international student guide
welcome to the international centre I am delighted you are thinking about joining the Guildford College group
welcome
On behalf of the International Centre staff I would like thank you for taking the time to consider our group of colleges as your next study destination. We have a wide range of courses available starting at different times of the year and I’m sure you will find a programme that is right for you.
Our international students really enjoy studying here and tell us that they received good advice before coming to us, the teaching is helping them to learn, the tutorials are very useful, the work is challenging and their course is good for their future career.
We have a team of experienced staff working in the International Centre that can help and support you on a daily basis with any queries or problems that you may face during your time with us so please don’t worry about anything! We look forward to seeing you at the Guildford College Group soon. Best wishes
Peter Walker Director of Commercial and International Development
why choose us... One of the safest destinations in the UK Excellent location close to London and two international airports A dedicated International Centre for students Good university progression
BC
British Council Accredited English language school Wide range of courses at different levels and in different subjects Three unique colleges in the beautiful Surrey countryside Specialist facilities and resources Excellent tutorial support Competitive fees and value for money Multinational classes
location: guildford, surrey Guildford provides an excellent location for international students in the UK. It is only a short distance from Heathrow and Gatwick International Airports and the centre of London is only 40 minutes by train.
Culturally, there is a gallery, a museum, an 11th century castle ruin and a cathedral all set in beautiful surroundings. Other tourist attractions include guided tours of Guildford, rowing down the River Wey, swimming in the Lido open air swimming pool and walking in the Surrey Hills - an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There truly is something for everyone in Guildford.
Guildford is home to the University of Surrey, the University of Law, the Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM) and Guildford School of Acting (GSA). Whether you’re into sport, culture, theatre or cinema, shopping or music you can find it all in Guildford. There are a huge range of restaurants, cafes, pubs and bars that cater for everyone. The nine-screen Odeon cinema features the Sheffield latest in film and for live performances there are two theatres, as well as music venues and G Live entertainment venue. The nearby Spectrum leisure centre is one of the Stoke-On-Trent biggest M6 will love and best in the country. Shopaholics the 300 shops and regular markets and festivals.
M1
M18
Nottingham M1 Leicester
M42
M54
M69 M6
Birmingham
M42 Coventry M42
M45
M5
Cambridge
M50
M1 M40
A1(M)
Stansted
Luton
Oxford
M11 M48
Cardiff
M25
M4 M4
Bristol Bath M5
Reading M25 Heathrow
London
Merrist Wood College Farnham Sixth Form College
A20 M23
A3
Southampton M27
M25
A3(M)
Guildford College
Portsmouth
M26
Gatwick
Brighton
M2 M20
our colleges Guildford College
Farnham Sixth Form College
Guildford College is the largest college of the Guildford College Group and is set in parkland close to Guildford town centre. It is also home to the International Centre and all the English teaching for international students.
Farnham College is a sixth form centre with an excellent reputation for providing high quality and standards in education. The College is extremely well regarded for its A Levels and its expanding range of vocational subjects.
Merrist Wood College
Our students regularly secure places at leading universities including Oxford and Cambridge.
Merrist Wood College is our award winning, 400 acre College specialising in land-based courses. It is located four miles from Guildford town centre and dates back to 1318. It has presented at RHS Chelsea and Hampton Court Flower Shows since 1973 winning over 40 medals.
this is your year! Improve your English Choose from 4 levels and study up to 21 hours per week.
Experience study overseas Join classes with students from all around the world and live with a British family.
Increase your career prospects - Being fluent in English makes you more in demand with potential employers.
Enjoy British culture Embrace the UK and all it has to offer. Take part in the organised activities and excursions available.
Make new friends - Keep in touch with your new friends from around the world so you can continue to practise your English.
Create memories - Your teacher will become your mentor, your home stay will become your second family and your class mates will become your 'forever' friends.
http://international.guildford.ac.uk
english language As a British Council Accredited English Language Centre for the teaching of English as a foreign language, we offer 4 levels* of English classes; pre-intermediate, intermediate, upper intermediate and advanced.
to get the right IELTS grade for further study, our English classes will enable you to improve your skills in grammar, speaking, listening, reading and writing and increase your vocabulary.
Students study a minimum of 15 hours per week but can increase this to 17, 19 or 21 hours per week. The core 15 hours of classes are taught Monday to Friday in the morning with additional hours in the afternoons. Under British Council guidelines, there are a maximum of 18 students (average of 16) per class and each class offers a mix of nationalities.
All of our English teachers are dedicated, certified professionals. It is also possible to take your Cambridge exam at Guildford College; so you could also consider taking KET, PET, FCE, CAE or CPE.
Whether you just want to improve your English for personal reasons or you need
Every term the tutors arrange a project for all students. These have included International Day, Short Story Competition, Spelling Bee and the writing of an International Newspaper. *elementary may be available subject to minimum numbers.
summer school • • • • • • •
15 hours of English lessons per week Age 16 years and over Average class size of 14 Pre-intermediate to advanced levels Mixed nationality classes Home stay accommodation Activities and excursions available.
Week 1 - £35
You can look forward to:
Example Activity Programme: Dates
Activities
4th July
Traditional English Cream Tea
5th July
Pizza and Paintballing
6th July
Cinema
Week 2 - £55
Summer School at Guildford College is for students aged 16 years and over staying in home stay accommodation. Offering the opportunity to have fun, experience British Culture and make friends with people from all over the world whilst improving your English language.
Dates
Activities
10th July
Bowling Strikeout Party
11th July
Wild Wood Adventure (zipwire)
12th July
Air Hop (trampolining)
how to apply
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If you want to discuss your options before applying please contact your local Educational Representative or Email: international@guildford.ac.uk or you can 'instant chat' with us during UK office hours, which can be found on our website.
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You can now apply online for our English language courses http://international.guildford ac.uk/ Courses/EnglishProgrammeBooking Form. aspx
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Simply fill in all the boxes on the application form and submit with a copy of your passport and evidence of your current English level (if you don’t have this, don’t worry we can organise a Skype Chat for you with one of our teachers). Don’t forget to complete the Accommodation Booking Form if you require home stay accommodation.
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Once we have received all the information we need, we will send you an ‘Offer Letter’. This is your chance to check that all of your personal and course details are correct. You can now confirm your acceptance of the ‘Offer’ by paying all requested fees (tuition, accommodation and associated costs). Remember to quote your Student ID number when making a Bank Transfer and send us a copy of the remittance. When we have received your fees we will then issue your ‘Confirmation Letter’, you can use this to apply for your visa if necessary. You can now book your flights, please remember to let us know the details so we can inform your home stay and arrange your airport transfer.
We look forward to meeting you soon!
Find us on Facebook as Guildford College Group International Centre
http://international.guildford.ac.uk Call: +44 1483 44 86 90 Email: international@guildford.ac.uk Guildford College Group Stoke Road Guildford Surrey GU1 1EZ UK
groups Many schools, colleges and universities from all over the world return to study at the Guildford College Group every year. There are a variety of study opportunities for groups of students such as Business English, English for Specific Purposes or English Exam Preparation, we can create tailor made all-inclusive packages especially for you. We can organise everything from airport transfers to specialist classes to home stay and activities and excursions. Depending on the time of year that you come we can also arrange for your group to study with other students or as a closed group.
Find us on Facebook as Guildford College Group International Centre
activities and trips Throughout the year the International Centre and Student Union arrange trips and visits to places of interest so students can get to know the area and country they are studying in. Local activities are arranged on some afternoons during the week to help students get to know each other. These can include bowling, indoor climbing, traditional English cream tea, sightseeing around National Trust properties, historic walks of Guildford, go-karting and paintballing to name but a few! On Saturdays we usually go further afield on all day excursions to London, Oxford, Portsmouth and Windsor.
Indoor Climbing
For keeping fit we have the ActivZone Gym at Guildford College which offers student memberships for use of the gym and a timetable of exercise classes. Behind Guildford College is Guildford's largest park, which has retained its Green Flag Award winning status this year, it has plenty of beautiful open green space, a skate park, tennis courts, paddling pool, boating pond and mini golf course.
Portsmouth
accomModation Your accommodation in Guildford is one of the most important aspects of your time here. A good home will help you settle into English life quickly and help to improve your language skills. Guildford is an excellent place to live as well as study. It’s just 40 minutes to central London and only minutes from the English countryside. There are many bus services in Guildford so you'll never live more than 30 minutes away from college. One of the best ways to improve your English is to live with an English family in their home. You will normally have a bed, wardrobe, desk and chair in your bedroom and you will share the kitchen and bathroom with the other members of the home stay.
the common living areas; no more than three adults or four junior students will be accommodated in one home stay accommodation at any one time. All our host families are checked by the Accommodation Officer responsible for accommodation and welfare to ensure an acceptable standard of living. The householder will normally require an accommodation damage deposit of £150. This will be held by the college and returned to you when you leave the property as long as you have paid your rent, your room is clean and tidy and nothing has been damaged. Most students choose ‘half board’ home stay accommodation which allows you to have breakfast and dinner at home.
You will be treated as a full member of the household, eating together and sharing
student quotes... ”
Being able to experience the country’s culture and study on a well structured course is the best learning method to solidly acquire another language.
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Chanangrak - Thailand
Reneta & Rafaela - Brazil
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The atmosphere is excellent to improve English.
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Aoi Sasaki - Japan
During the class I have never ever been bored because they prepare the education tools and organise the atmosphere to be appropriate in each level.
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Studying in Guildford College makes my life colourful and different, which enriches my knowledge and broadens my horizons. Qingya - China
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english plus Why not enhance your educational experience at the same time as improving your English by taking part in an English Plus Programme? Students study general English in the mornings with other international students and then join classes with UK students for vocational courses on some afternoons. This will help you to put your skills into practice!
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Subjects can include:
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English Plus Golf English Plus Business English Plus Hairdressing English Plus Beauty English Plus Travel and Tourism
You can join in Term 1 or Term 2 or study for both terms and receive a discount.
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Guildford College has brilliant teachers and smart facilities. Dongkyu - South Korea
When I went to the first day of classes, I was impressed by the kindness of all staff at Guildford College.
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Rosa Lynn - Venezuela
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During the lessons there are a lot of activities which I can practice speaking with my class mates. Angela - Colombia
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The teachers are very attentive and help us to strengthen knowledge in Moodle.
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Laura - Spain
high school college programme This programme is taken at Farnham Sixth Form College and is for students aged 16 years and over with an English level of 5.0 IELTS or equivalent. Students will follow the same curriculum as UK students and can choose from a variety of A Level subjects. This programme may offer credits towards your high school course in your home country. You can start at the beginning of each term in September, January and April and study for a minimum of 8 weeks up to 6 months.
study abroad For students aged 16 years and over who come to study in the UK on a Short Term Study Visa (STSV). You can choose to study for a term or a semester starting in September or January for up to 6 months.
Study for 15 hours per week, stay in friendly home stay accommodation and take part in exciting activities and excursions arranged by the International Centre and the Student Union.
This is an excellent opportunity to improve your subject knowledge and study alongside British students.
*B1 as defined by the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).
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You will join an existing academic or vocational programme at levels 3, 4, 5 or 6 (depending on your age, experience and timetable availability).
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To enable you to fully understand and take part in the classes you must also have a level of English equivalent to at least level B1* (equivalent to 4.0 IELTS).
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