Terms & Conditions

Terms & Conditions

Terms & Conditions


 

Wimbledon School of English Terms & Conditions apply to all students; it does not matter if you have booked the course directly or through an ETO (agent).

Age

1. The minimum age to be a student at WSE is 16 if you are an individual student. We accept 15-year-olds in General English international classes, but only if they are part of a group that has a group leader with them.

2. The minimum age for students in closed groups is 14 years. There is no maximum age. Any closed group must have at least one group leader for every 15 students.

3. Please note: students under 18 years old are not supervised except in lessons and on class excursions.

4. Under 18s: Please read our ‘Notes to parents and guardians of under 18s’. You can find this on our website at www.wimbledon-school.ac.uk/the-school/under-18s.php.  Parents or guardians of under 18s MUST send us a completed ‘Under 18 parental consent form’ before the student arrives in school. Students aged under 18 must follow all the rules in the ‘Under 18 parental consent form’. This includes the rule about being back at homestays at the correct time (curfew times). Students who do not follow the rules may be sent back home.

5. All group leaders with any under 18s in their group must give us a police ‘certificate of good conduct’ or ‘certificate of criminal record’ from their country of residence.

 

Payment and Bookings

1. We guarantee a place in a class at WSE only after we have received your full payment.

 

EEA students

Please note that we normally send letters of acceptance and accommodation details by e-mail. We cannot send these until we receive:

I. Registration fee.

II. Tuition fees deposit £300.

III. Accommodation deposit of £300 for homestay accommodation or 4 weeks’ accommodation fees for student house-share and residential accommodation if applicable. (We will deduct this from your subsequent payment of accommodation expenses.)

 

Non-Visa Nationals, and Visa Nationals

1. Please note that for students applying for a Short Term Study Visa, we send original letters of acceptance by post and we normally send other details including accommodation by e-mail.

2. We cannot send any documents until we receive the following:

I. Registration fee.

II. Course materials fee.

III. Full tuition fees.

IV. Accommodation deposit of £300 for host family accommodation or 4 weeks’ accommodation fees for student house-share and residential accommodation if applicable. (We will deduct this from your subsequent payment of accommodation expenses.)

 

All Students

1. All fees should be paid in pounds sterling or euros and payment can be made as follows:

I. By bank transfer directly to our account. Please note that students must pay any bank charges, otherwise this will be charged to the student directly on arrival. Please email or fax us a copy of the remittance advice. Please make sure the student’s name is on the remittance.

II. By cheque made out to Wimbledon School of English Limited.

III. By UK Debit card. All debit card payments can only be in pounds sterling.

2. We accept credit card payments for the tuition fee deposit. All other payments including all accommodation must be paid by bank transfer, UK debit card or cheque.

2. We can send letters by special delivery service (DHL) at an extra cost.

3. The cost of course books is covered by the course materials fee. However, if you are also taking a short exam course (under 9 weeks), you will also need to buy an exam practice book.

 

Accommodation

1. All accommodation payments must be made through the school.

2. We cannot confirm a reservation for a room in one of our student houses until we have received 4 weeks’ accommodation fees or the full fees for bookings that are fewer than 4 weeks.

3. We arrange accommodation only for students while they are studying on full-time courses at the school.

4. If you leave school early for any reason, you will be asked to leave your accommodation.

5. All accommodation is subject to availability. This means we may not be able to offer some types of accommodation if they become full so we advise you to book early.

6. You must always tell us your first and second choice of accommodation on the enrolment form.

7. If the first choice of accommodation is not available the school will book your second choice.

8. If you decide to leave your accommodation early, you must write to us at least 7 days before for homestays and 28 days before for all student house and residential accommodation.

9. Refunds will only be made for full calendar weeks (Saturday to Friday or Sunday to Saturday). This applies to all accommodation options.

10. Under special circumstances we may need to move you to alternative accommodation at short notice and the school reserves the right to do this. Although we will do our best to find you new accommodation in the same category as your original accommodation, we cannot guarantee this.

11. If you only book accommodation for part of your stay (e.g. you book 4 weeks accommodation but have enrolled on a 24 week course) and you decide to extend your stay in school accommodation, we cannot guarantee that there will be accommodation available, especially during busy periods. You will not normally be able to stay in the same accommodation. You should always book accommodation for the full length of your study period unless you have already booked private accommodation.

12. You may ask to change accommodation up to 3 times. After this we may decide not to offer you alternative accommodation.

13. Any student who behaves in an unacceptable manner will be asked to leave their accommodation. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to find alternative accommodation.

14. If you book your own accommodation you must give your accommodation address and a contact telephone number to the Registrar before you come.

15. If you are in private accommodation and would like to move to WSE accommodation, we require 2 weeks’ notice to find you suitable accommodation.

 

Homestay

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

2. Homestay accommodation may be booked from Saturday/Sunday to Saturday/Sunday. If you wish to arrive or depart on a different day you must book hotel accommodation for the extra nights. If you arrive on a Saturday and leave on a Sunday and are in the homestay for the whole period, you will be charged for the extra night.

3. Host families cannot accept students between 23:00 and 07:00. If you have a late flight you will need to book a hotel for your first night.

4. If your homestay accommodation involves extra days, you will be charged a daily rate for up to 4 days. 5 or 6 extra days will be charged at the full weekly rate.

5. If you take any holiday during your stay and you are away from your homestay, you will be charged half of the weekly rate for accommodation for each calendar week of absence. This includes holiday taken over the Christmas period when the school is closed. Please give 2 weeks’ notice in writing to Reception if you wish to take holiday from your homestay.

6. All accommodation payments must be made to the school. You should send the money to us at least 10 days before you arrive.

7. If you are not happy with your homestay accommodation, the school will relocate you to a new family as soon as possible (but see note 13 above).

8. The school can only book homestay accommodation for students studying here. If you wish to have a friend to stay with you for a few days you must arrange this with your host yourself. Your host may ask your guest to pay for their accommodation.

9. Please note: because of death, illness or other unexpected situations it may be necessary to change your accommodation at very short notice before you arrive or once you are here and the school reserves the right to do this. We guarantee to provide accommodation for the period you have booked but not necessarily with the same family or in the same category of family for the whole period.

Please note:

There is a £20 per week supplement for special diets, such as halal, gluten-free or dairy free.

There is a £50 per week supplement if you wish to stay in a homestay over the 2 week Christmas holiday period

 

Student Houses, Studio Apartments & Catholic Hostel

1. Students will be asked to sign an accommodation contract and follow the terms and conditions of the contract. Failure to do so means they will be asked to leave the accommodation and no refund will be given.

2. Students will be asked for credit card details with their booking. This is to cover the cost of any breakages or other damage to the property up to a maximum of £300. If we do not receive these details with the booking, students must provide credit card details to reception on their first day of school.

3. This accommodation is available only for complete calendar weeks (Saturday to Saturday). If you arrive before a Saturday or leave after a Saturday you will need to book a hotel room for the additional night(s).

4. Check-in is on Saturdays only between 12:00 and 17:00. There is a charge for check-ins outside these times. Please note we cannot check students in after 20:00

5. If you take a holiday during your stay and are away you will still be charged the full rate for the period of absence.

6. Payments must be made to the school. For periods of 4 weeks or less, full payment must be made at the time of booking. For periods of 5 weeks or more, payment for the first 4 weeks must be made at the time of booking and all subsequent payments must be made in advance for a minimum period of 4 weeks per payment. No student house, apartment or hostel accommodation will be reserved until payment has been received.

7. Payments for students and hostel accommodation must be made 4 weeks in advance throughout your stay. If you fall behind with your accommodation payments you will be asked to leave your accommodation.

8. We cannot postpone bookings for student house and hostel accommodation if you inform us 28 or fewer days before your arrival date. If you do you will still be liable for the fee for your original accommodation dates.

9. The wireless connection (Wi-Fi) in our student houses is 801.11g standard protected with WEP 64bit encryption. This is the most widely used standard, and it is supported by most operating systems. We have full reception throughout the buildings. In order to connect, your computer must be able to connect to this standard. We cannot guarantee a connection since it is dependent on your system. We can arrange technical support from our IT consultant for a fee (POA).

 

Pre-arrival Cancellations & Refunds

We strongly recommend that students take out insurance to cover fees and costs in case of cancellation or leaving early.

All fees paid for any course cancelled within 14 days of booking will be refunded in full. After this period the following rules will apply:

 

1. The registration fee is non-refundable under any circumstances.

2. Cancellation:

I. If you cancel 30 days or fewer before your course start date, your course materials & tuition fees, minus a cancellation charge of £300.00 + your accommodation deposit, will be refunded minus any bank charges. Your registration fee will not be refunded. If applicable, your homestay fees, minus deposit, will be refunded minus any bank charges. The first 4 weeks of student house, studio apartment and hostel accommodation is non-refundable.

II. If you cancel 31 days or more before your course start date, your course materials and tuition fees, and accommodation deposit fee will be refunded minus any bank charges. Your registration fee will not be refunded. The first 4 weeks of student house, studio apartment and hostel accommodation is refundable at 50%.

III. If you have booked the Unpaid Internship programme there is an additional cancellation charge of up to £360* if you cancel the programme after the school has submitted your documents & the application process has begun. (*the amount depends on the stage of the application process. See the Student Handbook for full details).

3. If you cancel your course because your Visa application has been refused you will need to provide documentary evidence from the relevant embassy before any refund can be considered. You must return your 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 ECO & date of refusal, plus our original letter of enrolment, we will refund all payments received except the registration fee, minus bank charges.

4. If you have booked and paid through a representative the refund will be made to the representative.

5. If you have applied to the EU for a grant for a Teachers’ Methodology course, you must inform us if your application is unsuccessful a minimum of 3 weeks before the start of the course. If you inform us fewer than 3 weeks before the start date, normal cancellation charges will apply.

 

Postponements and other Booking Changes

1. If you decide to change your course dates, your accommodation dates or make any other changes to your booking there is a charge of £45 for each time you make a change, to cover the administration cost of making the changes. We cannot give or send you your new documents until we have received the £45 change of booking fee. This charge will not be necessary for any date changes made because of visa problems. However, if you require a visa for the UK please allow enough time for the visa application process before your course start date (a minimum of 15 working days).

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

3. You may not postpone the Unpaid Internship programme after the school has submitted your documents and the application process has begun.

4. You may only postpone your course if there is space available on the new course dates you wish to attend. Please also ensure that the course you wish to take is available on the new dates you wish to attend. You can postpone your course to start up to 6 months after the original start date.

5. For a postponement of longer than 6 months we will not refund the registration fee and the accommodation deposit. We will charge the cancellation of £300 if you then have to cancel the course.

6. You cannot postpone bookings for student house and hostel accommodation if you inform us less than 28 days before your arrival date. If you do you will still be liable for the fee for your original accommodation dates.

7. We will inform UK Visas and Immigration about any non-EU students who do not arrive on the agreed date.

 

Cancellation/Change of Course after Arrival

1. If you have to stop your course early, your tuition and materials fees are non-refundable under any circumstances.

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

3. Fees are non-transferable. This means you cannot transfer your fees to another person. You cannot convert full-time group study to 1-1 or 2-1 study.

4. Accommodation will be refunded as per our notice period.

5. If you booked through a representative we will send any refund to that representative.

6. We require 7 days’ notice in writing to Reception for cancellation of additional 1-1 lessons. If you cancel less than 7 days before your lesson, you will be charged full fees

7. We require 7 days’ notice in writing to Reception for cancellation of tennis or horse-riding lessons. If you cancel 7 days or less before your lesson, you will be charged full fees.

8. Periods of absence due to accident or sickness are non-refundable.

Please note: A good student insurance policy will refund the remaining fees if a student has to go home early for a medical or other serious reason. We strongly advise all students to take out insurance.

 

Extensions

1. If you wish to extend your course you may do so, provided there is a place available. As the school is often full we advise booking an extension at least 2 months in advance. Extensions must be paid in full before a place can be reserved. Please note it will probably not be possible to stay with the same host family or in the same Student House or Hostel.

2. The course extension fee is the difference between the published price for the total weeks booked and the amount already paid.

3. Students who extend their course may have to pay an additional materials fee, depending on the length of their original course and the length of the extension.

4. If you have booked and paid through a representative, your course extension fee must be paid to the representative.

5. If you wish to extend your stay in WSE accommodation, for periods of 4 weeks or less, full payment must be made at the time of booking. For periods of 5 weeks or more, payment for the first 4 weeks must be made at the time of booking & all subsequent payments must be made in advance for a minimum of 4 weeks per payment.

 

Returning Students

If you return to school for another course, you are not charged the registration fees.

 

Holidays

1. WSE is not open on Saturdays or Sundays or on UK public (bank) holidays.

2. Classes missed as a result of a bank or public holiday will not be refunded or made up.

3. If you wish to take a holiday, you must tell us 28 days’ before in writing to Reception. Please note that we do not give refunds for holiday periods, but you can extend your course. Extensions for holidays can only be made on certain courses and if you are studying for 12 weeks or more. The maximum holiday extension is 2 weeks for every 12 weeks of study. Extensions can only be made for full calendar weeks. No extensions will be given for students who take holidays during courses with set dates or examination courses. Students should not take holidays during examination courses.

4. Students on long-term courses are advised to give their holiday dates at the time of booking.

5. If you are a non-EU student you must ask in Reception for the School Holiday Visa letter before going on holiday. You need this letter to show at UK Immigration on your return to the UK. Please note: the school is not liable if you are delayed at the border or if you are not allowed back in to the UK for any reason.

 

Attendance

1. We are a serious school and expect every student to be on time, attend every lesson and do all their homework. Latecomers are not allowed into class.

2. We keep attendance registers.

3. Any student who is sick must:

I. For sickness of up to 7 days, complete a self-certification sickness form on their return.

II. For sickness of 8 days or more, provide a ‘fit note’ from their doctor.

4. If you miss a lesson, for any reason, we cannot give a refund or allow you to take the lesson at another time.

5. If a student is absent for 10 consecutive days or more, or is repeatedly absent (e.g. 1 or 2 days per week), without authorization, they will be reported to the UK Visas and Immigration if they are a visa national, and to their sponsor if they are a sponsored student, and they may be asked to leave the school.

6. If a student is asked to leave the school for poor attendance or conduct, their fees will not be refunded.

7. Students will only receive a leaving certificate if their attendance has been 80% or more.

 

Visas

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the correct visa type and appropriate “leave to remain” (immigration status) in the UK. In the event that we find that you do not have appropriate leave to remain, we will terminate your course immediately and you will have to return to your country. In this case tuition and registration fees are non-refundable.

 

Photographs and Filming

1. Classes cannot be filmed or recorded in any way, including audio only, without the permission (in writing) of either the Principal, Academic Director or Operations Director.

2. WSE may use film or still photographs of students for promotional purposes.

3. You (or your parents if you are under 18 years of age) must inform the school in writing before your course starts if you will not allow us to use such images.

 

Bank Account

If you are enrolled in school for 6 months or more, the school can arrange for you to open a bank account at a local bank.

 

Personal Information

1. We keep your information in electronic and paper format.

2. Some of the personal information you supply will be passed on to accommodation providers or the airport meeting service.

3. Under UK law we must give information to UK Visas and Immigration if required to do so.

4. In order to fulfil our obligations to you, and, in some cases, to the British authorities, it is necessary for us to see and copy your passport (and visa if applicable), to have contact details for you in London (including a mobile phone number if you have one), and to have details of your next of kin (closest family member) in your country. You must therefore agree to provide these details and keep them up to date if they change.

5. Students and/or parents are reminded of the need to tell us of any necessary medical information about the student to the school when the application is made and to enquire prior to enrolling whether the school and accommodation facilities are suitable for the individual’s needs.

By accepting these Terms & Conditions you accept our right to use your personal information in this way.

 

Conduct

1. Wimbledon School of English reserves the right to refuse admission to any student or to dismiss any student from school or accommodation without refund of tuition fees in the event of misconduct or unsatisfactory attendance or work. The school expects students to adhere to the standards and rules we set.

2. WSE expects students to behave responsibly online and follow the school’s guidelines on internet use, including not downloading or sharing any illegal or inappropriate material.

3. We expect students to behave reasonably at all times (including when online or using any form of messaging or social media) towards other students and school staff and to respect cultural, racial and religious differences. We expect all students to uphold the core British values of democracy, individual liberty, tolerance, and the rule of law.

4. If a student is asked to leave the school for poor attendance or conduct, their fees will not be refunded and they will not be allowed to stay in WSE accommodation.

5. Students have to pay for any damage they cause on the school premises or at their accommodation.

 

Resolution of disputes

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

I. The complaint is made while the student is attending our school.

II. The complaint is registered in writing with the Academic Director, Operations Director or Accommodation Manager.

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

2. We do not accept complaints received after the student has returned to their own country.

 

Liability

1. Wimbledon School of English does not accept any liability in the case of illness, accident, loss or damage to personal items or property:

I. Occurring on the school premises, except where such liability is imposed under UK law.

II. Where accommodation or transport has been booked through the school.

2. Wimbledon School of English does not accept liability for losses or additional expenses you might have to pay because of cancellation or delays to your travel services.

We strongly advise all students to take out insurance before leaving their home country.

 

Other

1. In very rare circumstances the stated maximum class size might be exceeded. If this does happen, it will only be by one person and for a very limited period.

2. 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 of all fees. If the student decides not to take the alternative course offered, we will not be liable for any losses incurred by the student for cancelled travel arrangements.

3. Where there is only one person on a particular group course, we reserve the right to offer the cost-equivalent number of individual lessons instead of the group course.

4. If your English level is not suitable for the course you have booked, we reserve the right to move you onto a different course or to refuse you admission to the school.

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

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

7. Classes take place in both the main school building and additional premises located near the school. The School reserves the right to move classes between rooms and premises as appropriate.

8. Students who cannot read or write Roman script: please note that we are unable to teach literacy in our group classes. Any student who requires lessons in literacy must book private lessons with the school for this purpose.

9. The Managers of the School reserve the right at their absolute discretion to refuse any application for enrolment of any 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.

 

Force Majeure

1. 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 disasters 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 sanction, blockage, embargo, labour dispute, strike, lockout or interruption or failure of electricity, internet or telephone service. Refunds will not be made in such circumstances.

2. In the event of an outbreak of an infectious disease, all students and or parents/guardians are required to comply with rules regarding quarantine as set by government agencies or by the school.

3. 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, agent etc.) was, where possible, notified of the likelihood or actual occurrence of the event.

 

 

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