SCHOOL FACTS

Name: LAL Torbay
Address: Conway Road, Paignton, Devon, TQ4 5LH, England.

Tel:  +44 1803 558 555
Fax: +44 1803 528 154
Email: torbay@lalgroup.com

Location
LAL Torbay is centrally located in Torbay. The three towns of Paignton, Torquay and Brixham are collectively known as ‘Torbay’ or the ‘English Riviera’.

Recognized by
LAL Torbay is accredited by Accreditation UK and is a member of English UK (formerly ARELS). The school is inspected every 4 years to maintain its accredited status.

Facilities of LAL Torbay
• 31 classrooms
• Student Lounge
• Adult Lounge with seaview
• Internet Study Room
• Listening Centre
• Long Stay Students Room
• Student Services Counter
• Excursions Counter
• Experienced tour guides
• Book shop
• Cafeteria
• Attractive gardens
• Free Internet/email for Adult Students and now Young Learners

There is a self-study centre and we offer computer-assisted learning facilities and Internet access. These can be used free of charge for a limited time.

Other school information
• Private school, founded in 1984
• Number of Teachers - Full time 10, Part time 40
• Maximum number of students 860
• Average number of students during winter months 100

The company's registered name is 'LAL Language Centre (Torbay) Limited', the registered address is
58 The Terrace
Torquay, TQ1 1DE
England
We are registered in England and our registration number is 1907876.

Public holidays in 2008: Dec 22, 2008 - Jan 2, 2009

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CLASS INFORMATION

Teaching Methodology
Our students want to be able to use English both accurately and fluently. Our methodology combines the best of traditional language teaching and the latest effective developments in teaching techniques. Students learn relevant language, which they can put to immediate practical use.

We teach the four fundamental language skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking), with emphasis given according to the students’ needs. Carefully selected and individual fluency activities, such as role-plays, allow students to improve their pronunciation and speak with confidence in a wide variety of situations.

We also encourage students to develop effective learning strategies, which enable them to continue learning outside the classroom.

We offer students the opportunity to discuss their progress with their teachers regularly, and all students are encouraged to do appropriate homework on a daily basis to improve their language.

Our Classes
We place importance on the students’ learning environment and therefore keep our class sizes small. We also attempt to have an appropriate balance of nationalities in each class.

A sample day for a student following our General English course may include the following

First two lessons
Language input, either new language (including grammar and vocabulary) or practice of language the student has some knowledge of, but is having difficulty with.

Second two lessons
Either further communicative practice in using the language they have learnt in the previous lessons, or related topic-based practice in the four skills.

If the student has booked either the Intensive or Intensive English Plus course, their afternoon classes will place special emphasis on oral communication. The General English course provides an opportunity for the student to look at themes connected to their occupational, academic and personal interests.

Our Teachers
LAL schools only employ teachers with a recognised teaching qualification such as the UCLES Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) or Trinity Certificate in teaching English to speakers of other languages. Many of our teachers also possess the RSA or Trinity Diploma and some a Masters degree in ESOL, EFL or Applied Linguistics, while others have a post-graduate certificate of education (PGCE).

First Mondays
On the first Monday morning students are expected to come to the LAL Torbay reception by 08:30am. The student’s host family will be pleased to direct the student on the best way into the school.

All new students are welcomed by the LAL Torbay staff. After testing, they are given a full orientation session describing the school, the programmes and the different school locations. Students are introduced to the Director of Studies and the staff who are responsible for their welfare and leisure activities.

What our Lessons Involve
The teachers will use a combination of class activities and course-book exercises to ensure that the students get the most effective practice of the four skills of speaking, reading, writing and listening. Role-play activities and language development games will be used to build the students’ communicative competence and build confidence.

We have a wide range of well-known EFL course-books at our disposal, but the majority of our classes use the ‘Headway’ series, and we have a comprehensive resources centre from which our teachers can supplement other materials; we recommend that students bring a dictionary.

The course-books provide a wide range of activities and exercises designed around life in Britain and other European countries, they also enable the students to learn ‘social English’ which they can then practice outside the classroom environment.

The school excursions also provide the students with the opportunity to use their newly acquired language skills with their fellow classmates in a more informal situation.

Students can receive individual tutorials with their teacher in which they are able to discuss their progress and ways in which they can continue to make improvements in the future.

We give all students a certificate of attendance at the end of their course. For further details on IELTS and CAMBRIDGE Examinations please contact the school. A variety of EFL books, dictionaries and cassettes are also on sale at the School Bookshop.

Class Times
Group courses are provided in the morning and afternoon. The Intensive English courses and private 1-to-1 lessons (general English Plus) are both taken in the morning, midday and afternoon:

Adult Timetable

Young Learner Timetable

Once you have started your programme and decide to change your course the request must be made in writing to the reservations manager and/or the Director of Studies. If you are enrolled in a long term programme (e.g. Academic Semester/Year Programme) a minimum of 8 weeks notice must be given. A fee of GBP 30 is charged for approved changes except when a programme duration is extended or upgraded.

Class size
The maximum size for all courses at LAL Torbay is 15 students, with the exception of Focus Classes (8) Business English (8), International Teacher Training (8) and Cambridge Preparation and the CELTA and DELTA Courses (12). If a student is the only student enrolled on a particular course level, the student is offered the most suitable available alternative course.

Pricelists
All our prices are clearly laid out with a guide to how to calculate course fees, accommodation, transfers and extras on our Dates and Fees.

Please Note: The following services are not included unless expressly requested:
• Insurance
• Medical and Dental Treatment
• Local transport (if required)
• Adult excursion programme
• Examination fees, if applicable

Please note: The fees shown in the brochure are GROSS, published prices. All fees are quoted in Pounds Sterling (GBP).

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YOUNG LEARNERS PROGRAMME INFORMATION

Course Information
The first Monday of the course is regarded as information and introduction day and all students take the Placement test.

Every student will be issued with a card to be used as their identification during their stay. It will also provide important information concerning the name, address and telephone number of the student’s host family and emergency number of the school. Please ensure that your students are aware that they must carry their ‘Student Card’ at all times.

During the introductory morning the new students will be able to meet the key people involved in their stay such as the Activity Programme Manager, Welfare Assistants and Activity Staff and are shown the important, relevant aspects of the town i.e. Banks, Post Office, Bus Station, meeting points for the school, etc.

Procedures and Supervision
The activities take place both during the day and in the evenings, and are supervised and guided by our Activity Staff.

The Activity Staff are also available for the students to approach if they have any questions or problems of any nature (host families, illness, general information).

Activity Staff are responsible for the organisation and the welfare of the students in their particular group. The groups are generally of mixed nationalities in order to encourage the students to speak in English rather than their mother tongue and to make new friends and learn about other cultures.

Absentee Lists
Teaching staff will check attendance during lessons and Welfare if applicable, will establish the reasons for any absenteeism with the host family.

If the same student is absent without a valid reason for two days, the agency (or parents) will be informed.

80% of lessons must be attended for all Visa student.

Included in the Junior Programme package price
• Full board, shared room accommodation
• Tuition – 20 lessons per week – 45 minutes per lesson (lessons can be morning or afternoon shifts)
• Tuition materials
• Return airport transfers Sunday to Sunday
• Minimum 6 activities included in package

NOT included in the package price

• Local transport (approx. GBP 16 for weekly bus pass)
• Personal pocket money
• Travel & Medical Insurance
• Additional tuition
• Additional excursions/activities

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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:

School Rules
Students will be issued with a Welfare Handbook giving guidance on appropriate behaviour.

We expect students to:

If damage is caused at the school or at the host family, 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 an all year Standard Transfer ‘Meet & Greet’ service between London Heathrow, London Gatwick London Stansted, London Luton, Bristol & Exeter airports and Torbay.

When do we offer Standard Transfers?
We offer our Standard Transfer ‘Meet & Greet’ for students who arrive and depart on Sundays within the following times:

Flights Arriving at

* 09.00 - 15.00 for flights arriving into Heathrow Terminal 4.

Flights Departing from

Can Standard Transfers be changed to Saturday, or other days?
No. Transfers cannot be changed once they have been arranged. We will, however, be happy to provide Special Transfers for any day on payment of suitable extra fees.

What about other airports, other days or flights at other times?
Students arriving or departing from other airports, on days other than Sunday or outside these times will be required to pay for Special Transfers (which will be quoted on request and are tailored and priced according to each student’s requirements). We can also arrange Special Transfers from railway stations and ports. We aim to be particularly flexible when arranging Special Transfers from/to Exeter, Bristol and Plymouth airports.

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 Transfers; 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.

There may be a short delay between a flight landing and students being met, but if a student cannot find the person collecting them, they should telephone the school on +44(0)1803 558 555, and say where they are in the Airport.

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.

What will happen when students have been met?
When students are first met in the Arrivals Hall at Heathrow, our staff will tell them at what time their coach from the airport will depart, and either arrange a meeting point where the students should assemble nearer the transfer time, or supervise the students if they travelled as unaccompanied minors. At the pre-arranged time the Airport Representatives escort the students to the coach. At peak times we aim for the majority of our students to have boarded their transport within one and a half hours of their scheduled landing time.

Transport is usually by means of chartered coach or minibus. If we feel that it would be more convenient for the students, we may choose to transfer them using public National Express coaches. If we choose to send students by National Express coach, tickets will be issued by Airport Staff at no extra charge, and students will normally be accompanied to the coach; however, adult students arriving out-of-hours will generally be met, issued with a ticket and shown the coach departure point.

Note that students arriving at London airports other than Heathrow may be transferred to Heathrow to join other students for the Transfer service.

Students arriving at Bristol & Exeter will often be transferred as soon as they are met in the Arrivals hall; however, students may have to wait for students on other flights to arrive before transfer to Torbay.

How long will the journey take?
Once a private coach or minibus coach has left the London airports, the journey to Torbay will take over 4.5 hours, including a 45-minute break for refreshment.

Students landing at Gatwick, Luton or Stansted airports will normally be asked to travel to Heathrow to join our main Transfers, which will add at least 2.5 hours to the total journey time and involve a wait for a connection at Heathrow.

National Express coaches to and from Heathrow airport take up to five hours; they do not stop, but have WCs on board. All coaches carrying children include a member of LAL staff.

Transfers from Bristol take about two hours to reach Torbay, and from Exeter about one hour.

For shorter transfer times, fly to a local airport!
Both Plymouth and Exeter airports are less than an hour’s drive from LAL, and Bristol just two hours away. We will be very pleased to supply competitive quotes for Transfers between these airports and LAL.

A useful guide to flights to and from local airports is available.

What happens when students reach Torbay?
On arrival at Torbay, coaches stop at Torquay coach station and Clennon Valley car park in Paignton, where a member of LAL Welfare staff will match students with their allotted Host Families. Most students are picked up by their Host Family; occasionally students may be sent to their Host Family by taxi, at the Host Family’s expense. Coaches may also call at Paignton Hotels & Residences.

Students from Bristol and Exeter airports will usually be driven to their Host Families’ houses directly.

What about the journey back to the airport?
Students’ Host Families will receive letters three days before departure indicating at what time students will leave; we do not send letters direct to every student, only students in Residences and hotels. Students will return to Heathrow and Gatwick by coach, with similar journey time to their arrival Transfer. Coaches will arrive at the airport at least two hours before each flight, and up to five hours before some flights.

What needs to be done by students, their families and agents?
Standard Transfers must be booked with full flight information for both outward and return journeys at least three weeks before a student is due to arrive. We cannot guarantee Standard Transfers booked within three weeks of arrival. Any Transfers booked late may be charged as Special Transfers.

Please note that students booked with airlines as Unaccompanied Minors must be notified to LAL at least three weeks before travel.

It is essential that students have their name and either their Host Family’s address or the LAL Torbay’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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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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