Insurance and Health

Before they arrive in London, we strongly recommend that students get the right medical and travel insurance in case of an accident, loss or theft of property, course cancellation or travel expenses. Please note, if you are under 18 years old, you MUST have insurance and proof of insurance must be received before arrival.

Students coming to the UK to study for a limited time of more than 6 months will be required to pay a health surcharge. This is part of their visa application.

Payment of the surcharge will be a mandatory requirement and will be paid as part of the immigration process. Applicants MUST make sure they have completed their immigration application and have paid the surcharge for the duration of their visa.

The standard surcharge fee for students is £470 per year. The surcharge is a compulsory requirement as part of a visa application to enter or remain in the UK for more than 6 months. If an application is refused or rejected you will be automatically refunded.

Students planning to stay in the UK under 6 months are strongly advised to obtain good quality health insurance for their period of stay in the UK otherwise they may be charged for NHS services. They must get this insurance in their own country before they travel.

Money and Living Expenses

Before you arrive in London, we advise you to bring some cash for the first few days. We strongly recommend that you do not carry large amounts of cash with you as, unfortunately, pickpockets do operate in London.

You can change money at banks, bureaux de change and Post Offices, ask in reception for more details. According to the Home Office, students are required to have a budget of approximately £1,335 per month for living expenses in London. This is in addition to tuition fees.

Students can expect to pay an average rent of £180 to £400 per week but there are various options. You can contact us with your accommodation enquiry.

Personal Safety and Valuables

The UK is generally a safe place with low levels of crime but, whenever you travel to a new country, it is vital that you look after yourself.

In an emergency, you can call 999 to contact the police, fire brigade or ambulance. This call is free of charge from any UK phone but you should only be use it in an emergency. However, if it is not an emergency, for example if you need to report a crime or an incident, dial 101. Additionally, you can ask someone at your school or accommodation to contact your local police station for you.

It is a good idea to make sure you learn as much as you can about your school and the local area before you arrive in London. Use the internet to familiarise yourself with UK customs, British manners and relevant laws. This will help you to be more aware of crime or fraud risks and less likely to become a victim.

Unfortunately, international Students can be targeted by criminals. This is because they think you won’t know the area and will have lots of valuable items. An important note: if it’s not necessary, don’t bring it. Some valuables are safer left at home. You should make friends with students who know the area. This way they can show you around or give you advice on the best areas to live in would be a good.

Most importantly, the Police in the UK are friendly and approachable, don’t be intimidated by them.

Top Tips for International Student Safety

1. Before you arrive in London, make sure you know where you will be living. Pay attention to the directions from your accommodation and Rose of York and the surrounding areas. If in doubt, ask a flatmate or host to help direct you!
2. Don’t carry large amounts of cash with you when in the UK. Realistically, you would only want £50 at the most. Simply use a credit or debit card to pay for things.
3. Make sure you have travel and property insurance that covers you abroad. Check to see if you need medical insurance too. Keep a photocopy of your travel documents and passport’s data page and any visa information in a safe place.
4. Keep the telephone number of the school accessible, in case you need to call for help. Our emergency phone number is +44 (0) 7888 148 074. Our landline is +44 (0) 207 434 0643 and the email address [email protected]

You can find more information in our Living in London document

For our Young Learners’ Living in London

Compliance with the law in the UK

• You must be 18 or over to be legally able to buy alcohol in the UK, in shops and pubs/restaurants. You may be asked to show proof of age (ID or passport) if you look under the age of 25.
  Under 18: Illegal for anyone under 18 to buy (or be bought) alcohol anywhere in the UK. You may be allowed into some bars/pubs but cannot drink alcohol.
  Over 18: Allowed to buy or drink alcohol anywhere, except in public transport and other public places where alcohol is banned.
• It is illegal to possess, use or supply class A, B or C drugs in the United Kingdom. If you are caught with an illegal substance, you may be taken to the police station and charged.
• You must be over 18 to buy cigarettes in the UK. If you’re under 16 the police have the right to confiscate your cigarettes
• The legal minimum age to have sex (both heterosexual and homosexual) in the United Kingdom is 16. Viewing and downloading pornography from the internet is illegal and if you are discovered you may be prosecuted.
• In the UK shoplifting is a criminal offence against the public.
• In the UK it is illegal to carry a weapon or knife in public.
• In the UK it is illegal to drive if you have drunk alcohol or taken illegal drugs.

If you are arrested by the police

If you are arrested by the police, remain calm and request the assistance of an interpreter and a lawyer. If you are under 18, the police can only interview you with an adult present.

Do not discuss your charges until you have an interpreter present so that you can explain your case in your own language.

If you require assistance by a member of Rose of York, please ask to call our emergency number +44 (0) 7888 148 074.

Your first day

Your first day at Rose of York

We look forward to meeting you on your first day at Rose of York where we will welcome you to the school and you can start to learn and practise English! We will introduce you to your new class and key members of staff. Additionally, you will learn about the school and our facilities. And, most importantly, you will do a placement test and have a chat with the Director of Studies about your study needs and skills.

Timetable

*Your timetable might be different from other students. If you have any questions, please ask at reception.

Please remember to bring:

• Your passport or ID card
• Visa (if applicable)
• Proof of insurance

General Information

At Rose of York, we want students to progress as quickly as possible from inside the classroom. Therefore, we encourage lots of communicative, interactive and enjoyable activities.

The best way to learn is to practise. Additionally, while you are in London you can make the most of your opportunities by speaking to the people you meet every day in many different situations.

You can participate in our varied social activities every week to get to know the other students. Moreover, practise using the English that you have studied inside the classroom and learn more about British culture.

Enjoy it and have fun!

To Help Improve your English

There are many ways you could improve your English learning:

• Speak English inside the school.
• Arrive on time for your classes.
• Contribute to practical and useful speaking/communication tasks and games in class.
• Use and enjoy the authentic materials used in lessons.
• Buy a coursebook that you can keep and write in.
• Ask the teacher if you have any questions.

There are many places you can get extra learning materials from. The BBC Learning English website is a great place for English language students.

Technology in the Classroom

We believe that technology is a useful addition to language learning. Therefore, we incorporate our Interactive Whiteboard and computers when possible.

Students can access online study materials through our free Wi-Fi. Furthermore, we encourage our students to explore the world through the English language.

In general, Rose of York encourages all students to use their mobile phones (not inside the classroom, of course!) to do research tasks and access dictionaries.

Give your Input and Get Feedback

Clearly, there is no school without student participation. Therefore, we strongly believe that input and feedback is crucial to maintain happy, smiling students. We ensure student participation through many different ways:

• Firstly, students and teachers work together to negotiate and agree on a weekly plan based on the syllabus and the students’ needs.
• Students have regular progress and achievement tests.
• Your teacher will have individual tutorials with students on a regular basis.
• Teachers offer homework and interesting self-study assignments every day.
• Finally, students will receive a final certificate when you leave stating your achievement level (students must maintain 80% attendance or above to qualify for a certificate).

Your English Level

When you start a course at Rose of York, you will have a placement test. This test includes grammar, vocabulary, writing and speaking. We will test your English level using the results from this test and put you in the correct class.

You will take a test every five weeks. We do this so we can see your progress and English level. If you improve enough by the end of the term, you can move up a level. You must score 80%, or more, on the test to move levels. Many of our students progress well during their time at Rose of York.

At Rose of York, we follow the Common European Framework of Reference for English language levels (CEFR A1-C2). You can check your current level by looking at the tables below.

What do these levels mean?

You can check your current level by looking at the ‘Can Do’ CEFR table below:

How long will it take?

You can see how long it may take you to get to the English level you need:

Past results

Depending on your needs, we encourage students to have a goal. Having a goal will help you to focus on what you want to achieve. For example, students who want to go to university need to take the IELTS exam and get a certain score. In the past, students studying at Rose of York for the Academic IELTS exam achieved the following results:

If students have a goal, for example, if students want to improve their listening or conversation, we can help you get there. With specific goals, our teachers can suggest extra tasks or ideas to help you focus.

If you would like to know your English level, take a test, now. Once completed, one of our teachers can mark it and reply to you with your perceived level.

If you have any questions, at all, please do not hesitate to contact us!