Terms and conditions

Terms & Conditions 2024

Terminology

ESC means English Study Camps.

English Study Camps is part of Wimbledon School of English Ltd.

The Parent or You means any person who has signed the booking form and/or has accepted responsibility for a child/young adult’s attendance at the ESC Summer Centres. The Student means the child/young adult named on the registration form and/or the child/young adult attending the course.

General

· ESC reserves the right to make changes to the programme of study and activities at any time. We may vary the organisation and content, or cancel some Plus Courses and activities according to student numbers.

· ESC reserves the right to cancel the course in the event of low enrolments or circumstances beyond our control. If such a cancellation is necessary an alternative course may be offered at another centre. If an alternative is not available, the fees will be refunded.

· On excursions, at the discretion of the ESC group leader, we allow students aged 13 -17 free time to go shopping in small groups (minimum of 3 students) without the supervision of the course staff unless advised otherwise. This is a privilege and ESC reserves the right to disallow such free time in the event of poor behaviour or other circumstances.

· All sports/activities/excursions are undertaken at the student’s own risk. ESC does not accept liability for accidents or injuries except where its staff have been found to be negligent. If you do not wish your child to participate in any particular activity or excursion, please advise us at the time of booking.

· We do our best to place students in bedrooms (and, for ESC Wimbledon, houses) with others who speak a different language, but we cannot guarantee that the Student will not share accommodation with a student who shares the same first language or is the same nationality.

Payment and Bookings

  • An enrolment is not valid until the application form has been received and the booking has been confirmed by ESC.

  • We must receive the fully completed ESC Application Form as it includes important medical and other information, plus the signed Parental Consent Form and a copy of the student’s passport.

  • We must receive the flight details at least 4 weeks before the student’s arrival date.

  • Please note that original letters of acceptance and other details (including accommodation for ESC Wimbledon) are sent via e-mail.

  • An enrolment is valid when have received a completed application form plus a copy of the student’s passport, and we have sent the confirmation of booking.

  • A place at on an ESC summer programme and in homestay accommodation (ESC Wimbledon only) if applicable, is only absolutely guaranteed once we have received the full payment.

ESC  - Lord Wandsworth College, Pangbourne College

We must receive full payment at least 6 weeks before arrival:

•      Full course fees

•      Completed parental consent form

•      A copy of the student’s passport

•      Airport transfer fees if requested

•      Sports Academy fees if requested

•      Accommodation details and full details of the person the student is staying with if the student is not staying in ESC accommodation

Failure to provide any of the above may result in the reservation being cancelled

All fees are payable in pounds sterling and payment can be made as follows:

1. By bank transfer directly to our account. Please note that students are responsible for any bank charges, otherwise this will be charged to the student directly on arrival. Please email us a copy of the remittance advice. Please indicate the student’s name on the remittance.

2. By UK Debit card. All debit card payments can only be in pounds sterling. We only accept credit card payments for the tuition fee deposit. All other payments including all accommodation must be paid by bank transfer or UK debit card.

3. International payments by Flywire. WSE has partnered with Flywire to make your international payments easier and safer. Flywire allows you to pay from almost any country by bank transfer, credit card and other local payment methods.

How to make an international payment with Flywire:

• Go to wimbledonflywire.flywire.com

• Select your country of origin and preferred payment method

• Enter your payment details and receive confirmation of your payment

• Track your payment from start to finish on your student dashboard

Accommodation - (ESC Wimbledon only)

  • All accommodation payments must be made through the school unless private accommodation is being used.

  • Accommodation is arranged for students only while they are studying at the school.

  • If the Student leaves school early for any reason, they will be asked to leave their school accommodation. In such circumstances the Parent/ guardian must make suitable private arrangements for the student.

  • All accommodation is subject to availability and early booking is advisable. If the Parent would like the Student to leave their accommodation early, seven days’ notice in writing must be given. In such circumstances we require the details of the private accommodation as specified below.

  • Refunds will only be made for full calendar weeks.

  • Under special circumstances we may need to move the Student to alternative accommodation at short notice and the school reserves the right to do this.

  • Accommodation should always be booked for the full length of the study period unless private accommodation with an authorised parent or legal guardian (see below)has been booked.

  • Any student who behaves in an unacceptable manner will be asked to leave their accommodation immediately. If this is part-way through a week they will still be liable for that week’s payment. In these circumstances we cannot guarantee that we will be able to find alternative accommodation. In such circumstances the Student may be asked to leave the school. In such circumstance the Parent/guardian is responsible for the Student from when the Student is asked to leave.

If the Student is in Private Accommodation

  • If the student is not in ESC accommodation but is staying with a family member or friend we require the following at least 6 weeks before the student arrives:

-        the name and contact details of the person the student is staying with

-        a copy of their passport,

-        their relationship to the student,

-        their address

 

·       The ‘Permission to Live in Private Accommodation’ form MUST be completed and returned with the parental consent form.

Homestay

  • The school’s accommodation service acts as an agent in introducing course participants to hosts. The contract is between guest and host.

  • Homestay accommodation is from Sunday to Sunday. Please note – we are unable to accommodate students for additional nights in June, July and August.

  • Host families cannot accept students between 23:00 and 07:00. Please ensure flights are booked outside these times.

  • All accommodation payments must be made to the school. Accommodation fees must be received at least 6 weeks before arrival.

  • If the Student is unhappy with their homestay accommodation, the school will relocate them to a new family as soon as possible.

  • The school can only book homestay accommodation for students studying at ESC.

  • Please note: because of death, illness or other unforeseen circumstances it may be necessary to change accommodation at very short notice before arrival or once the Student is here and the school reserves the right to do this. ESC guarantees to provide accommodation for the period booked but not necessarily with the same family or in the same category of family for the whole period.

·       Please note: There is a £40 per week supplement for the following special

             diets: halal, gluten-free, coeliac, dairy-free, lactose intolerant or vegan.

This must be requested at the time of booking.

Transport

  • ESC does not accept responsibility for expenses due to transport delays or other transport issues beyond our control.

Transfers

  • The course confirmation will include a Parental Travel Consent Form requesting flight and other details which the Parent must complete and return to ESC a minimum of 4 weeks before the arrival date. Upon receipt of the completed form, ESC will send an email confirmation. The Parent understands that:

It is their responsibility to check the confirmation carefully and let ESC know of any errors or changes.

  • ESC shared transfers from the airport are usually organised in groups and this means that some students will be required to wait at the airport for other students arriving on different flights (maximum waiting time is 2 hours).  There will always be a member of ESC staff present.

  • On some occasions and when a special airport transfer has been booked outside the ESC shuttle transfer time slot, students will be placed in a taxi alone with a driver who may be male or female. All such drivers have applicable police checks (DBS).

Cancellations, Refunds and Leaving Early

  • If you wish to cancel the booking you must give notice in writing. Cancellation fees will be charged as follows:

I. More than 30 days before arrival: £400 cancellation fee. The balance of fees plus any accommodation fees (ESC Wimbledon only) will be refunded, minus bank charges.

II. 30 days or fewer before arrival: full fees.

  • If applicable, the homestay fees will be refunded less any bank charges.

  • If you have booked and paid through a representative any refund will be made to the representative

Leaving Early

  • If the Student has to stop their course early, the fees are non-refundable under any circumstances. Should an airport transfer be necessary ESC Junior Summer Centre will require a notice period of 24 hours which takes effect from the time the Summer Centre receives the notification. Full transfer costs must be paid by the Parent, unless the parent has already booked and paid for a private transfer to the airport.

  • We are unable to offer credits to students who leave early.

  • Fees are non-transferable. This means you cannot transfer the fees to another person.

  • NB: In the event of the Student’s early departure, you may be able to claim the fees through our insurance policy, depending on the circumstances.

Postponements and other Booking Changes

  • If you decide to change the course dates, the accommodation dates or make any other changes to the booking there is a charge of £50 for each time you make a change, to cover the administration cost of making the changes. We cannot issue the new documents until we have received the £50 change of booking fee. This charge will not be due for any date changes made because of visa problems. However, if the Student requires a visa for the UK please allow enough time for the visa application process before the course start date (a minimum of 15 working days).

  • If you wish to postpone the course for any reason, for example, if the Student needs a visa and you are still waiting for the visa to be issued, you must let us know at least 2 weeks before the Student is due to arrive, otherwise you will be charged a £300 cancellation fee. We cannot confirm a new start date until we have received this.

  • You may only postpone the course if there is space available on the new course dates you wish the Student to attend. Please ensure that the course you wish the Student to take is available on the new dates.

Visas

  • It is your responsibility to ensure the Student has a valid visa and travel documents.

  • If a visa is necessary, ESC provides an Invitation Letter.

  • If the visa application is refused, the following refund policy applies:

  • If you have to cancel the Student’s course because their Visa application has been refused, you will need to provide documentary evidence from the relevant embassy before any refund can be considered, and you must return the letter of enrolment. Once we have received a copy of all pages of the Visa refusal letter including the last page with the signature of the Entry Clearance Officer and date of refusal, plus our original letter of enrolment, we will refund all monies received, excluding a £50 administration fee, any courier fees incurred and any bank charges.

  • ESC will not refund you if the Visa application has not been made in sufficient time for the Visa to be approved.

  • If the Student is found to have the wrong type of visa, they will not be admitted onto the programme and will have to return home. In this case ESC will not be obliged to offer the Parent a refund of fees.

  • If you have booked and paid through a representative, any refund due will be made to the representative.

 

The following insurance cover is included in the course fees

Cover

Medical Expenses - £2,000,000

Personal Liability - £1,000,000

Course Fees - £8,000

Cancellation/Curtailment - £3,000

Money & Personal Documents - £100

Passport or Visa - £500

ESC does not accept responsibility for any claims arising from a student or third party.

Making an insurance claim

  • Should the need arise, the Parent understands and agrees that they are responsible for all paperwork. The Parent agrees that:

    1. ESC cannot make claims on behalf of the Parent

    2. The Parent will need to contact the insurance company directly

  • Please note that there is an excess of £50 per claim

 

Medical

  • ESC accepts students on the assumption that they are in good health. The Parent agrees to inform ESC when completing the Application Form if the Student has any pre-existing medical condition, disability, allergy or learning difficulties.

  • The Parent agrees that any medication brought to the ESC Summer Centres will be given to the Centre Manager, Head of Welfare or Host Parent on arrival. The ESC Summer Centres shall only accept responsibility for medicines which are licensed in the UK, prescribed by a doctor and which are accompanied by an English translation. Such medicine will be properly stored and administered by the House/Host Parent or an authorised person who is expressly appointed to administer medicines by the Centre Manager.

  • ESC First Aiders and House Parents/Host Parents will administer common medicines such as paracetamol or throat lozenges as necessary, unless you advise us not to.

  • In case of emergency all students are taken to the nearest Accident and Emergency Unit, where treatment is initially free.

  • In the event of illness or injury ESC will follow the advice of the attending medical consultant unless advised otherwise by the Parent.

  • Students may be charged for a medical consultation. The Parent will be responsible for paying this fee and will need to claim it back through the ESC insurance policy.

Emergency medical treatment

  • The Parent authorises the Centre Manager, Director of Young Learners, WSE Principal, WSE CEO or WSE Operations Director to consent on their behalf to the Student receiving emergency medical treatment including blood transfusions, general anaesthetic and operations where certified by an appropriately qualified person as necessary for the Student’s welfare and if the Parent cannot be contacted in time.

  • Medical expenses are covered by the ESC insurance policy (see above), provided they are not for a pre-existing condition. The Parent will be responsible for paying any medical fees and will need to claim these fees back through the ESC insurance policy.

Complaints

  • Any complaint should be brought to the attention of the Centre Manager immediately so that a satisfactory resolution can be found.

  • If a Parent would like to make an official complaint, they should request a copy of the ESC Complaints Procedure, or visit: https://www.englishstudycamps.co.uk/school-policies

Resolution of disputes

  • All complaints will be fully investigated as per our “Complaints Procedure” providing:

|. The complaint is made while the Student is attending our school

II. The complaint is registered in writing with the Centre Manager or Director of Young Learners

III. All invoices relating to the Student making the complaint have been settled in full

  • We do not accept complaints received after the Student has returned to their own country.

Liability

  • English Study Camps/Wimbledon School of English does not accept any liability in the case of illness, accident, loss or damage to personal effects or property occurring on the school premises, except where such liability is imposed under UK law.

  • Where accommodation or transport has been booked through the school, English Study Camps/Wimbledon School of English does not accept liability for losses or additional expenses a student might incur because of cancellation or delays to their travel services.

 

Damages (ESC Lord Wandsworth College, Pangbourne College)

  • The Student will be asked for a £50.00 damages deposit on arrival. If the Student causes any minor damage during their stay, the Student will forfeit the deposit.

  • For any major damage, the full cost of repairing any damage caused by the Student to ESC Summer Centre property or equipment, or to the personal property of another student, will be charged to the Parent. The Parent agrees that such payments to repair damage caused will be made from the Student’s pocket money account. Should funds be insufficient, the Parent agrees to make payment in full.

  • If a bedroom is shared by 2 or more students and ESC cannot ascertain who is responsible, costs will be shared equally between the occupants.

  • The £50.00 damage deposit will be returned in full at the end of the course providing no damage has been caused.

 

 

Valuables and property

  • ESC Lord Wandsworth and Pangbourne: On arrival, the Student will be asked to hand in their airline ticket, passport, any medication and all cash.

  • ESC Wimbledon: On arrival, the Student will be asked to give any medication to the host parent. The Student is responsible for their own airline ticket, passport and cash.

  • The Student must not bring any valuable possessions to ESC Lord Wandsworth, Pangbourne or Wimbledon. If the Student does bring a valuable item with them, the Student is responsible for the security and safety of that item. There are no lockable cupboards or safety boxes in the bedrooms, therefore we advise all Students to bring a good lock for their suitcase.

  • ESC does not accept liability against theft or loss of property in our safekeeping or in any other locations.

  • Any student found in possession of unsuitable items will have them confiscated.

  • In the event of suspected theft, ESC reserves the right to search students and inspect the contents of all clothing, bags, parcels, etc., belonging to or in the possession of any students whilst entering, leaving or on the organisation’s premises or on organised excursions. Searches will always be conducted by two individuals one of whom will be a person of the same sex as the Student.

Pocket money

  • We recommend around £100.00 per week, and no more than £200.00 per week, to cover incidental expenses. If extra pocket money has to be transferred through a ESC bank account during the course, we will charge a handling fee of £25.00. In addition, the Student will need £50 for the one-off damage deposit.

  • ESC Lord Wandsworth and Pangbourne: Pocket money is held in a safe and can be taken out at stated times (usually the day before excursions).

Impromptu expenses

The Parent agrees that ESC shall not be obliged to make payments for impromptu expenses such as medical fees on behalf of the Student or the Parent. Where such payments are required, the Parent agrees for appropriate deductions to be made from the Student’s pocket money account. Should funds be insufficient the Parent will be asked to pay.

Promotional Material, Photographs & Filming

  • ESC staff may take film or photographs of Students and use them on our social media sites, or on our website or in our brochure. Please advise us on the parental consent form at the time of booking if you are happy for the Student to appear in any promotional material. If you decide NOT to give permission please ensure the Student knows and understands your decision. We ask this because we have had problems with children being upset when, for example, they cannot be in a group photo.

  • Classes cannot be filmed or otherwise recorded in any way without the permission (in writing) of the Centre Manager or Director of Studies.

 

 

Attendance

  • We are a serious school and expect every student to be punctual, attend all lessons and do their homework.

  • We keep attendance registers.

  • If a student misses a lesson, regardless of the reason, we cannot give a refund or allow the student to take the lesson at another time.

  • If a student is asked to leave the school for poor conduct, as set out in the disciplinary procedure, their fees will not be refunded.

Conduct

  • The school expects students to adhere to the standards and rules we set.

  • ESC Rules must be observed at all times. Students who break British law, do not obey the ESC Rules, repeatedly misbehave, do not follow the instructions of ESC staff or otherwise disrupt or adversely affect the smooth running of the programme will be asked to leave.  

  • We expect students to behave reasonably at all times towards other students and school staff, including when online or using any form of messaging or social media, and to respect cultural, racial and religious differences. We expect all students to uphold the core values of democracy, individual liberty, tolerance, and the rule of law.  Students who fail to do so may be asked to leave. 

  • If a student is asked to leave the Parent/guardian is responsible for making any revised travel arrangements.  Full transfer costs must be paid by the Parent, unless the Parent has already booked and paid for a private transfer to the airport.  There is no refund of fees for students who are asked to leave.

  • If for any reason after being asked to leave the student is not able to return home, it is the Parent/guardian’s responsibility to arrange suitable care for the student until such time as they can return home.

Other

  • We strictly adhere to the published aged limits but in certain circumstance reserve the right to accept a student who is one year older or one year younger than the published limit. These circumstances include:

I. When travelling with a sibling

II. When travelling as part of a group

III. When their birthday falls just before or after the course dates.

  • In rare circumstances the stated maximum class size may be exceeded. If this happens, the limit will be exceeded by a maximum of 1 student for 1 week.

  • The school reserves the right to cancel or alter a course. If we do so, we will offer either an alternative course or a refund.

  • If the Student’s English level is not suitable for the course booked, we reserve the right to move them onto a different course.

  • The school reserves the right to change teachers at any time during the course.

  • The school reserves the right to alter dates, fees and any particulars in the brochure without prior notice.

  • The school reserves the right to change the course location without prior notice.  This would only normally happen in extreme circumstances such as damage to buildings through fire, storm or flood.

  • The Managers of the School reserve the right at their absolute discretion to refuse any application for enrolment of a student at any stage of the application or booking process. The School shall be under no obligation whatsoever to give reasons for the decision of the Managers. If an enrolment is refused, all paid fees will be refunded.

 

Personal Information

  • We keep students’ information in electronic and paper format.

  • Some of the personal information a student supplies will be passed on to the airport meeting service.

  • We must give information to the UK Borders Agency, if required to do so under UK law.

  • In order to fulfil our obligations to the Student and, in some cases, to the British authorities, it is necessary for us to see and copy the Student’s passport (and visa if applicable), and to have contact details and details of the English language level of their next of kin in their country. The Parent therefore agrees to provide these details and keep them up to date if they change.

  • Parents are reminded of the need to disclose to the school medical information about the Student when the application is made and to enquire, prior to enrolment, whether the school and accommodation facilities are suitable for the individual’s needs.

  • By accepting these Terms & Conditions the Parent accepts our right to use their children’s personal information in this way.

 

Privacy Policy

  • Our Privacy Policy governs any kind of processing of personally identifiable information. This policy applies to our processing of data collected through any means, actively as well as passively, from persons located anywhere in the world. We will be guided by the following principles when collecting and processing data:

  • We will only collect data for specific and specified purposes; we will make it clear at the point when we request information what we are collecting it for and how we are going to use it;

  • We will not collect data beyond what is necessary to accomplish those purposes; we will minimise the amount of information we collect from you to what we need to deliver the services required;

  • We will not use data for purposes other than that for which the data was collected, except as stated, or with prior consent;

  • We will seek to verify and/or update data periodically, and we will accept requests for amendments and deletion of personal data;

  • We will apply high technical standards to make our processing of data secure.

  • Except when stated, we will not store data in identifiable form longer than is necessary to accomplish its purpose, or as is required by law. You can view our full Privacy Notice at

  • You can view our full Privacy Notice at: www.englishstudycamps.co.uk/privacy-policy

 

 Force Majeure

  • Wimbledon School of English is not liable for failure to perform its obligations if such failure is as a result of Acts of God (including fire, flood, earthquake, storm, hurricane, infectious diseases or pandemics or other natural disaster that are beyond the reasonable control of the parties), war, invasion, act of foreign enemies, hostilities (regardless of whether war is declared), civil war, rebellion, revolution, insurrection, military or usurped power or confiscation, terrorist activities, nationalisation, government sanctions, blockage, embargo, labour dispute, strike, lockout or interruption or failure of electricity, internet or telephone service.

  • Refunds will not be made in such circumstances.

  • In the event of an outbreak of infectious disease, all students and/ or Parents/guardians are required to comply with rules regarding quarantine as set by UK government agencies or by the school. If the school asserts Force Majeure as an excuse for failure to perform its obligations, then the school must prove that it took reasonable steps to minimise delay or damages caused by foreseeable events, that the school substantially fulfilled all non-excused obligations, and that the other party (student, parent, agent etc.) was, where possible, notified of the likelihood or actual occurrence of the event. ESC reserves the right to take any fair and reasonable action we think appropriate should a situation arise not covered by these Terms.