Mini Stays & Study Tours for Groups

Why Cheltenham works for groups

If you are looking for a British destination for your student groups, Cheltenham offers the traditional experience that parents and students picture when they imagine England — and rather few of the things that make a big city difficult to manage with thirty teenagers.

Safety and comfort

With a population of 121,000, Cheltenham is a safe, clean and peaceful town. Students can study and explore with a degree of freedom that would worry any group leader in London, and the school sits in the town centre, so nothing is far from anything.

Genuine British character

Famous for over 300 years as a spa town visited by King George III, Cheltenham is known as Britain's most complete Regency town. Your students walk down handsome historic streets, sit in large green parks, and study surrounded by classic British architecture rather than chain shops.

Culture without the crowds

Cheltenham is known for its excellent schools, its horse racing and its festivals — jazz, science, literature. It offers a cultured, premium environment without the noise, expense and crowding of London, while remaining close enough to visit it comfortably in a day.

The result is an authentic, high-quality immersion into British culture that combines the warmth of a smaller town with real facilities and access to the top destinations in the UK.

Getting your group here

Transfers are on private coaches. Because of Cheltenham's position in the south-west, most airports are a straightforward journey.

Talk to us before booking flights so we can advise on sensible arrival and departure times. An airport meet and greet service is available as an add-on. Cheltenham is also 2 hours from central London, 1 hour from Oxford, Bristol and Cardiff, 1 hr 15 from Bath, and 45 minutes from Stratford-upon-Avon.

Four ways to build a trip

Each of these runs as an 8 day / 7 night or 15 day / 14 night package, with English lessons on weekday mornings from 09:00 to 12:15 and afternoons free for excursions and activities.

Group sizes are banded from 10+, 15+, 30+ and 45+ students, with one included group leader place per band — one leader up to 29 students, two from 30, three from 45. Additional leader places are available as an add-on. Group leaders on the State School Integration programme are also welcome to join English classes at a discounted rate.

A sample ministay week

This is how a typical Classic Ministay week is shaped. Arrival and departure days are flexible, though weekends work best.

What a group week looks like

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Accommodation

Homestay

Students live with a local host, which is the fastest route to real English and a genuine view of how a British family lives. For groups we place two or three students from the same group with each host. Hosts provide breakfast, packed lunch where required, and dinner, and they are experienced at settling international students in.

Because of Cheltenham's size and public transport, most hosts are under thirty minutes from the school, and they help students find their way in during the first days. Every home is found and inspected by our own accommodation team. More on accommodation.

Hotel — new for 2027

We now offer hotel accommodation through a collaboration with the Citrus Hotel, in the centre of Cheltenham and under five minutes' walk from the school. Students share twin and triple rooms; group leaders get their own private room on the same floor as their students. Breakfast is provided daily; lunch and dinner are not, and there are plenty of options around the town centre.

Excursions and activities

Cheltenham's position means your group can reach a lot in a week. We encourage every group to book at least one full or half day excursion.

Full day excursions

Half day excursions

Activities

Our activity staff lead students through games, challenges and evening events. On-site: karaoke, sports afternoons, team building challenges, pizza parties and barbecues, a trashion show, movie nights and quiz nights. Off-site: bowling, mini golf, cinema, afternoon tea, swimming and laser tag.

Excursions are quoted per person and priced by group size. An inlingua guide can accompany a full or half day excursion for an additional fee — excursions do not include an inlingua staff member as standard. If there is an activity you want that is not listed, ask us and we will try to build it in.

Pre-made themed packages

If you would rather not design the week yourself, we have put together all-inclusive themed packages combining lessons, activities and excursions. Both need a minimum of 15 students plus one group leader.

Want a theme of your own? We can design one. Additional costs such as special diets and the summer supplement still apply to themed packages.

Summer options for groups

How booking works

1. Tell us what you need

   Group size, ages, English levels, preferred dates, length of stay, accommodation preference and anything specific your clients want. The more you tell us, the more accurate the first quote.

2. We send a personalised quote

   Every group is priced individually, because group size, season, accommodation and the excursions you choose all move the number. We will show you what is included and what is not, with no surprises later.

3. Secure the booking with a deposit

   A deposit of £100 per student is due at least three months before the programme starts. Until it is paid, the group is held as tentative rather than confirmed.

4. Send us your student details

   We need a complete list of medical requirements — physical and mental conditions, medication, allergies and intolerances — and any dietary requirements, well before arrival. This matters: we cannot provide proper support and safeguarding for information we do not have.

5. Settle the invoice

   The full invoice is due no later than three weeks before the course starts.

Practical matters

Insurance

Insurance is not included in any programme. It should be arranged by the agent, the school or the students' parents, and we recommend health and travel cover as a minimum.

Emergency contact

Every booked group is given a 24/7 emergency number before travel, answered by a member of inlingua Cheltenham staff at any hour if anything goes wrong.

Student data

All student data is held securely and protected. We are not able to take responsibility for information that is incomplete or incorrect — particularly around dietary requirements and medical conditions — so please make sure what you send us is accurate and arrives in good time.

Safeguarding

We are accredited by the British Council for the teaching of English in the UK and a member of English UK. All staff, and all adults over 18 in homestay households, are DBS checked with references obtained. We have a named Designated Safeguarding Lead and Deputy and a 24/7 emergency line. Read our safeguarding page.

Additional costs

The most common additions are a special diet supplement, a summer supplement in July and August, extra group leader places, an airport meet and greet service, and an inlingua guide accompanying an excursion. All are quoted transparently with your proposal.

Questions group leaders ask