Adult courses · Ages 16 and over
General and Intensive English
Learn English in a real English town, not a tourist bubble. inlingua Cheltenham is the only private English language school in Cheltenham, a Regency town of 121,000 people on the edge of the Cotswolds — so the people around you are British, not other international students. Classes hold 8 to 12 students from a mix of countries, run at every level from A1 to C2, and start every Monday, all year. General English 20 costs from £270 a week and Intensive English 30 from £335. British Council accredited since 1990.
- Class size
- 8–12Maximum 12
- Levels
- A1–C2Beginner to proficient
- Start dates
- Every MondayAll year round
- From
- £270Per week
Two courses, one decision
The only real choice is how hard you want to work. Both courses cover the same ground in the morning; Intensive English keeps going in the afternoon.
Intensive English 30
30 lessons a week · 09:00–15:00
General English in the morning, then afternoon skills lessons and IELTS or Cambridge exam preparation. The fastest way to move up a level, and the right course if you need a score.
From £335 per week£455 for a short stay
General English 20
20 lessons a week · 09:00–12:15
Weekday mornings in class, afternoons free. Improve steadily and still have time for the social programme, the town and the Cotswolds.
From £270 per week£375 for a short stay
Afternoon English 10
10 lessons a week · 13:30–15:00
A reduced timetable for people already living in the Cheltenham area. Not available to students travelling to the UK, who must take at least 20 lessons a week.
From £110 per weekLocal students only
Prices
Per week, and they fall the longer you study. A student staying four weeks pays the 1–4 week rate for every week; a student staying ten weeks pays the 9–12 week rate for every week. Extend while you are here and we move you into the lower band.
| Course | Lessons | Hours | 1–4 wks | 5–8 wks | 9–12 wks | 13–25 wks | 25+ wks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intensive English GE 30 | 30 | 09:00–15:00 | £455 | £425 | £395 | £365 | £335 |
| General English GE 20 | 20 | 09:00–12:15 | £375 | £355 | £335 | £300 | £270 |
| Afternoon English GE 10 | 10 | 13:30–15:00 | £170 | £150 | £130 | £120 | £110 |
Afternoon English GE 10 is reserved for students already living in the Cheltenham area. Students travelling to the UK must take at least 20 lessons per week.
- Includes
- Group course tuition, a personalised learning plan, all course materials
- Excludes
- Accommodation, administrative fees
What four weeks actually costs
| General English 20, 4 weeks £375 per week | £1,500 |
|---|---|
| Standard homestay, 4 weeks £225 per week, breakfast and dinner, 7 nights | £900 |
| Registration fee (one-off) | £60 |
| Accommodation arrangement fee | £40 |
| Total | £2,500 |
The same four weeks on Intensive English 30 comes to £2,820. Build your own total with the fee calculator, or see everything on the fees page.
A month here, roughly
Swipe or scroll to see more.
Five photos — swipe, drag, or use the scroll bar.
Why Cheltenham
Cheltenham is a Regency spa town of 121,000 people in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds. It is known as the most complete Regency town in Britain, it is a festival town, and it is the home of jump racing. For a language student it has four practical advantages.
| Cheltenham | Typical large UK study city | |
|---|---|---|
| Private English schools in town | 1 | 10–40 |
| Population | 121,000 | 500,000+ |
| Typical weekly course price | From £270 | From £350–£450 |
| School to town centre | 50 metres | Often a commute |
| Nearest countryside | Cotswolds, 15 minutes | Usually over an hour |
Comparative figures are indicative and intended to show the difference in scale, not to describe any particular competitor.
An accent you can follow
The Cheltenham accent is close to standard southern British English and is generally considered one of the easier British accents for learners. Your first fortnight is far less exhausting than it would be elsewhere.
Safe and walkable
A very low crime rate and a Purple Flag award for the town centre. Everything is a walk away, and most hosts are within thirty minutes on foot or by bus.
Well placed for weekends
The Cotswolds are 15 minutes away, Oxford and Bristol an hour, Bath an hour and a quarter, London two hours. You can see a great deal of England from here.
Cheaper than a city
Course fees, accommodation, transport and a coffee all cost less than London — which usually means you can afford to stay longer, and length of stay is what actually moves your English.
A day in class
Lessons are 45 minutes. Mornings are the same for everyone; afternoons are where Intensive English 30 continues while General English 20 students head out.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 09:00–10:30 | Morning lessons, part one |
| 10:30–10:45 | Break |
| 10:45–12:15 | Morning lessons, part two |
| 12:15–13:30 | Lunch |
| 13:30–15:00 | Afternoon lessons — Intensive English 30 only |
| 15:00–15:15 | Break |
| 15:15–17:00 | Self-study and activities |
There are no group lessons on UK bank holiday Mondays. Students on courses of one, two or three weeks are offered extra lessons to compensate.
Who you will be sitting next to
The nationality mix is the course
Here is the problem with the obvious destinations. London, Brighton and Oxford have dozens of language schools each, and the big ones recruit heavily from one or two countries at a time. Students arrive intending to speak English and find twelve compatriots in the class. A month later they have made good friends and not much progress.
Cheltenham has one private English language school, and you are looking at it. There is no cluster of schools funnelling hundreds of students from the same country into the same cafés every afternoon. Our classes bring together students from across the world, and the common language between them is the one you came to learn.
Outside class it goes further: your host, the person in the shop, the people on your bus are British. That is harder work than a big city, and it is the entire reason it works faster.
inlingua Cheltenham is a really beautiful place to improve your English. There are dedicated teachers and a pleasant atmosphere for group lessons. Anna, adult student
Your teachers
Every teacher at inlingua Cheltenham holds a CELTA or Trinity CertTESOL as an absolute minimum, and many are qualified at Diploma level and beyond. A number have professional business experience of their own.
We are also accredited by Trinity College London to train new teachers, so the people teaching you are the people other teachers learn from. It is a small school and the teaching team is stable — you will know your teacher's name by Tuesday, and they will know yours.
What comes with the course
Exam preparation
Afternoon lessons on Intensive English 30 cover IELTS and Cambridge First and Advanced. We also run SELT preparation for UK visa applications.
Read more →Social programme
Activities after class from 15:30 at £5 to £20, and Saturday day trips to London, Oxford, Bath and the Cotswolds at £30 to £60.
Read more →Homestay accommodation
From £225 a week including breakfast, dinner and laundry. Every home found and inspected by our own staff, most within thirty minutes of the school.
Read more →Your first day
Arrival, orientation, the placement test and meeting your class — exactly what happens on your first Monday morning.
Read more →Want more than a group class?
You can add private lessons to either course with a combination package, or study entirely one to one if you have a specific goal and limited time.
Common questions
How much does an English course in England cost?
At inlingua Cheltenham in 2027, General English 20 costs £270 to £375 per week and Intensive English 30 costs £335 to £455, depending on how long you stay. Homestay accommodation is £225 a week including breakfast, dinner and laundry, with a one-off £60 registration fee and a £40 accommodation arrangement fee. Four weeks of General English 20 with homestay comes to £2,500 in total.
Where should I learn English in England if I do not want London?
Somewhere with few other international students, so you are forced to use English outside class. Cheltenham is a Regency town of 121,000 people on the edge of the Cotswolds, and inlingua Cheltenham is the only private English language school in it — so students are not surrounded by other learners. The town is safe, walkable and considerably cheaper than London, which is still only two hours away for a day trip.
What nationalities will be in my class?
A mix. Because Cheltenham has only one private language school, we do not recruit in the volume that produces single-nationality classes, and students come from across the world. Outside class the people around you — your host, the shops, the buses — are British.
How big are the classes?
Between 8 and 12 students, with 12 the maximum, grouped by level. If fewer than three students are enrolled at a level the number of daily lessons may be reduced, or the class may be combined with one at a similar level and the teaching adapted.
What English level do I need to start?
None. Courses run from pre-beginner through to C2 proficient. Take the free online placement test before you arrive, then a short test on your first morning — multiple choice, a short piece of writing and a one-to-one interview — places you in the right class.
When can I start?
Every Monday, all year round, or the Tuesday when the Monday is a UK bank holiday. Students arrive on the Sunday and leave on a Sunday, so accommodation covers all seven nights of each week.
Should I choose General English 20 or Intensive English 30?
Choose 20 lessons if you want to improve steadily and keep your afternoons for the social programme and the town. Choose 30 if you are working towards IELTS or Cambridge, need to move up a level quickly, or simply have limited time. Intensive students get the same mornings plus afternoon skills and exam work.
Can I extend my course once I am here?
Yes, subject to visa restrictions and accommodation availability. The extension is added to your original booking, which often moves you into a lower price band — so your extra weeks may cost less per week than your first ones.
Do I need a visa?
It depends on your nationality and how long you stay. Many students come on a Standard Visitor Visa for up to six months, and some nationalities need only an ETA digital permit. Courses longer than six months usually need a Short-term study visa of up to eleven months. Check the current rules on the UK government website, as they change.
Start on any Monday
Reserve a place in about two minutes without paying anything yet, or take the free placement test first to see where you would start.
Accredited by the British Council for the teaching of English in the UK · Member of English UK · Prices valid for courses starting in 2027 · inlingua Cheltenham, Rodney Lodge, 9 Rodney Road, Cheltenham GL50 1HX · Last updated August 2026.