Frequently Asked Questions

Accommodation

1. DO YOU OFFER ACCOMMODATION?
Yes. Most of our locations currently have homestay providers. This gives you an excellent chance to practise your English. Students have a bedroom with a place to study and storage for clothes and belongings.  Meals depend on the provider and whether you want half-board, bed & breakfast or self-catering.  Homestay accommodation enables you to experience the British way of life and receive conversation outside the ILC Centre. While staying in the house, students are encouraged to use communal areas and many of our students become friendly with their host families. We also offer places in local Halls of Residences at certain times of the year (subject to availability).

2. WHAT SHOULD I CHOOSE: STUDENT RESIDENCE OR HOMESTAY?
Both options offer a different set of benefits. If you would like to experience life in Britain, homestay is clearly a better choice, as it gives you a unique opportunity to live in the country as a resident, and not as a tourist.  A hall of residence place offers more independence and the chance to meet more young people.

3. DOES HOMESTAY ACCOMMODATION INCLUDE BEDDING AND TOWELS?
Yes – all our homestay hosts provide bedding and towels and offer a once-a-week laundry service.

4.  I NEED A SPECIAL DIET / OR AM ALLERGIC TO CERTAIN FOODS – WHAT DO I DO?
Many of our homestay hosts are able to offer special food requirement (e.g. halal, gluten free, lactose free and certain other dietary requirements).  However, there is a supplement of £30 per week to pay for this.

Booking

1. HOW DO I BOOK?
You can book by either completing our Enrolment form and returning it to our Admissions team via post/email or you can complete our online Enrolment form via our website on the home page. You can get a price quote and then go on to make an online booking if you wish.
2. HOW FAR IN ADVANCE SHOULD I BOOK MY COURSE?
You will need to book your course a minimum of two weeks in advance. You can book two weeks or less before the course, but you might not get a place, and you have to pay the full fees when you book. If you want to start a course quickly, contact us as soon as possible so we can check availability.

3. HOW DO I PAY?
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By bank transfer (If making a transfer from outside the UK, you will need to pay all bank charges).
·       
 By an international paymentsystem called Flywire. We can explain to you how to use this.
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By credit or debit card(excluding American Express and Diners Club). There is no charge for paying by UK debit card. By cash at Reception for remaining balances on arrival.

4. CAN I PAY IN INSTALMENTS?
If you require a visa to study in the UK, you will need to pay for the course in full before you start the course.  If you already have a visa or are resident in the UK, you can pay for your course week by week in advance if you wish.  However, if you choose to do this, you will not benefit from the lower weekly rate for more weeks paid in advance and you also may not be eligible to take advantage of any of our periodic special offers.  For evening courses, we require a minimum of 4 weeks payment in advance.

5. WHAT IF I APPLY FOR A VISA AND I AM UNSUCCESSFUL?
If we have sufficient notice, we will refund your fees paid minus the Registration fee and the Accommodation handling fee (if you booked accommodation with us). Please see our Terms & Conditions for more information about the notice required. To avoid visa refusal, it is strongly recommended that you follow the UK visa application rules very carefully.

6. CAN I TAKE HOLIDAYS DURING MY COURSE?
If you tell us what holiday week(s) you want to take before you start your course, we will not charge you for those week(s). However, if you take any holidays after starting the course, these days will not be credited later and the days are lost. Unless a student is ill, we expect constant attendance on our courses.

7. WHAT WILL I RECEIVE BEFORE I START THE COURSE?
Before you start your course, we will email you an Enrolment letter and a Student Handbook (with general information about ILC and your chosen centre). If you have booked accommodation, we will send you information about your homestay provider or your Halls of Residence.

8. WHAT WILL I GET ON MY FIRST DAY and ON MY LAST DAY OF THE COURSE?
When you start your course, we will give you a student card that can be used in various local places to get student discounts. We will also give you a welcome meeting that provides you with information about the school, local area and gives you a chance to ask any questions you may have. On your last day, you will get an Academic report and an ILC leaving certificate.

Classes

1. WHAT LEVELS DO YOU HAVE?
Depending on the Centre and the time of year, we usually have a variety of levels running. Taking our level test (https://www.ilcentres.com/level-test) will give you and us an approximate idea of your current ability and which level to place you in. We also give every new student a 5-10 minute speaking interview in which we ask you questions to check your speaking ability.

2. I KNOW MY LANGUAGE LEVEL ALREADY, WHY DO I NEED TO TAKE ANOTHER TEST?
All schools are different, so to ensure that all our students are placed correctly for our colleges, everyone is required to take the same level test.

3. WHAT TIME WILL I HAVE MY LESSONS?
For most classes: Morning lessons are between 09:30 and 12:45 from Mondays to Fridays. You will have a short break between 11:00 and 11:15. Afternoon lessons take place between 13:30 and 15:00.  Evening classes run from 18.00-20.30 on Mondays & Wednesdays.  Please enquire about evening class availability at each ILC Centre.

4. DO I NEED A SPECIAL BOOK FOR MY COURSE?
Our morning and evening classes follow a structured syllabus, which requires students to purchase a book, when studying for 2 or more weeks.  You will need to buy the class course book for £30.  You do not need to buy a book for the Communication Skills class.

5. WHO DO I SPEAK TO ABOUT MOVING UP OR DOWN A LEVEL?
Our teachers and Directors of studies are always here to help. During your time at ILC, your progress will be closely monitored and the academic team will work together to make sure your time is spent in the correct class.  You may need to pass a test if you wish to change level.

6. WHO DO I SPEAK TO ABOUT TAKING AN ENGLISH EXAM?
Some of our centres offer exam preparation classes, so it’s always good to talk to our academic team to get the most relevant and accurate information.

General

1. HOW DOES AN AIRPORT TRANSFER WORK?
You can book an airport transfer when you pay for your course. You will need to indicate this on your enrolment form and provide all the necessary flight information. Once we receive your full payment, the driver will meet you at your chosen airport. Please plan your journey as any delays will cost extra. You can also book a return transfer when you are ready to leave the UK.

2. IF I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING, WHO CAN I ASK?
You can contact the following people for any questions you may have: 
Academic – Director of Studies
Welfare – Office and Student Services Manager
Accommodation - Office and Student Services Manager