For students aged 11 to 18
Junior Courses
inlingua Cheltenham has welcomed young international students for over thirty years. We run five junior programmes: a six-week international Summer Camp, a term or two at a British state school on our State School Placement, a School Holiday Camp for the weeks when local schools close, a Boarding School Exploration week for a parent and child together, and group ministays for visiting schools. All include accommodation with a local hosts, inspected by our own staff. Prices start at £695 per week.
- Ages
- 11–18From 5 with a parent
- Programmes
- 5Plus guardianship
- Accommodation
- HostsInspected by us
- Teaching juniors
- 30+ yearsSince 1990
Which one is right?
Five programmes, and the differences between them are mostly about how long your child stays and what they do during the day. Start here.
- You want a summer abroad with international friends, lessons and trips Summer Camp →
- You want a term or two in a real British school, alongside British pupils State School Placement →
- Your child is already at a local school and needs somewhere to be over half term School Holiday Camp →
- You are considering a British boarding school and want to test it first Boarding School Exploration →
- You are a teacher or group leader bringing a school group School Group Ministays →
The programmes side by side
| Programme | Ages | When | Accommodation | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Camp | 11–17 | 5 July – 16 August | Half board homestay | £1,045 / week |
| State School Placement | 11–18 | September – July | Full board homestay | £695 / week |
| School Holiday Camp | 11–17 | School holidays | Full board homestay | £850 / week |
| Boarding School Exploration | 5–17 with a parent | By arrangement | Boarding house and homestay | £3,000 / week |
| School Group Ministays | 11–17 | All year | Full board homestay or hotel | On enquiry |
Weekly rates fall the longer a student stays. Administrative fees are included in the Summer Camp and Boarding School Exploration prices and charged separately on the others. See the full price list.
The programmes in more detail
Summer Camp
Six weeks from 5 July to 16 August at our school in the centre of Cheltenham. Twenty English lessons, twelve activities and two guided excursions every week — London, Oxford, Bath and Stratford among them. Local British students join the activity programme. Accommodation, hot lunch, bus pass and administrative fees are all included in the weekly price.
Ages 11–18State School Placement
Full immersion in a British state secondary school in Gloucestershire, studying the same subjects as British pupils in classes of 20 to 35. From one week to a maximum of two terms, with full board homestay and daily school transport included. Requires level B1 or above.
Ages 11–17School Holiday Camp
For students already studying at a school in the Cheltenham area, a week of English lessons, two excursions and four afternoon activities during half terms and Easter, with full board homestay continuing throughout. Needs a minimum of four students to run, so early notice helps.
Ages 5–17, with a parentBoarding School Exploration
One or two weeks for a parent and child together. Your child boards at a British school while you take English lessons in the mornings and visit boarding schools around Cheltenham and Oxford in the afternoons. Airport transfer and administrative fees included.
Ages 11–17 · For group leadersSchool Group Ministays
Short trips for school groups, in four shapes: the Classic Ministay with 20 English lessons a week plus customised excursions; State School Immersion, where students attend a British school alongside local teenagers; English + Volunteering for students of 16 and over; and a bespoke programme built around whatever your group wants to achieve. Full board homestays, with a hotel option now available. We have welcomed school groups for over thirty years.
What students actually remember
Ask a student what they enjoyed and they rarely say the grammar. They say the friends, the day in London, the disco, the fact that after two weeks they stopped translating in their head. The English arrives anyway — it is the by-product of a good few weeks, not the thing they were concentrating on.
Before going to the school, I honestly thought I wouldn't make many friends. But on the first day, I made a lot of friends! And I learned a lot of English because it was the only way to speak with each other. Junior student
Safeguarding and welfare
You are sending a child to another country, often for the first time. These are the arrangements behind that, and we would rather you read them before you book than wonder about them afterwards.
How we look after young students
- Accreditation. inlingua Cheltenham is accredited by the British Council for the teaching of English in the UK, which includes inspection of our care of under-18s, and we are a member of English UK.
- Homestays. Every home is found and inspected by our own accommodation officers against British Council standards. We do not use an outside agency to place students.
- Supervision. Junior programmes are led and supervised by teachers and activity staff throughout, and excursions are staff-led.
- A person to speak to. If a student or a parent has a concern about anything at all — the school, the homestay, another student — they speak to a member of our staff and we deal with it.
- Guardianship. For pupils taking up a place at a British boarding school, we work with Greatway Guardianship, an AEGIS-accredited company based in Cheltenham.
Parents and agents are welcome to ask for our safeguarding and child protection policies in full, and to speak to our Designated Safeguarding Lead before booking. Email info@inlingua-cheltenham.co.uk.
Where students stay
Almost every junior student stays with a local host. Depending on the programme this is half board — breakfast and dinner, with a hot lunch at school — or full board, with all meals at home including weekends.
Our accommodation officers find and inspect every home themselves, and most hosts are within thirty minutes of the school by bus. Many have been welcoming students for years, which is usually obvious within a day of arriving.
Getting here
Cheltenham is well connected: Bristol and Birmingham airports are about an hour and a quarter away, Heathrow two hours. We can arrange a private taxi transfer, and for students under 16 travelling alone the driver waits at the airport until the aircraft departs, for an additional £100 each way.
Most students under 16 must be met by an adult at the airport, so tell us flight details as soon as they are booked. Please avoid arrivals into Cheltenham after 22:00 or before 07:00 out of consideration for hosts.
Visa requirements depend on nationality and length of stay. Since October 2021, EU school groups can no longer travel on group passports and pupils need individual documents. We issue visa support letters once a deposit and administrative fees have been received. Check the current rules on the UK government website, as they change.
Common questions
What English level does my child need?
It depends on the programme. Summer Camp and School Holiday Camp take all levels including complete beginners, and students are grouped by level after a test on the first morning. State School Placement requires B1 or above, because your child will follow normal British lessons with no language support.
How old does my child have to be?
Most junior programmes take students aged 11 to 17, and State School Placement goes up to 18. Boarding School Exploration takes children from 5, but only travelling with a parent. Students aged 16 and over can also join our adult group courses.
Will my child be the only one from their country?
On Summer Camp, almost certainly not — it brings together students from many countries at once, which is the point. On a State School Placement they usually will be the only international student in their year group, which is excellent for their English and occasionally lonely. School Holiday Camp weeks put those students back among other internationals.
Can my child's friend or sibling come too?
Yes. Tell us when you book and we will do our best to place them with the same host and in the same activity groups. Classes are set by English level, so students at different levels will be in different classrooms.
What is included in the price?
All junior programmes include tuition, accommodation and the activity or excursion programme described on each page. Summer Camp and Boarding School Exploration also include administrative fees; the others add a £60 registration fee and a £40 accommodation arrangement fee. Flights, insurance and personal spending money are never included. See the full price list.
Not sure which programme fits?
Tell us your child's age, their English level and roughly when you want them to travel, and we will tell you honestly which programme suits — including if the answer is none of them.
Prices valid for courses starting in 2027. Last updated August 2026.