Wellington School Etherton Education

• Location: Wellington, Somerset County, UK
• Age of students: 10-15 years
• Type of education: joint (mixed)
• Type of accommodation: campus residence (full board)
• Duration of courses: from 2 to 8 weeks
• Dates: July 10 - September 3
• The intensity of the program: 25-30 academic hours weekly.

The educational company Etherton Education has long and successfully organized useful, interesting and fascinating summer academic programs for students of 10-17 years old. The main goal of the organization's curriculum is to introduce foreign students to the peculiarities of British educational institutions, teaching methods, to allow them to adapt to a new cultural and academic environment before enrolling in the UK's main school education programs. The company is accredited by the British Council, part of the national organization of English UK language centers and has been successfully operating for 14 years (it was founded in 2002).

The company embodies the best family traditions: its heads are the married couple Eterton, who devoted more than 40 years of her life to teaching English. Peter is a specialist in the British Council for Teaching English, works as an IELTS test examiner, is the author of over 100 books and manuals (including Oxford English). His wife, Anne, is also a well-known and respected teacher: she worked in Britain, Hong Kong, was the head of the international center of Taunton.

Wellington School is a prestigious, elite private boarding house located in Somerset County. The city of Wellington itself is quite small, only 14 thousand people - but he entered his name into history long and firmly: there are a lot of historical and architectural monuments, religious buildings, and also excellent production of woolen fabrics, which are famous all over the United Kingdom. It is a clean, well-groomed, green and quiet city in which children will feel safe and cozy.

The school belongs to the category of large boarding schools - there are about 1,000 boys and girls from 2 to 18 years old. Initially, Wellington School was founded as a male boarding house (in 1837), and in 1972 it joined a joint educational program.

The school differs in an outstanding, excellently developed dramatic, theatrical and acting direction: all students attend these classes without exception, starting from the youngest age. In view of this, the school boasts a star-studded composition of its graduates:

• actor David Suchet (world-famous performer of the role of Hercule Poirot)
• writer George Orwell
• famous British chef Keith Floyd
• Baron Jeffrey Archer, writer and politician
• architect David Chipperfield and many others.

Separately it is worth noting also the unique system of Student Hosts: they are English students who are constantly in contact with young students, become their mentors and best friends. Young people for Student Hosts are selected incredibly carefully: they are students of the best universities, demonstrating outstanding success in sports, music, theater, friendly and hospitable, active and understanding. Student Hosts spend time with foreign students on weekends, help them prepare homework assignments and organize activities after lessons, and are engaged in creative studios and circles. A great way to get weekly up to 50 extra hours of language conversational practice, is not it?

For the students, comfortable male and female hostels are prepared on the campus, in full safety and under constant supervision of the staff, who is responsible for the students 24/7 (educators and teachers also often live in residences). More than half of the rooms - double rooms also have several common rooms for 6 people and for 3-4 people (conveniences, bathrooms and common soft living rooms are located on each floor). Usually in the same room try to settle students of different nationalities in order to promote cultural exchange and constant linguistic practice. Wi-Fi access is available.

Three meals a day is organized in the spacious, bright dining room of the school: on the tables there is always a choice of hot dishes, fresh appetizing salads, useful and tasty bakery. If students go on a tour or a long trip, everyone gets a full lunch box in a convenient package. Also snacks, drinks and sweets can be purchased at the school store. On request, you can arrange a special diet: vegetarian, hypoallergenic, etc. (for details, please contact your manager). Mini-kitchens and a small stock of products are always available in the residences: students can cook something under the care of the tutor, celebrate a holiday or a birthday with sweets and an obligatory birthday cake.

On campus, a qualified nurse is on duty (many staff and teachers also have specialized education), and in case of serious injury or discomfort the student is hospitalized in the nearest hospital. Parents of the student must submit his medical card with the indication of vaccinations, allergies, medications and chronic diseases, and also obtain mandatory medical insurance before sending him to school.

Students in their free time are offered a variety of sports activities - more than 16 types: the most popular can be called cricket, bass, netball and rugby.

On Sundays there are also numerous clubs, sections and interest groups - each student will be able to find an occupation for himself:

• team building;
• Spanish;
• cookery;
• Jewelry Art;
• animation;
• Board games;
• art;
• engineering;
• walking dogs;
• singing;
• crafts and much more.

Pre-GCSE students receive weekly meetings and lectures with leading specialists in the educational field. Students are told how to prepare and successfully pass the exams, what are the main differences in life in a British boarding house, what are the advantages of English schools and universities, even how to find new friends! Twice a week there are exciting and interesting events on campus:

• Evening fluent English speech
• quizzes
• contests
• sports days
• Fashion Show
• Talent show
• Auctions and Casino Evenings
• English show
• discos
• evenings of board games and much more.

Since the school is very attentive to the education of the manners of their wards, instilling in them the skills of etiquette and good behavior, then for this purpose a big official dinner is held every month. Students put on their best suits and try to follow the rules of table etiquette, which are explained to them by the teachers.

At the end of the course, all students take part in a large musical and theatrical preparation: in recent years, such recognized masterpieces as "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", "Brionlin", "The Lion King", "Romeo and Juliet" in an unusual rock-n-roll arrangement.

On Thursdays for students a large educational excursion for the whole day is organized - possible directions:

• Oxford, a visit to the campus of the legendary university
• Longleat Manor, built over 400 years ago - here once stood the kings and queens
• Trip to safari park, watching lions and tigers
• Trip to the world's largest labyrite
• Cruises on sea boats, feeding sea lions
• Excursion to the seaside resort of Bath, a visit to the ancient Roman bath-house (many of them more than 2000 years!)
• Excursion to Cardiff, the capital of Wales (visit the ancient castles, the huge stadium "Millennium")
• Visiting the Costume Museum
• Trip to Dartmoor Park
• Visiting the Postal Museum
• Excursion to the Jane Austen Museum
• Shopping
• Visits to ancient abbeys, churches and chapels.

Small excursions (usually half a day) are held on Tuesdays: it can be mountain biking (mountain biking), trips to caves, grottos or on the coast, mountaineering and climbing lessons, rafting on the river and building your own raft. With the students there are always professional, experienced and qualified instructors who fully ensure the safety of students.

In view of the richness of the extracurricular program, the school management made for the students staying a small list of things that everyone should take with him:

• Clothes for every day and comfortable shoes (suitable for long walks and excursions)
• Sports uniforms and shoes (for street work and for premises)
• Suits for official, solemn events. For boys it is a suit, white / light shirt, dark shoes and a tie, for girls-dresses and shoes (a heel is allowed)
• Raincoats or lightweight windbreakers
• Bathing accessories and towels
• Pocket money for personal expenses
• The necessary equipment - a phone, a camera, you can laptop.

• Active language lessons, rapid improvement of all basic skills
• Possibility to prepare for studying the basic, key disciplines of the British school curriculum (10 subjects), to deepen and update your knowledge
• A special system of host students British Student Hosts, which are for young students simultaneously mentors and best friends
• Visits and excursions to campuses of the best British universities, weekly educational excursions, special lectures on the subject of British education, its standards and requirements, rules and terms of admission to universities
• Special lessons of drama and theater, designed to improve language skills, increase self-confidence, give an opportunity to show personal talents and abilities
• Special gala dinners help to instill in students rules of good taste, behavior, knowledge of etiquette and manners.

The campus is located in the western part of the country, in Somerset County. Heathrow Airport can be reached in 2.5 hours by car and by train in 2 hours (from Paddington Station).

The school can be proud of its equipment - on the campus there is absolutely everything that students can need for effective and comfortable study, living, leisure and recreation:

• modern educational building of Northside with spacious, bright, excellently equipped auditoriums and lecture halls;
• The center of science with ultramodern laboratories (physical, chemical, biological) - it is here that most practical exercises and experiments are conducted;
• modern computer center;
• an extensive library;
• spacious, bright and cozy dining room;
• 2 comfortable residences for living (separate for boys and for girls);
• own concert hall Great Hall and its own theater;
• a large language center with modern equipment and interactive technology, access to electronic resources;
• an excellent musical school (12 grand pianos of the famous Steinway brand!);
• large, multifunctional sports center;
• heated swimming pool;
• 8 courts for tennis;
• squash courts;
• numerous fields and grounds: for team games or individual occupations, indoor and outdoor, with artificial or herbal cover.

Courses in the summer school are held from July 10 to September 3: the minimum duration is 2 weeks, the maximum - 8 weeks. Usually it is recommend to book courses of 4 weeks or more: this will help the student to effectively adapt to the new conditions and academic environment, get used to living in an English boarding house, be ready for the main school program from September.

For students, a transfer is organized (Heathrow and Gatwick airports), meetings and send-offs: large buses, minibuses and taxis are used; the students are accompanied by representatives of the school on a trip. If the check-in or check-out takes place on days not established by the school (or at unidentified hours), the transfer for a surcharge is negotiated separately.

The cost of schooling is (the price is indicated for 1 person):

• 8 weeks = 9,200 £
• 6 weeks = 6,900 £
• 4 weeks  = 4,600 £
• 2 weeks = 2,550 £.

The indicated cost already includes:

• education on the program (intensity - 30 hours weekly)
• textbooks, books and materials
• Initial testing of the level of knowledge, distribution by group
• firm certificate at the end of the course
• accommodation and meals (residence, full board)
• meeting and seeing off, transfer on fixed days from 9 to 18 hours (Heathrow or Gatwick)
• excursion program (minimum 1 trip per week)
• lectures of professors about education in England, leisure, creative and sports program.

The indicated cost is not included and is paid additionally:

• Registration fee
• Additional academic and language classes (optional)
• Additional leisure activities and excursions (optional)
• Air tickets in both directions
• Transfer in both directions (on unidentified days or hours)
• Compulsory medical insurance
• Personal pocket expenses
• Visa fees and services, translation and certification of documents
• Consular fee (paid at the Embassy).

Extras:

• Registration fee (for a programme/course)
• Transfer (return)
• Study materials
• Visa fees
• Flight tickets
• Medical insurance
• Pocket money

The Pre-GCSE course is considered academically quite complex, saturated and rigorous, so it is not suitable for beginners: upon admission, applicants must confirm the level of English from IELTS 4.0 (B1 and above).

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision