Intensive English Courses in the UK

What 'intensive' actually means

UK schools use the word loosely, so check the numbers. Our Intensive English course is 25 lessons a week against 20 on the General English course: the same core morning programme, plus afternoon focus sessions.

Those afternoons are where the extra progress comes from. They are smaller, more specific and more demanding — pronunciation, fluency, writing, exam technique and the grammar you personally keep getting wrong.

• General English — 20 lessons, 15 hours a week
• Intensive English — 25 lessons, 18.75 hours a week
• Same class size cap of 14 on both courses
• Both open to levels A2–C2, ages 16 and over

How fast can you really progress?

Be sceptical of promises. Moving up a full CEFR level takes months of study, and an intensive timetable shortens that rather than removing it. What a shorter intensive course reliably does is sharpen what you already half-know: speaking confidence, accuracy and listening speed.

Over a few weeks, most students notice a clear jump in fluency; over a term, a change of level is realistic. We review your progress regularly and move you up when you are ready, rather than on a fixed date.

Costs and how to keep them down

Intensive English is £350 a week outside summer and £400 a week during the summer season (6 June – 14 August 2027). Weekly rates fall for longer bookings, from £250 a week, and outside summer every eleventh week is free.

Add a one-off £100 registration fee and your accommodation. Our price calculator totals everything — course, room, meals, transfers and insurance — before you commit.

Who it suits — and who it doesn't

It suits students who study well under pressure, who have a concrete goal, and who are in the UK for a limited time. It is demanding: with lessons morning and afternoon, plus study of your own, your days are full.

If you are combining study with a long stay or a lot of travelling, General English with free afternoons is usually the better choice, and costs less. We have a self-study room and library on site for either course.