Groups
At Select English we’ve been welcoming groups to Cambridge for over a quarter of a century.
Our tailor made group courses are available throughout the year, and courses can be as long or short as required.
There is no minimum or maximum size for a group course – large and small groups are all equally welcome at Select English.
Cambridge is a remarkable and inspiring city to visit, a centre of education renowned around the world and home to one of Europe’s oldest universities. Cambridge is also a small and peaceful city – making it the perfect choice for a safe and comfortable stay for any group.
If you are interested in creating a programme for your group, an experienced Select English team member will work closely with you to design a course that meets the precise needs and aspirations of your group – both in the classroom and beyond it.
Our English teachers are experienced in teaching short course group classes; classes are fun and practical with a focus on speaking and understanding in real life situations.
We also specialize in exam preparation courses for IELTS, Cambridge exams and Trinity exams.
The expertise of our academic teachers and the superb facilities on our campus allow us to offer programmes combining English classes with lessons and practical sessions focusing on areas such as art, science and business. We also offer practical programmes that give students valuable insights into aspects of modern life in the UK – for instance programmes illustrating pathways into the British higher education system, or insights into finding work and current workplace practice. These courses are especially popular with school groups that wish to create a course based around the requirements of their syllabus at home.
We offer a comprehensive range of accommodation options for groups. Many choose to stay in our carefully selected and monitored host family accommodation; we also have well-established connections with several Cambridge University colleges, so that at certain times of the year groups can choose to stay in the world famous university. Finally, there are a range of hotels and hostels close to our school which are ideal for groups looking for budget residential accommodation. Cambridge offers a wide range of exciting and interesting activities for groups to enjoy whilst they are not in the classroom. Whether visiting a world famous college, touring a great museum or punting gently down the River Cam that flows through the centre of the city, there is never a dull moment here! And nearby towns and villages such as Ely, Bury St Edmunds and Grantchester make for wonderful afternoon excursions – while London is only 50 minutes away by train. Cambridge is located about 30 minutes’ drive from Stansted airport, making it easy for groups from all over Europe to get here.
Lessons
- Choose the number of lessons per week
- Follow our syllabus or choose your own lesson content
- We can offer the option to combine academic subjects such as maths or science with English
- Experienced teachers
Activities
- Add afternoon and evening activities to your programme. Activities include punting, film night, sports, bowling, cinema, Cambridge college or museum visits
- Add a full day trip to London or other UK cities
- Full day excursions to Cadbury World, Harry Potter Studios, Theme Parks like Thorpe Park and many other options are available to add
- Choose to have talks or workshops. Previous topics have included entrepreneurship, mindfulness, mental health, applying to Cambridge University and many more
Group Leaders
We welcome group leaders with every group. We are happy to offer a free group leader place with every 12 students booked.
We also expect leaders to follow our code of practice. Leaders will be given a handbook on arrival with helpful advice on how to work together with Select English staff to ensure a successful stay for all the students.
Accommodation
- Stay with a local homestay host
- Choose a local youth hostel or hotel
- Arrange your own accommodation
Extras
- Airport Transfers: You can add airport transfers to your group booking. Depending on the group size, we’ll arrange for a coach or minibus to meet you along with an experienced member of our team and get you to Cambridge safely. Large groups will be dropped off at the school first and then put into taxis to their accommodation with help from our staff.
- Lunches: We can arrange hot or cold lunches in the school, depending on the preferences of the group
- Bus passes: Bus passes are £15 for unlimited travel around Cambridge City for one week. These can be added to your booking, and paid for in advance. Alternatively, they can also be purchased from the bus driver on the bus on the first morning of the course.
If you would like a proposal
Contact our Marketing Team or call on 0044 (0) 1223 313211 and tell us
- The expected number of students in your group
- The expected number of group leaders likely to accompany the group
- The proposed arrival and departure dates of the group
- How many lessons you want to include
- Accommodation preference
- Whether you wish to include transfers, lunches or bus passes
- Any trips and activities you’d like to include
Sample Programmes
- Standard one week programme
- Standard two week programme
- Oxbridge Preparation
- EAP/ESP
Standard 1 week programme
Sunday | Arrival to London Stansted – Transfer to Cambridge Homestays | |||
Monday | English Lessons | Lunch | Walking Tour of Cambridge | Dinner with Homestay and Free Time |
Tuesday | English Lessons | Lunch | Self Hire Punting | Dinner with Homestay and Free Time |
Wednesday | English Lessons | Lunch | Fitzwilliam Museum | Dinner with Homestay and Free Time |
Thursday | English Lessons | Lunch | Sports Afternoon or Cupcake Making | Dinner with Homestay and Free Time |
Friday | English Lessons | Lunch | King’s College Visit | Dinner with Homestay and Free Time |
Saturday | Transfer to Stansted Airport from Homestays |
Standard 2 week programme
Sunday | Arrive to Heathrow Airport – Met by a member of Select English staff – Transfer to Cambridge | |||||
Monday | English Testing and Lessons | Cold Lunch at School | English Lessons | Walking tour of Cambridge including Climb of St Mary’s Church Tower | Dinner with Homestay | Welcome Party at School |
Tuesday | English Lessons | Cold Lunch at School | English Lessons | Frisbee, Tennis and Football | Dinner with Homestay | Cinema Night |
Wednesday | English Lessons | Cold Lunch at School | English Lessons | English Tea Party at School | Dinner with Homestay | Pool Night |
Thursday | English Lessons | Cold Lunch at School | English Lessons | Fitzwilliam Museum Visit | Dinner with Homestay | Treasure Hunt |
Friday | English Lessons | Cold Lunch at School | English Lessons | Cricket, Rugby or Rounders in the Park | Dinner with Homestay | English Pub Night |
Saturday | Full day trip to London with member of Select English staff | Late Dinner with Homestay | Free Evening | |||
Sunday | Trip to Ely with member of Select English Staff – Entry to Ely Cathedral | Late Dinner with Homestay | Free Evening | |||
Monday | English Lessons | Cold Lunch at School | English Lessons | Afternoon Trip to Bury St Edmunds by Train | Dinner with Homestay | Free Evening |
Tuesday | English Lessons | Cold Lunch at School | English Lesson | Punting on the River Cam | Dinner with Homestay | Cupcake Decorating at School |
Wednesday | English Lessons | Cold Lunch at School | English Lesson | Afternoon Trip to Grantchester for Tea and Scones | Dinner with Homestay | Free Evening |
Thursday | English Lessons | Cold Lunch at School | English Lesson | Tour of King’s College | Dinner with Homestay | Free Evening |
Friday | English Lessons | Cold Lunch at School | English Lesson | Afternoon Trip to Anglesey Abbey | Dinner With Homestay | Farewell Party |
Saturday | Transfer from Cambridge to London Heathrow |
Oxbridge Preparation Programme
This programme is for students who are aiming to study at the UK’s top universities. It combines subject lectures from University of Cambridge lecturers with classes introducing the application for Oxford University and the University of Cambridge.
Morning 09.00-11.00 | Morning 11.30-13.30 | Afternoon | |
Sunday | Arrival: Transfer from airport | ||
Monday | Welcome Session -Introduction to Oxbridge | Seminar: Cambridge Student Life with Cambridge University Student | Walking Tour of Cambridge |
Tuesday | Subject lecture from Cambridge University Lecturer | Application Tutorial: How to write your personal statement | Academic English Class 14.30-16.30 |
Wednesday | Academic English Class | Seminar: Application Experience with Cambridge University Student | Half day excursion to Ely |
Thursday | Critical Thinking Class | Application Tutorial: Completing UCAS forms | IELTS class 14.30-16.30 |
Friday | Subject lecture from Cambridge University Lecturer | Lecture: University Admissions with Cambridge University Lecturer | Visit Fitzwilliam Museum |
Saturday | Full day excursion to London | ||
Sunday | Full day excursion to Oxford and Bicester | ||
Monday | Subject lecture from Cambridge University Lecturer | Application Tutorial: Choosing your course | IELTS class 14.30-16.30 |
Tuesday | Academic English Class | Application Tutorial: Preparing for Interview | Half day excursion to Bury St Edmunds |
Wednesday | Subject lecture from Cambridge University Lecturer | Visit Imperial College London | |
Thursday | Critical Thinking Class | Seminar: Alternatives to Oxford and Cambridge | Academic English Class 14.30-16.30 |
Friday | Academic English Class | Application Tutorial: Interview Practice | Visit Jesus College, Cambridge University |
Saturday | Departure: transfer to airport |
EAP/ESP Course
We can arrange closed group programmes with specific academic focus or EAP/ESP courses. The following is an example programme with a focus on English literature
| Morning | Afternoon |
Sunday | Arrive at Airport | Transfers to Cambridge Homestays |
Monday | Literature Classes and Lectures | Walking Tour of Cambridge |
Tuesday | Literature Classes and Lectures | Visit King’s College, Cambridge University |
Wednesday | Literature Classes and Lectures | Half day excursion to London including London Eye and a Musical |
Thursday | Literature Classes and Lectures | Visit Grantchester for Afternoon Tea |
Friday | Literature Classes and Lectures | Half day excursion to Ely |
Saturday | Full day trip to London | |
Sunday | Day trip to Canterbury for Dickens Lecture and Tour | |
Monday | Literature Classes and Lectures | Cambridge University College Tour |
Tuesday | Literature Classes and Lectures | Half day trip to London for Bloomsbury Literary Tour |
Wednesday | Literature Classes and Lectures | Punting in Cambridge |
Thursday | Literature Classes and Lectures | Visit Cambridge University Botanic Garden |
Friday | Literature Classes and Lectures | Cambridge Market Souvenir Shopping |
Saturday | Day trip to Stratford Upon Avon – Shakespeare Tour | |
Sunday | Departure: Transfer to airport | |