Easter English Course at Earlscliffe, Folkestone

Twenty lessons — sixteen hours — of English a week, taught in classes of no more than twelve. Students are placed twice over: by age, into Juniors (8-12) and Seniors (13-17), and by level of English, from beginner to advanced. Morning sessions cover grammar, comprehension and interactive language tasks. Afternoon sessions are project-based: drama, music, film, arts and crafts, and debating on international issues for more advanced learners. Day trips feed back into the classroom — students prepare for an excursion with historical and cultural work beforehand, then write a review of the place they visited. Every student leaves with a progress report and a certificate. The programme is accredited by the British Council as Earlscliffe.

The course fee covers tuition, residential accommodation, all meals, the social programme and excursions, course materials, towels and bedding, a weekly laundry service, a progress report, a certificate, the leavers' party and comprehensive travel insurance. One-week and two-week courses are sold. Airport transfers are available at extra cost, and extra English lessons — four additional hours a week in a small group or one-to-one — can be added; the operator quotes both on enquiry rather than publishing a rate.

Students live on the Earlscliffe campus in Folkestone: eight Victorian and Edwardian buildings renovated as residential and learning space, in the town's West End, within walking distance of the beach and the Leas promenade. Girls and boys are housed separately, under supervision. Rooms are mostly twin, with a few single and triple rooms, and all have en-suite WC and shower. Towels and bedding are provided. Because the campus is in town, students walk between classes, meals, accommodation and activities.

Full board. Meals are served in the campus dining hall, on a varied menu mixing British and international cooking. Dietary requirements can be catered for when they are notified in advance of the course.

Two full-day excursions a week, with London on every student's programme — Folkestone Central is 54 minutes from the capital — alongside Canterbury, Leeds Castle, Bluewater, Thorpe Park or a riverboat cruise; the mix depends on the week of arrival. Evenings change nightly: welcome games, house nights, Taskmaster, bowling, games night, murder mystery, Junkbox Challenge, rock 'n' roll bingo, an Easter egg hunt and the leavers' disco. Daytime activities include arts and crafts, ball and beach games, board games, football, tennis, laser tag, photo challenges, quiz nights, sports tournaments and a talent show. Because the course runs in spring, the balance leans further towards indoor activities and excursions than the operator's summer programmes.

Classrooms and modern boarding accommodation on one in-town campus, with campus gardens, a modern dining hall, a student common room, a laundry service and WiFi. Single, twin and triple en-suite rooms; boys and girls housed separately.

A small boarding community over the school holidays, for ages 8 to 17, where students are known by name. The operator runs courses at Earlscliffe since 2002 and has drawn students of 155 nationalities across its campuses. Class sizes are capped at twelve, supervision is round the clock, and the programme is built to have students using English all day — in lessons, on projects, on excursions and in the evening programme — rather than only in class.