy

The Sports Academy offers professional coaching in Football & Tennis and is aimed at athletic students of all abilities who wish to experience high-quality coaching in their chosen sport. Students will be tested during the first session and grouped according to age and ability.

Evening Activities

Every evening all students can enjoy a variety of different activities: disco, film night, talent show, sports tournaments etc. In addition, there are team-building games like Scavenger Hunt, Obstacle Course Challenge and Capture the Flag which encourage students to mix and work together as a team. Each course finishes with an Awards Ceremony and Prom Night.

Excursions

Students will have two half-day excursions on Thursdays (13:30 – 19:00) to the famous university city of Cambridge which include an open-top bus sightseeing tour, university colleges walking tour, Fitzwilliam Museum, punting and free time to explore and shop.

Full-day excursions are on Saturdays (08:30 – 20:00) and will take students to London (Buckingham Palace Changing of the Guard, Whitehall & Westminster, Covent Garden, free time for shopping) and Canterbury (historic river tour, cathedral visit, walking tour, free time to explore and shop).

Optional visits and excursions can be arranged for groups and these can be booked in advance or on arrival at the College.

Student Health & Welfare

Bishop’s Stortford College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in its care.

Safeguarding processes and procedures are in place to support students, their families, Group Leaders and staff; how to access and benefit from these will be explained during the orientation session.

All summer school staff have had basic First Aid training and know exactly which procedures to follow in cases of illness or injury.

For medical emergencies there is a nurse on call at all times and the Herts & Essex Community Hospital is only a 10-minute drive from the College.

Sample Timetable

Week 1 Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday
Morning 09:00
12:40
Testing & English Lessons
(09:00 – 10:40

BREAK
11:00 – 12:40)
English Lessons
(09:00 – 10:40
BREAK
11:00 – 12:40)
English Lessons
(09:00 – 10:40
BREAK
11:00 – 12:40)
Full-day
excursion to


Canterbury
Optional full-day excursions to
Oxford
(coach) or
London
(train)
English Lessons
(09:00 – 10:40
BREAK
11:00 – 12:40)
Afternoon 1 13:45
16:00
Arrivals
Settling in
College Tour
Intensive English
Creative Arts
Performing Arts
Sports Coaching
Multi-Activity
Programme
Kid's Activity
Programme
Half-day excursion to Cambridge

Open-top bus sightseeing

Walking tour
Intensive English
Creative Arts
Performing Arts
Sports Coaching
Multi-Activity
Programme
Kid's Activity
Programme
Historic Canterbury River Tour

Cathedral visit

Walking tour
Or
Optional local
Activities
(eg cinema,
bowling)
Or
Campus
Sports &
Activities
Intensive English
Creative Arts
Performing Arts
Sports Coaching
Multi-Activity
Programme
Kid's Activity
Programme
Afternoon 2 16:15
17:30
Arrivals
Settling in
College Tour
Mixed Zone
Activities
& Swimming
Shopping
& Street
Market
Mixed Zone
Activities
& Swimming
Shopping
& Street
Market
Mixed Zone Activities
Evening
19:30
21:30
Welcome meeting Welcome Disco BBQ dinner

House activities & outdoor games
Team building:
Scavenger Hunt
20:00 return

Dinner in
College
Film Night Team building:
Obstacle Course Challenge
Week 2 Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday
Morning 09:00 12:40 English Lessons
(09:00 – 10:40
BREAK
11:00 – 12:40)
English Lessons
(09:00 – 10:40
BREAK
11:00 – 12:40)
English Lessons
(09:00 – 10:40
BREAK
11:00 – 12:40)
English Lessons
(09:00 – 10:40
BREAK
11:00 – 12:40)
Full-day
excursion to
London
Buckingham Palace
(Changing of the Guard)
Optional full-day excursion to
Thorpe Park
English Lessons
(09:00 – 10:40
BREAK
11:00 – 12:00)
Certificate Ceremony
& Prize giving
(12:00 – 12:40)
Afternoon 1 13:45
15:45
Special Afternoon
Activities:

Inflatable Fun

Swimming
Olympics
Intensive English
Creative Arts
Performing Arts
Sports Coaching
Multi-Activity
Programme
Kids’ Activity Programme
Half-day excursion to
Cambridge

Fitzwilliam Museum (Optional)


Punting on River Cam
Intensive English
Creative Arts
Performing Arts
Sports Coaching
Multi-Activity
Programme
Kids’ Activity Programme
Whitehall & Westminster walking tour 

Covent Garden
or
British Museum
Or
Optional local
Activities
(eg cinema,
bowling)
Or
Campus
Sports &
Activities
Intensive English
Creative Arts
Performing Arts
Sports Coaching
Multi-Activity
Programme
Kids’ Activity Programme
Afternoon 2
16:15
17:30
Session as
above
Mixed Zone
Activities
& Swimming
Shopping
& Street
Market
Mixed Zone Activities Shopping Leavers
Presentation

End of Course
Presentation &
Awards Ceremony
Evening
19:30
21:30
International Sports Tournaments Team building: Capture the flag BBQ dinner

House activities & outdoor games
“Bishop’s Stortford’s Got Talent”
(student talent show)
20:00 Return

Dinner in College
Carnival Night
(Indoor fun &
games)
Prom Night & Farewell Disco

Download the Brochure

Read about Bishop’s Stortford International Summer School and what we offer our students over 6 weeks every summer.

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