International Students

St. James' is a truly international school, in that our pupils come from all the corners of the globe. It is a common occurrence to find bilingual children in each classroom, whether they speak French, Spanish, Cantonese, German, Swedish, Dutch - to name but a few.  

Many of our pupils live with their families in the UK and grow up speaking their native language at home and cope brilliantly with the standard of English required in a British education.  This is particularly true when a child arrives at a young age, as generally speaking they reach age-appropriate levels more rapidly.  We also have some boarders who have developed fluent language skills and do not require special support. At the same time we have pupils for whom English is yet to truly become their second language. These pupils are offered specialist lessons in ESL (English as a Second Language), which are tailored to their requirements.   Tuition is usually additional to the pupils' curriculum, and lessons may take place before school or during lunchtime to avoid disruption to their daily schedule. 

All ESL learners are given a level test on entry to the school, and the course they are offered is are based on their results. The school offers tuition at KET and PET levels for younger pupils, while those already at Intermediate Level are encouraged to take the IGCSE in English as a Second Language in Year 11.  Sixth Form pupils face the rigorous IELTS examination for entry to University, and their lessons give them preparation in the four key skill areas of reading, writing, listening and speaking formal academic English.  At this stage, our students are also encouraged to work independently in the well-equipped Sixth Form Library and ICT Suite.

Whilst studying at St. James' School, all International Students are fully integrated into normal school life. Aside from their English as a Second Language (ESL), students of all ages take part in mainstream lessons and activities.

Due to the small class sizes, we find that all International Students benefit fully from their time in the UK`, whether for a matter of a few weeks or a number of years. St. James' offers a wide range of options to International Students, and can be totally flexible in terms of the length of time that students wish to study with us and also have strong understanding of a variety of different educational systems.

We offer short courses for International Students for stays from just 2 weeks and ensure that they make the most of each and every day. All of the students are fully integrated into the School, which means that they will really experience what it is to be like in a UK school. These courses can include work experience either in local businesses or around the school, confidence building exercises (such as public speaking or speech and drama lessons) and much more. Parents can send their children to us knowing that they will maximise their time in the UK, however short.  

St. James' International is our intensive English course. This applies to students who need additional preparation in English before they are ready to access the GCSE curriculum. 50% of the course is taken up with ESL lessons whilst the remainder of the timetable consists of mainstream lessons in Maths, Science, Art, PSHE, ICT and Games. It is the perfect preparation for a UK education!

Home stays with guardian families are also possible, subject to availability.

A caring environment

All International students are given a buddy and a mentor when they enrol, and we ensure that a number of current students get in touch before they arrive. Their buddy will be around to help new students settle in and find their way around - this is key for all students, but in particular those for whom English is a second language. In addition, we ensure that, where possible, students flying from Middle and Far Eastern countries fly together and put parents in similar areas in touch in order that they may arrange flight times. Their mentor will be a member of the teaching staff and will be there to offer all of the extra support that they need whilst in the UK.

Regular contact is of course promoted between the students and their parents and in addition to this, the house parents and senior members of the teaching staff remain in close contact with parents. This is in addition to the termly reports that all parents receive.

Whatever their level of language proficiency, Saint James' School is able to offer support and guidance in order to maximise your children's potential.

Coming to the UK

The UK has long been accepting students from overseas but all of them require permission to study in the UK. The process is fairly straightforward and the School offers full support and guidance throughout the process. Once a student has registered and paid, at least, the regsitration fee and deposit, the School will issue a CAS (confirmation of studies) detailing the information that has been used in order to be able to offer a place and details of the course that the student will be studying.

St. James’ is a HIGHLY TRUSTED sponsor and our admissions office will answer any questions that parents have regarding the Points Based System process.

For more information on all aspects of the process see www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/

Airport Transfers

The School arranges all transfers for students (cost can be provided on request) and, for younger students, a member of staff will meet them at the airport. Transfers can be provided from any UK airport.