25 years of excellent summer courses
English Courses for students aged 13 - 18 years
Accredited by the
1.
A happy student is a motivated student… and motivated students learn. Severnvale provides a friendly, caring & supportive environment, plus expert teaching and excellent activity programmes in a location which is, quite simply, perfect for learning English.
A summer course at Severnvale Academy, in the beautiful town of Shrewsbury, gives young people a positive experience of England and the English language which motivates them to learn while they are here - and to continue learning after they leave.
Excellent teachers and fine resources help make
Attractive, modern teaching facilities & premises ensure a perfect learning environment.
Small classes (maximum 12 students) mean plenty
lessons interesting and varied… students are motivated to make rapid progress in English.
of individual attention from teachers; we know every student personally… and every student knows we are there to help them at all times.
The international mix of students from more
than 15 countries helps to ensure that English is spoken at all times.
Severnvale’s Principal, with over 25 years’
experience of summer courses, is constantly involved to help ensure good teaching, good organisation, and safety at all times.
THE Summer Courses
The best, most varied excursion and social programme combines education, sport, entertainment and fun so students are constantly stimulated outside the classroom as well as in it.
Homestay accommodation standards are high… being happy at ‘home’ gives a positive basis for enjoyment of the course and the overall experience of being in England.
Shrewsbury is unique… one of the finest medieval towns in England, but not dominated by tourism; centrally located & easily accessible, but with no regional accent; plenty to see and do, but with just one accredited English school - Severnvale Academy. Here, total immersion really is possible… the local people welcome our students into the community, and our students love it!
THE Summer Courses
Well-designed learning programmes expertly developed over more than 25 years, small classes, excellent teaching and a wonderful balance of excursions & activities, all set in a safe town… our key resources in helping our students to learn quickly and have a wonderful experience of England.
EXPRESS -
A UNIQUE INTENSIVE ENGLISH COURSE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
28 lessons per week plus a full programme of excursions & activities (for students aged 15-18).
STARLINE
A SPECIAL BLEND OF ENGLISH & ACTIVITIES FOR TEENAGERS 20 lessons per week plus a full programme of excursions & activities (for students aged 13-16).
Course Content & Features All lessons are of 45 minutes’ duration
Course Title EXPRESS
STARLINE
(for ages 15-18)
(for ages 13-16)
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
3 3
3 3 3 3 3
3 3 3 3 3 3
Constant supervision throughout the course (including specialist supervision for activities such as canoeing & climbing)
3
3
24-hour emergency phone line (medical and dental assistance available)
3
3
Free private Severnvale buses daily to and from the academy (for all students living more than 10 minutes from the academy)
3
3
The LEARNING PROGRAMMES Induction, level test, all teaching materials, progress reviews & individual guidance 20 lessons general English (maximum class size 12 students, shared by students on both courses) 4 extra lessons intensive grammar development & practice (maximum class size 8) 4 extra lessons ‘active communication skills’ (maximum class size 8) Severnvale’s Principal is constantly in charge of programme Well-designed tuition programme taught by good, qualified teachers Students are taught by three or more teachers every day to ensure variety & constant stimulation Final certificate of level & progress Awards for high-achieving students Available at all levels from beginner to advanced
3 3 3 3 3 3
The EXCURSION & ACTIVITY PROGRAMME (see page 6) 1 full-day excursion and 2 afternoons of excursions/activities/sports every week 2 extra half-day excursions/activities/sports every week Weekly balance of educational, entertaining, sporting & fun excursion venues Extra full-day excursions every second Saturday Weekly discos, plus barbecues, bowling, live music & other evening events ALL entrance fees & travel associated with the excursions & activities included
SAFETY & WELFARE PROVISION (see page 6)
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Choosing the right place to study is probably as important as choosing the right language school. Shrewsbury is a perfect location… one of the most beautiful historical towns in England, with few international tourists, and local people who welcome our visitors. Shrewsbury offers real immersion in English life, language and culture.
History & atmosphere... With a thousand years of history, Shrewsbury is one of the ‘jewels in the crown’ of England. Non-industrial and wealthy, it also has a well-deserved reputation as a safe and friendly place to live & visit.
but with plenty of ‘life’ Shrewsbury has a population of 100,000. It is the county capital of Shropshire and is the main commercial centre for a surrounding population of nearly half a million people. The town has plenty of life – internationally renowned shops, excellent sports facilities and much more… and it’s only an hour from some of the UK’s biggest cities (Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool) and most famous tourist destinations (Stratford – Shakespeare’s birthplace, Chester – the Roman City, Snowdonia, mid-Wales etc.) What’s more, Shrewsbury has one of the driest climates in the UK.
providing complete immersion in English life and language English hospitality at its best… a unique opportunity to get involved in English life in a way which would be unimaginable in the UK’s best-known destinations; and unlike those places, often crowded with foreign visitors, in Shrewsbury there is just one accredited private language school - Severnvale Academy, so there is much more social contact with English people.
SHREWSBURY
yet with no accent The local people speak English well, with no regional accent. This helps students understand more and gives an excellent example to imitate, helping them to speak better English.
in an easily accessible, central location Around an hour from Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool airports; 11/2 hours from Coventry & Nottingham East Midlands airports; and 2 1/2 hours from London… Shrewsbury is central and easy to get to (see page 5).
YORK
LEEDS
LIVERPOOL
LIVERPOOL AIRPORT MANCHESTER
MANCHESTER AIRPORT M6
M1 NOTTINGHAM
SHREWSBURY M54
M6
EAST MIDLANDS
BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT
BIRMINGHAM
COVENTRY
M1 M40
LUTON
OXFORD M5 BRISTOL
STANSTED
LONDON
LONDON HEATHROW GATWICK
FOLKESTONE
AIRPORTS MOTORWAYS RAILWAYS
SHREWSBURY
4.
5.
Centrally situated in England - Shrewsbury is easily accessible from major airports and provides a perfect, central location for a fantastic array of excursions & activities.
Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool are the nearest airports to Shrewsbury. Coventry (West Midlands) and Nottingham (East Midlands) are also nearby; of the London airports, Heathrow & Luton are best. Whenever possible, please try to arrange the arrival flight for SUNDAY and departure flight for SATURDAY, as this helps greatly with the logistics of homestay arrangements.
Taxi transfers - we recommend that all students - and most especially those under 16 - book taxi transfers. Our drivers meet arriving students in the Arrivals Lounge (holding a sign with ‘Severnvale’ and the students’ names on it) and take them directly to their homestays. Note that for departure transfers (for students under 16) an additional charge is made for driver waiting time, as drivers may be requested by the airline to remain in the airport until the plane has departed.
Public transport - for older students who prefer to use public transport to travel to Shrewsbury, simply inform us of the flight schedule and we will send details of how to get here by train or bus. The student simply phones the host family on arrival in Shrewsbury and they will arrange collection. Note that Saturday is better than Sunday for public transport services in the UK.
Approximate cost
Approximate journey time
GET TING TO SHREWSBURY
Airport
by taxi
by bus/train*
by taxi
by bus / train** One way ticket Return ticket
Birmingham (BHX)
50 minutes
75 minutes
£11.00
£14.00
Manchester (MAN)
70 minutes
85 minutes
£14.00
£24.00
Liverpool (LPL)
70 minutes
100 minutes
£15.00
£26.00
Nottingham East Midlands (EMA)
90 minutes
£28.00
£36.00
Coventry West Midlands (CVT)
90 minutes
£18.00
£28.00
£34.00
£40.00
London Luton (LTN)
2 hours
See Dates 2 hours & Fees 2 hours Sheet for 3 hours details
London Heathrow (LHR)
21/2 hours
31/2 hours
£52.00
£62.00
London Stansted (STN)
31/4 hours
41/2 hours
£54.00
£60.00
London Gatwick (LGW)
31/4
41/2
£52.00
£62.00
hours
hours
IMPORTANT! * These bus/train journey times are only a guide, and relate to travel on Saturdays between 10.00am and 6.00pm. Journey times are likely to be longer on Sundays, and early morning/later evening on Saturdays. ** These prices are only a guide. Ticket prices vary according to the time and date of travel.
LIVING IN SHREWSBURY
Good accommodation and happy, safe students are our highest priorities. We want everyone to have a lot of fun, to learn a lot of English, and to stay safe at all times.
Homestay accommodation… choosing the best hosts All our students stay in homestay (‘host family’) accommodation. Severnvale is the only accredited private language school in Shrewsbury… we don’t have to compete with others for accommodation, so our standards are high; we also inspect all accommodation regularly to ensure our standards are being maintained. We know all accommodation providers personally - many have been receiving our visitors for years. Every placement is considered individually, so please tell us about any special requests and needs, and we will do our very best to make a ‘perfect’ homestay placement. All our hosts provide full board (all meals, with packed lunch on weekdays) and a full laundry service.
Having fun … At Severnvale, we do everything we can to ensure that our activities are not just fun, they’re BRILLIANT! We visit the best theme parks and activity venues; we use nationally recognised sports facilities; we visit the most famous attractions and best destinations; and then we have fantastic discos, barbecues and social events… and it’s ALL included in the price. From ALTON TOWERS to WARWICK CASTLE; from LILLESHALL NATIONAL SPORTS CENTRE to MANCHESTER UNITED FC; from the Roman city of CHESTER to SNOWDONIA; from KING ARTHUR to SHAKESPEARE… we balance every week with a perfect combination of activities and visits to suit ALL tastes… education, excitement, sport, shopping and… GREAT FUN!
… and staying safe … We give our students a full introduction on their first morning at Severnvale, preparing them well for their stay in England.
... before and after school ... Severnvale provides a FREE private bus service for every student who lives more than 10 minutes’ walk from school.
... on excursions ... The Principal and/or Director of Studies (both of whom are qualified in First Aid) lead EVERY activity, and we provide a staff ratio of at least one adult per 15 students on ALL excursions.
... and throughout the day Students are fully supervised by Severnvale for an average of 10 hours per day (Monday to Friday). We have emergency phone lines 24 hours per day. Medical and dental assistance can be arranged quickly. We are always available for students to talk to us, and we help them by dealing with any problems quickly, efficiently & sensitively.
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“The energy that young people bring to learning and leisure activities can be used positively to create an outstanding experience for every individual. For this to work, every moment of every day has to be just right - and this is best achieved through a combination of security, confidence, stimulation, and - of course - FUN!” John Rogers, Principal
Severnvale’s Youth Centre, ‘Shrewsbury College’
John Rogers (Principal) and brother James Rogers (Director) established Severnvale Academy in 1982 and have continued to run the school throughout its history.
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I’m speechless after all you did to make us happy. A big thank you. You all did a magnificent job... I had one of the best summers ever here. Muhanad & Majd Mehdi Al-Abduwani - Oman.
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The lessons were very dynamic, amusing, and productive... I’ll never forget this time... I went home with certainty in speaking English. Nora Aznar & Benedikt Broil - Spain & Germany.
We want to thank you for the wonderful time in Shrewsbury and at your academy. It was so much fun. Franziska Obert - Germany.
Severnvale Academy 25 Claremont Hill, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY1 1RD Tel: +44 (0)1743 232505 Fax: +44 (0)1743 272637 Email: enquiry@severnvale.co.uk Web: www.severnvale.co.uk
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