Guide
Your Child's First Summer School Abroad: Age, Safety and Supervision
The first summer school abroad is a big step for a child and for parents. These are the questions families ask us most often before that first booking, with the answers that apply across our UK schools.
What is the right age for a first summer school?
Across our schools, ages range from 8 to 18. The youngest students, from age 8, are accepted at Bournemouth Collegiate School and, for groups, at Oakham School. Age is only part of the answer: a child who has already spent nights away from home, at a school trip or a camp, usually settles in faster.
Travelling in a group or alone
Group bookings accept younger students than individual bookings. Individual students are usually accepted from 14, or from 12 at Oakham. 18-year-olds can join some schools only as part of a group whose students all return to secondary education the following September.
How students are supervised
- 1 group leader for every 10 students, on top of the school's own residential and teaching staff.
- Evening and weekend activities are supervised.
- Students do not leave campus unaccompanied unless the school's own policy for older teenagers allows it.
- Airport transfers are coordinated by the group leader or the school's arrival team.
If your child is ill or injured
Every one of our schools has an on-site or on-call procedure for illness and injury, and our UK office can reach any school directly during the course. Travel insurance that covers medical treatment is not included in the course price, so please arrange it before travelling.
Choosing the right accommodation for a first stay
Most first-time students choose residential accommodation on campus, where lessons, meals, activities and their group leader are all in one place. Homestay with a local family is offered from age 12 in Canterbury and for groups in London. Our accommodation guide explains each option.
How to prepare
- Check visa requirements early: see our UK visa guide for short courses.
- Use our packing list, and label clothes and chargers.
- Do not worry about level: every student takes a placement test on arrival and joins a class at their level.
- Agree a regular time to call home, rather than calling every few hours.
Have a question that is not answered here? Send it to us and we will answer it before you book.