Frequently Asked Questions

What should students bring to the centre?

Students on Standard Programme:

• A padlock (to keep personal belongings safe)
• 2 Towels - one for washing and one for swimming (if appropriate)
• Water Bottles to carry with them when doing sports, activities and excursions
• (Please note that energy drinks, such as Red Bull, are strictly forbidden).
• Swimming costume/trunks (if appropriate)
• Appropriate sporting clothes: i.e. shorts, T-shirt, tracksuit, cap, sports socks, etc.
• Students must bring adequate sun cream for hot summer days. Students will be advised to protect their skin regularly but it is up to them to make sure they do so.
• Personal toiletries, including toothpaste and toothbrush
• Flip-flops for wear in communal bathing areas.
• As British weather can be unpredictable, students should pack enough summer clothes and warm clothes so they are prepared for all eventualities. Students may need a waterproof coat or umbrella on excursions if it rains.
• We highly recommend that students have name labels on their clothes in order to facilitate an efficient laundry service.

Students doing the Football Programme:

• Football programme students should also bring the amount of sportswear they need to cover their needs for 4 days of football training each week. This must include the following: Shorts, t-shirt, tracksuit, cap, football socks, shin pads and football boots (they should also bring training shoes)

How many suitcases and bags can students bring?

• Students can only bring a maximum of one mid-sized suitcase (68 X 59 X 24cm), weighing no more than20kg and one small piece of hand luggage with them. If they do carry more than this allowance, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to accommodate the excess baggage and extra costs may be incurred should we need to book a larger vehicle for the transfer.
   

• All students staying in Residential Accommodation must pay a refundable damage deposit of £50 in cash upon arriving at the centre. This deposit will be refunded to the student, less any necessary deductions, on departure.
• It is important that students treat the school and the centre with the greatest of care. Any damage resulting from their negligence, even if accidental, will be deducted from their damage deposit.
• Where damage exceeds the amount of the deposit agents/parents will be held liable for the remainder.
• Where an individuals guilt cannot be accurately assessed damages will be shared between the people involved.

• It is advisable to limit the amount of spending money per student. Twin recommends £50-75 per week.
• This should cover snacks, drinks, a few small presents for family, some basic souvenirs.

• Students can ask the Centre Manager to put any valuables in the safe
• If students do this, they must keep their receipt
• Twin is not responsible for any money that is not handed in to the Centre manager or for which there is no receipt.
• All passports and airline tickets for individuals will usually be collected upon arrival and held by the Centre Manager for safekeeping. Group Leaders will be responsible for holding their group’s passports and airline tickets.
• Valuable items such as mobile phones can be handed in to the centre manager for safekeeping when not being used by the student. Twin is not responsible for any items handed in for which there is no receipt.
• Students should be very careful with valuable items and money when visiting big cities, such as London, as pickpockets target foreign students. For example, do not leave valuables in the front pocket of a rucksack.
   

• Twin is not responsible for changing foreign currency into Pounds Sterling, although staff will always help students who wish to change money.
   

Students are tested on their first day. Testing consists of a short grammar test and an informal interview. In creating classes, the Director of Studies considers the level of the students’ grammatical knowledge and the speaking ability of the students, as well as their age and nationality, and organises students to get the best nationality mix of similar ages and overall language abilities. Our teachers are trained to ensure that each individual within a class is challenged on a daily basis, whether they are the strongest or weakest in their particular group. If a student is not comfortable in his/her allocated class, for whatever reason, they should inform their Teacher, Group Leader, the Director of Studies or CSWM. 

There are fifteen hours of English classes per week on all programmes.

On the Standard Programme, English Plus Football Programme and English Plus Tennis Programme students have 3 hours of lessons per day, five days a week. On the Special London Programme, students have five hours of English classes on three days per week. The Special London Programme has an additional three hours of drama classes.

There are a maximum of 15 students in a class.

• Lessons can be in the morning or in the afternoon.
• In some centres we operate a ‘zig-zag’ system, which means students do classes in the mornings one week, then change to classes in the afternoon the following week, and so on.
• On the Special London Programme lessons are morning and afternoon on alternate days.

• To help students develop all skills, focusing particularly on speaking and listening.
• To help students build confidence in using and understanding English.
• To help students expand their knowledge of useful and up-to-date vocabulary.
• To help students improve their pronunciation.
• To promote understanding of effective learning strategies to enable students to continue their learning after the course.
• To ensure students develop their language skills outside the classroom and benefit linguistically from their stay in the UK.

The Twin summer academic programme has been designed to provide a structured learning experience based on practical and meaningful interaction in an English-rich environment.

Progression
Our course is specifically designed for teenagers and young learners. The core framework is a graded series of objectives over six levels from Beginner to Advanced plus an age-appropriate version at two levels for under-12s. Our objectives are closely matched to the Common European Framework for Languages (CEFR). Our syllabus is flexible rather than prescriptive with a focus very much on teaching the students rather than teaching the course. The teachers therefore respond to the learners’ needs by adapting the framework to the needs of their learners rather than the other way around.

Weekly Themes
Each week is themed to provide continuity within the class and across the school, thus enabling links to the activity programme. This approach enriches the students’ overall experience by providing out of class opportunities for meaningful practice.

The four themes are People, Location, Money and Future and Fantasy.

Methodology
The syllabus is structured in such a way as to balance new input with opportunities to practise language. Sessions on expanding lexical knowledge and grammar input are delivered in a communicative way to promote skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing, with particular emphasis on listening and speaking. Our teachers use a variety of methods to cover the core objectives, but with a strong focus on communicative skills. Pair-work and group-work are exploited through activities from discussions to project work and problem-solving tasks. Students are engaged in games that actively promote learning by activating language in a meaningful and motivating way.

Project Work
All students take part in at least one project during their stay. Teachers encourage students to take ownership of projects by negotiating project topics with them which appeal to their interests. Projects are usually linked to the topic of the week, so during Location week, students may research the local area, plan a dream school or investigate environmental issues on a global scale.

Learner Training
Each week students will be engaged in different types of learner training to encourage them to be more conscious of and responsible for their own learning, thus promoting independent learning. They will be introduced to phonemic script, encouraged to reflect on their own preferred learning styles and prompted to think about personal learning goals.

Please see the download section of this website for examples of objectives and the structure of a sample week at three different levels.

Rather than a formal exit test, students reflect on their learning at the end of each week by taking part in review activities that may include a short test or quiz. However, in keeping with the style of the course these are light-hearted, fun and promote cooperation.

The sample programmes show the typical optional excursions from each centre. Please see the sample programme in the download section.

The Twin programme is a variety of daytime sports and other activities, cultural visits to local places of interest, excursions to famous cities and a full programme of evening fun activities, like discos, parties and talent nights. Please see the sample programmes available in the downloads section of this website.
 

Students should mix with other students and participate in all parts of the programme, and are encouraged to do so by the Twin Activity Leaders. This is a good opportunity for students to improve their English skills and have fun. The more students put in, the more they get out!!!!
 

Sometimes it is impossible to do an activity on the programme; for example, if the programme has ‘Outdoor Sports’ and it rains, it is much better to change the activity. We will endeavour to keep changes to a minimum. Twin reserves the right to make programme changes due to circumstances beyond its control or to improve or preserve the quality of the programme and without notice.
 

The students will have one full day excursion per week, usually to a city or large town, and one half day excursion per week to a place of interest near to the centre.
 

Each centre goes to different destinations. Please see the sample programmes in the download section for the particular centre the student is going to.
 

The price of optional excursions usually vary between £25 and £45, depending the destination and entrances included. Groups can get quotations in advance or when on-site in the centre. Twin will arrange extra optional excursions if there are enough people wishing to go. For this reason, any optional excursion available will be advertised in the centre and individual students (and groups) can book when in the centre.
 

Exciting and educational excursions are offered in all our centres. Optional excursions are offered each Sunday for students wishing to visit additional places of interest. See sample programmes at each centre.

The social programme consists of evening entertainment, arts and crafts activities and excursions.

Yes, entertainment includes discos, parties, films, extravaganzas, social evenings and talent contests.

Special dietary requirements are catered for upon request, but advance notice must be given in order to notify catering staff.
 

The food may be different from the food they normally eat, but it is important students keep an open mind. This is a great chance for students to experience food from another culture.
If students are allergic to something, vegetarian, or only eat Halal meat, Twin need to be informed in advance. Students should also remind the Centre Manager or their host family (if applicable) on arrival.
 

The students will breakfast and dinner with the homestay provider and a packed lunch during the day.

• Students must comply with Twin rules at all times.
• Students may not leave the school without permission from the Centre Manager or the duty person in charge
• Residential students MUST have a letter of permission from a parent/guardian in order to leave the grounds unsupervised by a member of Twin staff
• Students with a letter of permission may leave the grounds only with the express permission of the Centre Manager or duty person in charge.
• Attendance of lessons, excursions and all activities is compulsory
• Residential students must obey bedtimes and silence must be kept after lights out.
• No food or drink is allowed in bedrooms. Rooms must be kept clean and tidy at all times. Beds must be made before breakfast.
• Male students are not allowed in female accommodation and vice versa.
• Fire escapes are for emergency use only and are not to be used at any other time. Smoking and the consumption of alcohol are strictly forbidden. Failure to adhere to this rule may result in expulsion from the course.
• Students must not possess or supply illegal drugs.
• Students must not touch the fire alarms or extinguishers, unless in an emergency – tampering with safety equipment is a criminal offence in the UK and may result in arrest and/or criminal prosecution. Students who set of fire alarms or tamper with fire extinguishers will have to pay a penalty (Charge will be, for example, approximately Extinguisher = £100, Alarm = £150, though the amount varies depending on the centre).
• Students must not carry knives, weapons or self-defence sprays.
• Students are not allowed to bring items such as Swiss army knives.

When not in class or on an organised activity students cannot:

• Leave campus
• Disturb local residents
• Disturb students in class
• Use any sports facilities without first checking with a member of Twin staff
• Cross the main road
• ‘Hang around’ near classrooms or offices where people are working.

Students are expected to abide by Twin Student Rules. If they do not they will receive an official warning. Failure to comply with these rules after the warning will result in immediate expulsion and repatriation at the student’s own expense.
 
Twin reserves the right to terminate without notice the course of any student whose behaviour is deemed to be unacceptable.

No refund will be made in such circumstances and all transportation and related costs will be the sole responsibility of the student/parent.
 
Breaking these rules of English Law or persisting in serious anti-social behaviour will be disciplined. In serious cases, students will be expelled and repatriated at their own expense.
 

The well being, safety and welfare of the students in our care is our number one concern. A member of our staff is on duty at all times of the day and night ensuring that 100% supervision is maintained at all times. Telephones are at each of our schools so that students can contact parents/carers at home in case of an emergency.

• A parent or guardian of the student needs to send a letter to Twin as evidence that the student is permitted to leave the premises without a supervisor.
• Students are not allowed to leave the centre without supervision.

Telephones are at each of our schools so that students can contact parents/carers at home in case of an emergency.

Twin have in place procedures to allow students who require medication to attend the course, wherever possible. The details of these arrangements are contained in the Twin Medication Policy document.
 

Twin shall have full authority to take whatever action it deems necessary to safeguard the health and well being of all students. Such authority shall include the right of Twin to take any action it deems necessary to secure medical treatment for a student at the parent/agent’s expense.
 

• It is very important to us that all of our students are happy and have a positive experience in our summer centres. If students are unhappy for any reason they should speak to a member of Twin staff as soon as possible.
• Our staff are friendly and will do their best to help you resolve any problems.
• Parents should encourage their children to approach Twin staff directly with any worries or queries. This is the best way to resolve any problems because phoning home and expecting their parents to contact the agent who will contact Head Office, who will contact the centre takes longer, and the problem is often exaggerated during this process.

Students are asked to telephone their parents on arrival to tell them they have arrived safely at the centre.
 

It is very common for people who are away from home to feel sad and miss their family and friends, the food they are used to and even their bedroom etc., especially if it is their first time away from home. Students should be advised that it is not something to be embarrassed about and should be encouraged to speak to the other students, to their group leader or to a member of Twin staff instead of unnecessarily worrying their parents. Twin are very aware of these issues and take every opportunity to monitor the happiness of each individual student at all times during their stay with us. We have a great deal of experience in dealing with such matters.

Twin recognises the great importance of looking after individual students who come without a group leader. Twin will allocate at least one member of the centre staff to be responsible for individual students throughout their stay, acting like a ‘substitute group leader’ so the students know to whom they can go. We even have a member of the Head Office team that is dedicated to ensuring the welfare, care and enjoyment of all individual students is carried out in all centres.

Bullying and abusive behaviour towards other students and staff will not be acceptable in Twin Summer Centres and will be dealt with very severely. Twin have very clear policies on this matter, which will be followed closely by the centre management team.

On excursions it is very important that students do exactly as instructed by twin staff. If a student is late to the meeting point this can cause costly delays. If we cannot contact a student and we are forced to call the police that student may have to pay a fine for wasting police time.

Each centre has an emergency phone number. This should only be used for very important phone calls and emergencies.
The emergency phone is not to be used to ask where a student is, or to leave messages, or to ask if a student can change level, or to ask the Twin staff to go and find a student and bring them to the phone!!!

• In each centre there will be a telephone for incoming calls only and students can provide their parents with this number. However, due to the nature of our courses it is not possible for students to have immediate access to a telephone to receive incoming calls at all times, such as during class times for example.
• Parents or anyone contacting the students must follow the correct order for phoning.
• Details of the telephone numbers can be found in the different Summer Centre sections of the website

 

• There is a settling in period for students to adjust to being away from home. During this time calls from parents can be more disruptive than helpful. As students will spend most of their time away from their room, calling can be a frustrating experience, particularly for the younger students.
• During this initial period parents should limit calls to emergencies only.
• Part of the ‘experience’ of participating in a summer school is for students to develop confidence, not only in English, but also in life skills. This means it is better if they learn to survive and to face problems without turning immediately to the parents. The Twin staff are there to help the students with any problems they may have.

• If upset children have called home, parents should encourage them to speak to a member of the Twin staff, who will act promptly to find out the nature of the problem and who will then re-contact either the parent or the agent.
• Sometimes, very small problems in a centre can become very big problems when they are told to the parents, and sometimes the truth can be exaggerated by the young mind when talking to their parents, which makes the parents panic, so they ring the agent, and then it is exaggerated a bit more and…..
• All the Twin staff want the students to have an enjoyable stay so they want happy students. For this reason they will investigate any issues as a matter of urgency, and will take the appropriate action.
   

The parents of students are always welcome at our centres. Please contact the centre office in advance to ensure that the student will be available. Parents must not remove their child from the centre without notifying the Centre Manager or person in charge. The Centre Manager will require photographic proof of identification. Students will not be permitted to leave the centre with friends or relatives, other than the father or mother, without written permission from the student’s parents.

• Feedback is very important to us at Twin. We welcome all feedback, positive or negative, especially if it is constructive feedback. We use the feedback to make changes and improvements.
• In the first week of the course the students will be asked for feedback on all aspects of the course. This way we can find out if they have any problems, like feeling homesick, and can act quickly.
• Students (and leaders) will also be given a detailed feedback form to complete at the end of their stay. Students (and leaders) are encouraged to fill this in as honestly as possible to help us to continue to improve the service we provide.

The complaints procedure if a student has a problem is as follows:

• He/She should always first go to the person responsible for the nature of the problem. For example, if a student thinks the class is too difficult, he/she should talk to the teacher.
• If the student is not satisfied with the solution/result, or think the decision made is unfair, he/she should speak to the appropriate manager.
• The manager will inform the student of his/her decision.
• If the student is still unhappy, he/she should email the Head of Summer Centres, Colin Spicer, at cspicer@twinuk.com
• The Head of Summer Centres will inform the student of his/her decision.
• If after all this, the student is not happy, he/she should contact English UK (info@englishuk.com)