at Wimbledon School of English
Wimbledon School of English is primarily a school for students aged 18 and older. Whilst we welcome students aged 16 and above, it should be noted that we cannot provide 24-hour supervision. If they are not staying with a relative or family friend, 16 and 17-year-olds will be required to stay in half-board homestay accommodation.
We ask that parents or guardians of students aged 16 and 17 read our 'Notes for Parents and Guardians of Students aged 16 & 17 studying at WSE on adult courses' before booking their child to study here. This is located on section 3 of the Parental Consent Form. This will help you to understand what to expect when your child comes to study with us.
We have a guide for 16 and 17-year-olds which they will be given on their first day.
Travel for 16 and 17-year-olds studying in the UK
Students aged 16 or 17 coming to the UK will need to have a completed Parental Travel Consent Form. There are two types of forms; you should complete the one most relevant to you.
The parents/guardians of students aged 16 or 17 studying at WSE are asked to complete a parental consent form for their child. This includes curfew times and we ask you to keep within our guidelines when deciding these. This form must be sent at the time of booking, and a sample version is available to download here. Please note – we cannot issue enrolment documents until we have received this form.
WSE has a thorough Safeguarding policy in place for the safeguarding of students under 18 years of age studying with us at our school and in our home stays. Our Designated Safeguarding Lead and the other members of our Designated Safeguarding Team take their duty to protect those under the age of 18 very seriously.
We want all students to feel happy and comfortable while they are studying with us, this includes when you are at the school, in your accommodation, and out and about in London.
If you are worried or not sure about anything at all, please speak to any of our staff members and they will be happy to help, or refer you to someone who can help.
If you need advice about seeing a doctor or dentist, or just need to know where the local gym is, please ask anyone in Reception.
We encourage all our students to get involved in the Social Programme, which will help you meet new students who are not in your class, and give you an opportunity to explore different interesting places in London.
This can be downloaded and viewed on the Parental Consent Form
Wimbledon School of English primarily caters for students over 18 years old. Whilst we welcome students aged 16 and 17, it should be understood that we do not provide 24-hour supervision. Students under the age of 18 will study in classes with adults.
Your child will travel between the School and the homestay unsupervised.
Your child will not be supervised during their free time, e.g. at break and lunch time at School and between the end of their lessons at the School and returning to their homestay.
The School has rules regarding the latest time Under-18s can return to their homestay in the evening. This information can be found on our parental consent forms. There is also a link on to this on our website.
The School’s social programme is not compulsory, nor is it specifically designed for Under-18s. Certain activities are not suitable for students under-18. The School does aim, however, to provide a number of evening activities which are suitable for under-18s. All School social activities are supervised by School staff who can assist the students attending the activity. However, students attending evening social events are expected to arrange their own travel home. We strongly advise all students under 18 to return to their homestay with a friend, or preferably by taxi, particularly when it is dark. In July and August, and at certain other times of year, the School organises full-day excursions to other cities on Saturdays. These are supervised by the School’s own staff, but please note that students are left unsupervised for part of the day on these excursions. On the parental consent form (above), you can choose which type of activities your child can participate in. We also sell tickets for full-day and weekend excursions run by other companies, but please note – we will not sell places on these excursions to Under-18s as we cannot guarantee that the companies which run them will provide the necessary supervision for children. Under-18s can only join WSE’s own excursions.
Lunches are not included in the fees
The School does NOT have a restaurant, we only have a snack bar selling drinks, pot noodles, cup-a-soup, cakes, biscuits and fruit. Most students buy their lunch at a large supermarket two minutes from the School, or in one of the numerous cafes and takeaway food outlets that are nearby. Your child is responsible for his/her own midday meals. You should therefore ensure that your child has sufficient money to pay for lunches.
Please also ensure your child has money for transportation in and around London.
We send a comprehensive guide to prices, including snacks, drinks, lunches & transport, with the enrolment documents.
We strongly advise parents of students aged 16 and 17 to organise a return taxi transfer, to avoid any problems upon arrival in the UK. All students under 18 must bring a completed parental travel consent form with them to the UK. There is a link to this on our website or you can request it from the Registrar when booking.
