The following sections cover details such as school facilities, academic questions, what is included in prices, general advice for students, visa information etc. The information can also be found in the agents manuals which are available for download in the agents area. If you have any additional questions or queries please contact us at the schools or on info@lalgroup.com.
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SCHOOL FACTS
Full Postal Address:
LAL Summer Schools England
c/o Taunton School
Taunton
Somerset
TA2 6AD
England
Contact:
Mark Cook
Residential Summer School Manager
Tel: +44 (0)1803 558675
Email: mark.cook@lalgroup.com
Age Range: 11 to 17 years
Capacity: 300 students
Location
Taunton School is a fifteen-minute walk to the market town of Taunton, situated in Somerset, in the south west of England. The many shops, both large and small, offer a wide variety of goods and souvenirs.
Facilities of Taunton School
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22 classrooms |
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Laundry facilities – (limited service and free of charge) |
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Dining Hall |
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Computer Room – 20 computers, connected to the Internet (small charge) |
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Assembly Hall |
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Public Telephones in each accommodation block – Card & cash, no incoming calls accepted |
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Tuck Shop |
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DVD projector & large screen |
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Two large indoor sports halls (basketball/badminton/indoor hockey/5-a-side football/volleyball) |
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Basketball court |
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All-weather pitch forming either 1 hockey/football pitch or 4 tennis courts |
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Grass pitch for football or hockey |
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Volleyball net & court (inside and outside) |
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Outdoor and indoor heated swimming pools (lifeguard always in attendance) |
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Tennis courts |
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Squash Courts (x2) |
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Common Rooms with indoor games (pool, table football, table tennis) |
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Extensive fields for football, rugby, cricket, baseball and rounders |
There is a fully equipped kitchen on site and a large, light, airy dining hall. There is a choice of different meals, with a vegetarian option and food is always cooked freshly on site. The menu is agreed between LAL Torbay and Taunton School to suit and food is supplied from local farmers and suppliers. Meals are on a rota system with two sittings for each meal. Each student will be assigned a colour and they can only arrive at the dining hall at the designated time. This is to make sure that everyone can sit down when they eat, as the dining hall cannot accommodate all the students in one sitting.
Breakfast: 08.00 – 08.45
Lunch: 12.30– 13.15
BBQ/Dinner: 18.00 – 18.45
Meal times may vary on excursion days and weekends.
There is also a Tuck Shop, providing the students with a variety of snacks and drinks.
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CLASS INFORMATION
There are over 22 classrooms to accommodate the students. We have a maximum of 15 students per class, though we aim for 13. Audio-visual equipment is available (TV, Video, DVD, OHP). The classrooms are in the main building.
Students are tested at the beginning of the course and placed in classes according to their level and age. We seek to ensure that classes are as international as possible.
Students will have an end-of-course test based on the lessons and a certificate with the test grade, along with a comprehensive report, will also be supplied.
There are 20 lessons of 45 minutes every week. Lessons are in the morning except the first Monday when there is also a lesson in the afternoon. There are no lessons on Saturdays or Sundays.
Intensive English classes are in the afternoon and/or the evening.
Lesson Times: From 09.10 until 12.30 & 14.00 – 17.30 on afternoons
We offer the opportunity for students to take the Trinity oral exam (GESE). There is a minimum of 15 participants and the fee is GBP 45 per student.
All teachers are qualified and hold a current certificate in teaching EFL, either Cambridge CELTA or Trinity TESOL (or equivalent). They are also checked for criminal records with the CRB or equivalent body abroad.
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CITY INFORMATION
Set in the midst of a stunning rural setting, Taunton is within an hour of Torbay and three world heritage sites as well as being just three and a half hours from London. The town has a population of 100,000 and is situated in Somerset, in the south west of England.
Local Time
GMT + 1 (summer) / GMT (winter)
Climate
| Temperature in Celcius |
JAN |
FEB |
MAR |
APR |
MAY |
JUN |
JUL |
AUG |
SEP |
OCT |
NOV |
DEC |
Average max.
Air Temperature |
8 |
8 |
8 |
12 |
15 |
18 |
20 |
20 |
18 |
14 |
11 |
9 |
Average min.
Air Temperature |
3 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
8 |
11 |
13 |
13 |
11 |
11 |
5 |
4 |
| Rainfall (mm) |
99 |
80 |
70 |
54 |
55 |
49 |
52 |
66 |
65 |
90 |
99 |
107 |
Traveller's Guide Online
More information on Taunton can be found on the internet.
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ADVICE FOR YOUNG LEARNERS
Laws of the country:
It is the obligation of the student or student’s parents/guardians to ensure that they are fully aware of the laws pertaining in the United Kingdom. LAL Torbay will always co-operate with the law enforcement authorities in cases where the law has been broken by any of our students. It should be noted that:
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Only persons aged 18 or over are allowed to drink alcohol or go into pubs. |
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Only persons aged 18 or over are allowed to smoke and purchase cigarettes. LAL Torbay operates a strict “NO SMOKING” policy at all its centres. |
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The carrying of any type of weapon without a licence or reasonable excuse is a criminal offence. (self-defence is not a reasonable excuse) |
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Stealing from a shop usually results in police prosecution. |
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The age of sexual consent is 16. |
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LAL Torbay reserves the right to expel any students for unacceptable behavior or where there is reason to believe they have been guilty of committing a crime. All expenses arising in such cases will be borne by the students or their parents/guardians. |
School Rules:
Students will be issued a Welfare Handbook giving guidance on appropriate behaviour.
We expect students to:
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Behave well at all times. |
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Carry their student card with them at all times. If they lose it, we will of course provide a replacement – but there will be a small administration fee payable. |
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Always inform their House Parent of illness or injury. |
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Students aged under 16 are not allowed off campus unless accompanied by an adult. Students who are 16 years old or over may leave the campus in the afternoon in groups of 3 and if they are in possession of a mobile phone. Students should always sign out. |
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Report any problems to a member of staff. |
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Students should bring a deposit of GBP 50 against any loss or damage of school or LAL property. This is refundable upon departure and not before. It should be provided in GBP sterling or EUR 80 in EUR 5 notes. |
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Look after their belongings and they MUST hand in their passports, tickets and large amounts of money to the School Administrator for safe-keeping upon arrival. |
If damage is caused at the school, the student will have to pay for the costs of repair.
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FLIGHTS AND AIRPORTS
What do we offer?
LAL Torbay offers a Standard Transfer ‘Meet & Greet’ service between London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Stansted, London Luton, Bristol & Exeter airports and Kelly College, Tavistock during the summer.
When do we offer Standard Transfers?
We offer our Standard Transfer ‘Meet & Greet’ for students who arrive and depart on Wednesdays within the following times:
Flights Arriving at
| London Heathrow |
between 09.00 and 15.00 |
| London Gatwick |
between 10.00 and 14.00 |
| London Luton & Stansted |
between 10.00 and 14.00 |
| Bristol & Exeter |
between 09.00 and 18.00 |
Flights Departing from
| London Heathrow |
between 13.00 and 18.00 |
| London Gatwick |
between 14.00 and 18.00 |
| London Luton & Stansted |
between 14.30 and 18.00 |
| Bristol & Exeter |
between 09.00 and 18.00 |
What happens if a flight is late or student is delayed in Customs?
If a student is delayed before meeting our staff, for whatever reason, they MUST contact LAL Torbay on +44 (0)1803 558 555 to advise us of the delay. If we are not informed that a delay has occurred we cannot guarantee to be able to meet students or complete their transfer; staff will not normally wait for students longer than 60 minutes after a flight has landed. Please download our airport assistance card here. LAL Torbay will not be responsible for additional costs which arise from delays caused by air or road traffic irregularities, and it is a condition of booking that any additional costs are borne by the client upon demand.
How will students be met on arrival at the airport?
All students arriving at Heathrow or Gatwick will be met by our Airport Representatives in the Arrivals meeting hall of the terminal at which they arrive. Our staff will wear blue polo shirts with the LAL logo on the chest and back, and carry clipboards marked with the LAL Torbay logo, and ‘Torbay Language Centre’ in white on a blue background. (There will not be signs with the students’ names on). Download our pdf here.
All students arriving at Bristol & Exeter will be met in the Arrivals meeting hall by our staff wearing blue or polo shirts with the LAL logo on the chest and back, or a driver from a contracted car company, carrying clipboards marked with the LAL Torbay logo, and ‘Torbay Language Centre’ in white on a blue background. (There will not be signs with the students’ names on). Download our pdf here.
Students will be transferred to their final destination by chartered coach. The cost for this door-to-door service is included in the price of the programme (Heathrow and Bristol airports only).
What happens if a student cannot find a member of staff?
If a student cannot find one of our staff, they should telephone the school on +44(0)1803 558 555, and be prepared to say where they are in the Airport. Our main meeting point for lost students at Heathrow is at the Terminal One Information Desk. At other airports lost students should go to the Information Desk in the terminal at which they arrived. Please download our airport assistance card here.
How long will the journey take?
Once the chartered bus has left the London airport, the journey to Taunton School will take about 3.5 hours. We suggest you provide your child with a packed lunch as food and drink will only be supplied upon arrival at the school.
What needs to be done by students, their families and agents?
It is essential that students have their name and Taunton School's ’s address clearly marked on the outside of all their luggage, and we suggest that this information is also written on a card placed inside the luggage. We will supply luggage labels on request. Luggage is frequently lost or mistaken for similar items at airports, and it is difficult to reunite cases with their owners if they are not clearly and securely labelled.
Are there any limits on luggage?
Yes. Most airlines will limit the amount of luggage that can be taken by air, and will advise at the time of booking. LAL encourages all students to bring as little luggage as possible, both for their own convenience when travelling and to prevent difficulties during their journey. In particular, no suitcase or bag may exceed 20kg in weight, and students should bring no more than two suitcases in addition to hand or cabin baggage. These restrictions are specifically to allow students’ luggage to be stowed safely in the limited storage space of our transfer coaches. Note that we cannot carry students’ baggage for them, so it is important that students bring no more luggage than they can comfortably carry.
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STUDENT VISA INFORMATION
What is a visa?
Students who are not British Citizens or citizens of one of the European Economic Area (EEA) countries or Switzerland may need a visa before travelling to the UK. The visa is placed in the passport or travel document.
With a valid UK visa, entry to the UK is normally not refused unless circumstances have changed or false information has been given on application for the visa. The visa tells the immigration officer at a UK port of arrival:
• The purpose of the travel
• How long the student can stay in the UK; and
• The latest date that the student can enter the UK
How to apply
Students can apply for visas at the nearest British mission (embassy, high commission or consulate) in the country where they are legally resident. The application can be made by post, by courier, in person or online. The visa section at the British mission will provide further information about the ways to apply.
LAL Torbay will provide an Acceptance letter for students who require visas. The Acceptance letter states the name and date of birth of the student, the course and course duration as well as the type of accommodation the student will stay at. The Acceptance letter should be used to support the visa application and be handed in with the visa application form.
More information and application forms are available on the internet.
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