Summer Boarding Courses
How to prepare your child for an English Summer School
important part of the Summer for parents. We want to make sure our students have an amazing study abroad experience and that you, the parents, have a worry-free summer.
Here’s our top tips on how to prepare your child for English Summer School.
How to prepare your child for an English Summer School
Today’s post comes from Dion, our Student Support Manager for SBC Canford. He is here to tell you how our Student Support Managers support you and your children during their stay. He also shares his best tips on how to prepare your child for English summer school!
Tell us a little bit about your history with Summer Boarding Courses
In 2014 I worked at one of our summer schools as an activity leader. I really enjoyed my time working with the students and realised that I really liked organising the large activities such as Treasure Hunts and theme days, because the students absolutely love these events.
With this in mind, I returned to Summer Boarding Courses for the following two summers as the Social Programme Coordinator and enjoyed the summer school experience every time!
Can you tell us more about what a Student Support Manager does?
When parents are thinking about a Summer School Course, it’s natural for them to have lots of questions! As a Student Support Manager, I’m here to answer any questions they may have and provide information, as I’m someone who knows Summer Boarding Courses very well. This support continues after the booking has been made, so leading up to summer I can get to know parents and the students and prepare them for the course. Then, during summer school, I will continue to be the dedicated point of contact. It’s reassuring for parents to know there’s someone who is easily available to keep them informed, whilst their son or daughter is away at our courses.
What advice do you have for parents to help prepare their children for summer school?
The Parent Welcome Pack that we send parents after they have made a booking contains lots of information about many aspects of summer school, such as the school timetable and the activity programme, so that’s always a good resource with which to make yourself familiar. You can also get in contact with your Student Support Manager at any point after you have booked if you have further questions!
In terms of preparing your child, I’m sure they will be excited but maybe slightly nervous! You can let them know that many children come to our courses on their own, without siblings or friends and many have their first experience of an English summer school with us too.
Our staff are very friendly and they are there to make sure they enjoy their stay and I’m sure they will! We have a specific time each day when children can call home, as we know it is important to stay in touch. But parents, please don’t be offended if your child is having too much fun to call you every day!
Why do you think the UK is great place to go for summer school?
The UK is one of the most racially diverse countries, so it’s a great place for international students. Also, even though there are many countries with English as a national language, the UK is the birthplace of English, so it makes sense that it’s a great place to study in!
Why is student welfare so important at Summer Boarding Courses?
Whether your child has stayed with us many times before or if it is their first time at an English summer school, travelling to a different country is a big experience. For parents, knowing that their child will be safe and happy are the most important things, and that’s paramount for us too. Because we only employ staff with lots of childcare experience, we can care for each child individually and parents can relax, knowing that their child is being looked after.
What do you think the best part of our programme is?
For me it’s definitely the fact that Summer Boarding Courses brings children from so many cultures together. Students might leave with a new friend from a country they previously knew nothing about or hadn’t even heard of! Many times, when I am speaking to returning parents, they tell me they are sending their child on the same date and to the same school with friends they made the previous year, so they can meet up again. It makes us really happy to help international friendships develop and give students these amazing life experiences.
What do you think makes Summer Boarding Courses so different from other English summer schools?
It all comes down to the diversity that can be found in our courses. Because we limit the number of students that speak any one language, we can truly call ourselves an international summer school. Learning to tolerate, understand and appreciate people from other cultures, countries and backgrounds is essential to having a harmonious world. It’s good to know that we can contribute a little to that.