FAQs

Accredited centres are inspected on a regular basis through unannounced visits. All member centres of English UK are accredited by the British Council under the Accreditation UK scheme. It means they reach rigorous standards in teaching, management, learning resources and other aspects. Above all, it means you will receive the very best English language course.

Only accredited centres can use the following logo - look out for it.

We recommend all members of English UK because they all reach Accreditation UK standards. The school, college or university which is best for you will depend on your needs and preferences. But, accredited course providers will always offer you the highest quality learning.

There are a number of different costs to consider on top of course fees, so you should make sure you take all of these into account. The main costs are:

1. Travel to and from the UK
2. Course fees, books and examination fees
3. Accommodation and food
4. Socialising
5. Local and other travel
6. Shopping and other spending

Some non-accredited schools offer courses at very low prices, but you will make more progress learning English on a high-quality course. Accreditation is your guarantee of quality.

See our money matters page for more information.

To check whether you need a visa for the UK, look at the information on our visas page and visit www.ukvisas.gov.uk.

You could also consult your nearest British Embassy for up-to-date information. See the Foreign & Commonwealth Office website for contact details.

If you are thinking of working during your studies, you can.

On a student visa you are allowed to work part-time (up to 20 hours a week) during term time and full-time during holidays. Working not only lets you earn money towards your living expenses, it can also give you experience in the workplace. This might be helpful when you apply for jobs after your studies.

Students travelling on a student visitor visa are not allowed to work.

It is rare for an accredited English language centre to close while students are attending courses. When this does happen, the most important concern is that the students are taken care of and that their programme of study is able to continue with the least amount of disruption. English UK therefore expects member organisations to share responsibility for providing alternative accredited English language courses where possible, at no additional cost to the students.

English UK also has a Student Emergency Support Fund (SESF) which is used to provide emergency assistance to students affected by the closure of a member centre. This would normally cover such things as accommodation expenses where advance payment has been lost and assisting with the cost of travelling if the alternative course provided is far away.

Closures of English UK member centres are very rare. The SESF was set up 15 years ago and has only been called on 10 times.

English UK has a complaints procedure available to students if they feel that their experience with a member centre was not what they hoped it would be. Around 400,000 students a year attend courses at English UK member centres and we receive about 35 complaints - 0.001%. Usually 3 or 4 cases a year are referred to the independent Ombudsman for a judgement, which is binding on the school. We take all complaints seriously, but attempt to achieve an amicable resolution if at all possible.

High quality health care is available in the UK. This is usually free to students with a visa for a course lasting more than 6 months as well as to residents of European Economic Area (EEA) countries. Other nationalities have reciprocal health arrangements with the UK to allow free or low-cost health care. If you are not sure about health cover, you should check before coming to the UK with your government's department of health or foreign affairs.