SBC at Canford Summer School
Ages 11 -15
Our SBC Canford Summer School offers a blend of exciting multi-activity programmes and academic programmes at an award winning school. Designed by our experienced SBC team, our course ensures you have an action packed summer to remember!
With its idyllic grounds and impressive facilities, discover why Canford School recently won Public Boarding School of the year from the Tatler School Awards.
Discover more about what a typical two-week course at Canford summer school looks like for our students. Please note our sample timetable is given as an example and can be subject to change.
Set in a picturesque independent school, spanning over 250 acres, students have the opportunity to live and study in grounds which boast 10 boarding houses and impressive facilities including the Layard Theatre, music school, sports centre and art studios.
With its vast open green lawns and woodland surrounding the historic campus buildings, Canford offers the perfect space for students to be fully immersed in the Summer School experience. Every day students will use The Great Hall for dining and be mesmerised by the grand windows and minstrels’ gallery, a truly inspirational space.
The campus offers an excellent variety of sporting possibilities too. There are multiple tennis courts, netball courts and well-maintained football and cricket fields on the grounds. The Sports Centre includes a double-court indoor sports hall, a dance studio, as well as a heated indoor 25-metre swimming pool with 6 lanes.
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At SBC, we support experiential learning through project work and games, going above and beyond the curriculum, to ensure students have a dynamic and exciting learning experience. Instead of being sat down for long periods in a classroom and taking notes, our students are challenged to use and demonstrate new skills in a nurturing and supportive environment.
With a dynamic and interactive learning environment, SBC allows students to enjoy an inspiring change of scenery and experience new learning approaches. By creating space for important skill development like critical thinking, leadership, communication and teamwork, we bring theory into practice and allow students to grow in ways that might not always be possible in term time.
At SBC, each student in the classroom is actively encouraged to take the initiative, think critically, and cooperate with others to solve problems. This is done under the direction of our dedicated and dynamic teachers.
At SBC, we want students to gain recognition for their work in class, whilst sharing the passion and interest they have for their subjects, with the rest of the school. So each week we come together and all students takes part in a group presentation we call Time to Shine.
Serving as the high point of the week’s work, in Time to Shine students can demonstrate their growth and learning. This public speaking opportunity provides students with a fantastic chance to take the limelight, which improves their ability to work together as a team and individually. By working to a deadline and gently pushing students out of their comfort zone, we believe that Time to Shine provides invaluable experience for students that will serve them well in the future.
We offer optional English Plus courses with students able to select one choice each week, at an additional cost. Our English Plus programme provides students with an opportunity to engage in exciting new activities and classes or to develop existing interests and skills. The English Plus courses take place on two afternoons per week, replacing the Multi-Activity Programme.
The English Plus information is coming soon.
After successfully finishing the course, students receive a certificate of completion. This will be awarded during a special celebration ceremony, where students and teachers come together to celebrate the achievements of each individual.
Students will also receive a report from their teacher detailing their academic progress and overall effort on the course. In addition, the report will offer potential areas for further development and learning, to ensure future success.
Students at SBC Canford Summer School enjoy a fun and varied social programme with a range of exciting activities every day. The social programme allows students to learn new skills, make friends, build confidence, and make unforgettable memories.
Students will participate in a multi-activity programme with a wide range of activity choices including football, arts and crafts, music and swimming. There are activities to suit every child, allowing them to explore their personal interests, as well as try new ones.
Our carefully designed evening events programme brings the whole school together with a mix of high-energy events, such as sports tournaments, creative challenges, quiz nights and discos, and relaxing events, like secret cinema, throughout the week.
As if all this wasn’t enough, this year students will enjoy a thrilling evening at Splashdown Waterpark! With an impressive 13 different indoor and outdoor rides to choose from, this is an experience not to be missed.
Over 2-weeks, students will go on three excursions to famous UK cities and popular destinations. Our dedicated team of staff accompany the students and, have a series of activities planned for the students to ensure that they make the most of their trip.
Canford School’s superb south-coast location means beach day trips feature on the excursion programme, as well as adventures to famous cities such as Bath and Portsmouth, not forgetting the capital city, London. As well as visiting tourist attractions, students will also have the opportunity for shopping and, with parental consent, exploration in small groups.
Previous years excursions have included:
A trip to the London Eye – A visit to the UK’s incredible capital city! Students enjoy a ride on the 135m tall London Eye, experiencing breathtaking panoramic views across central London.
Portsmouth: Students love a day out to the historic port city of Portsmouth on the South Coast. Once there they explore the city’s maritime heritage with a visit to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, where they can choose one of 8 different historic ships and attractions to visit.
Other planned excursions include trips to Thorpe Park, Roman Baths, Marwell Zoo and London River Cruises!
SBC has helped me improve my English whilst having fun. That’s why I’m coming back for the third time in a row!
The safety and wellbeing of students is our number one priority. We have a comprehensive Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy and procedures in place to which all employees, volunteers, visitors, and contractors are obligated to adhere to.
All staff are given the tools through their extensive training to guarantee that all students are given the ability to feel safe, secure, valued, and respected whilst studying with SBC. Students are accommodated in secure and comfortable boarding houses with each house managed by a dedicated and experienced House Parent alongside a team of residential staff. Our staff teams are always available to provide high-quality pastoral support and remain on call 24 hours per day.
Free time and supervision
During some offsite activities, students aged 12 and over are permitted ‘free-time’ where they can independently explore a designated area in groups of at least three, for a set amount of time. Students must have consent from their parents/guardian to be allowed unsupervised free-time.
If a student is aged under 12, or if they do not have parental consent, they must stay supervised by a staff member at all times. Supervision of under 12s during free-time will be in-line with designated offsite ratios and a minimum of two staff members per group, as per the SBC Safeguarding Policy.
Student Feedback
Student voice also features heavily in our student’s experience. We empower our students to shape their own experience by championing that voice. SBC is committed to our response to student feedback and welcome student-led initiatives which help us to continue to provide excellent service.
At Canford summer school, all students reside in purpose-built boarding houses divided into male and female accommodations. The houses are well maintained and are made up of comfortable single, double, and small-dorm rooms with shared bathrooms and spacious common rooms and living areas where you can relax, watch a movie, have a game of pool or ping pong and feel at home. Rooms also have a desk and a small wardrobe for hanging clothes.
Students stay in one of five boarding houses. These houses are where our students forge strong friendships, which often last beyond the Summer experience, and our House Parents and house structure is ideal for facilitating these bonds.
| Start Date | End Date | Duration | General English Price | All Other Courses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday 8th July 2024 | Monday 22nd July 2024 | 2 Weeks | £3,400 | £3,900 |
| Monday 8th July 2024 | Monday 29th July 2024 | 3 Weeks | £5,100 | - |
| Monday 8th July 2024 | Monday 5th August 2024 | 4 Weeks | £6,800 | - |
| Monday 22nd July 2024 | Monday 5th August 2024 | 2 Weeks | £3,400 | £3,900 |
| Monday 22nd July 2024 | Monday 12th August 2024 | 3 Weeks | £5,100 | - |
| Monday 29th July 2024 | Monday 12th August 2024 | 2 Weeks | £3,400 | - |
Canford Summer School includes:
See our campus sample timetable here.
*Earlscliffe fee includes return transfers to/from London Heathrow and London Gatwick for flights/trains scheduled to arrive/depart between 9am-3pm on published arrival and departure day.
For other locations, we provide all our students with the option of using our Shared Transfer Service from/to London Heathrow Airport and St. Pancras International. The fees are:
| Campus | Single (one-way) | Return |
|---|---|---|
| SBC at Twyford School | £130.00 | £250.00 |
| SBC Canford | £130.00 | £250.00 |
| Headington | £130.00 | £250.00 |
| Eton | £85.00 | £160.00 |
| Oxford College | £130.00 | £250.00 |
| Cambridge College | £130.00 | £250.00 |
| Earlscliffe | Included in fees* | Included in fees* |
When a student arrives, an SBC staff member wearing a bright yellow t-shirt will be waiting to greet her/him and accompany them to our Welcome Club. At our Airport Welcome Club, she/he will have the chance to meet other students arriving, have some light refreshments and relax. After a little rest, students will be accompanied by students and SBC staff to board the coach and be taken directly to the school in a private coach.
The Shared Transfer Service can be used by students using the following flight and train times:
Flight lands on arrival day: 06:00-17:00
Flight take-off time on departure day: 08:00-18:00
The times outlined above also apply to students arriving and departing from Kings Cross St. Pancras train station.
If you book a flight outside of these times or to/from another UK airport, we can look at sending a staff member in a taxi to collect or drop off your child, but it will cost more than the Shared Transfer Service. Quotes are available upon request.
If you book a train or flight outside of these times or from another London airport, please contact your Admissions Manager for a private taxi quote. Please note this will cost more than our Shared Transfer Service from Heathrow, Kings Cross St. Pancras (& Gatwick for Earlscliffe students)
Important:
Flights must be booked on the arrival and departure dates so that all students can arrive and depart the course at the correct times.
Situated in 250 acres of parkland near to the market town of Wimborne Minster in Dorset, located in south west England, it is one of the largest schools by area. Canford is within reachable distance from Bournemouth, Southampton and Portsmouth, which are some of the largest southern cities outside of London.
It is under two hours from London, Oxford and Exeter, 90 minutes from the M3/M25 junction and within easy reach of London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Bournemouth, Exeter and Southampton airports.
If you’re driving to the school directly then use the postcode BH21 3AD for sat nav.
At Canford we have classes to suit all levels of English from beginners to B2 level and above. Although for some subjects a minimum level is required to ensure that all students will be able to make the most of the programme.
Before the summer, we send an online test for students to complete. We will use the results to confirm their suitability for the course. In the case that a student does not meet the required level on the test, we will conduct an academic consultation to assess the next best step.
We have a high ratio of staff to students throughout the summer. At each Campus, we have a Welfare Manager, who oversees the welfare and safety of the students and would deal with any pastoral issues. We also have several House Parents, who are responsible for the day-to-day care of the students and are the first point of contact if any student felt as though they were upset in any way. Alongside these members of staff, all employees are trained before the summer in Safeguarding and many of the staff are trained in giving First Aid. There will also be a dedicated Admissions Manager for each Campus, who will be the main point of contact for families with any issues or concerns.
Our friendly and supportive staff team are available 24 hours per day to support students. We pride ourselves on offering the best possible care to students, and achieved British Council area of strength in ‘care of students’ and ‘safeguarding under 18s’.
Ready for an unforgettable summer of adventure and fun? Speak to a member of admissions about the right course for you at Canford.
