Group Bookings
We welcome school and college groups for both intensive English Language programmes and cultural stays. Both intensive and cultural stays can be tailored to meet your school or college’s requirements.
- School Group Programme
- Group Activity Programme
- University Group Programme
- Intensive Cambridge Exam Preparation Group Course
- Classes Prepas Programme
- Senior Cultural Programme
Please email study@sparrow.co.uk for details of the closed group programmes that we offer.
School Group Programme
The course focusses on helping students grow in confidence in their use of English by providing the opportunity to practise and improve their listening and speaking in small morning classes. The afternoons are organised to offer students a cultural experience whilst at the same time having fun.
Sunday evening arrival in Plymouth.
All groups are met by a school representative and host families.
| Lessons: 0915-1230 | 15 hours General English | |
| Afternoon activities and visits | Closed Groups | |
| Mondays - Fridays | Group Size: 12 | |
| Available all year round | Course material included | |
| £215 p/p Arr. Sun - Dep. Friday | Minimum 1 week | |
| Full board accommodation | Wednesday Excursion | |
| Extra Excursion : £16 p/p | Extra night’s accommodation: £15 p/p |
Afternoon lessons available on request.
Afternoon activities and visits:Tour of Plymouth and visit to Historical Barbican area, visit to Smeaton’s Tower (lighthouse), River Tamar Boat Trip,10-Pin Bowling, Cinema, Ice-skating, Swimming, National Marine Aquarium, Mount Edgecumbe Country Park, Museum and Art Gallery. Free afternoon for shopping.
Excursions: Dartmoor National Park, Looe and Polperro, The Eden Project, Morwellham Quay, Dartmoor Zoo, Castle Drogo, Quay West Water Park, Exeter Cathedral and City, Babbacombe Model Village, Kent’s Cavern.
Group Activity Programme
The course focusses on helping students grow in confidence in their use of English by providing the opportunity to practise and improve their listening and speaking in small morning classes. The afternoons are organised to offer students a cultural experience whilst at the same time having fun.
| Lessons: 15 hours per week | General English | |
| Mornings: 9.15 – 12.30 | Closed Groups | |
| Afternoon activities | Max Class Size:12 | |
| Mondays - Fridays | Course material included | |
| Available all year round | Minimum 1 week | |
| £265 per person | 7 nights Full board accommodation | |
| 1 free leader per 12 students | Saturday excursion |
- Afternoon visits and activities: Tour of Plymouth and Historical Barbican area, Smeaton’s Tower (Lighthouse), River Tamar Boat Trip, Plymouth’s National Marine Aquarium, Mount Edgecumbe Country Park, Mayflower Visitor Centre, Ice-skating, Swimming at Plymouth Pavilions, 10-Pin Bowling, Cinema, Free afternoons for shopping, Indoor sports, Tile-painting, Basketball.
- Excursions: Looe and Polperro, Dartmoor National Park, Exeter Cathedral and City, Torquay, Dartmouth, Totnes, Dartmoor Zoo.
£5 supplementary entrance fee for: The Eden Project, Babbacombe Model Village, Kent’s Cavern, Morwellham Quay, Tintagel Castle, Castle Drogo.
- Supplementary trips: London, Bath, Land’s End, St. Ives, Cardif, Oxford - £15 per student (depending on destination)
The course is for students attending Lyceés following a BTS programme or university students.
Morning lessons are in a closed group focussing on communication in English in a work context. Some material can also relate to the afternoon visits.
In the afternoons students have the opportunity to visit local businesses and listen and talk to professionals in the English workplace.
| Monday - Friday | 15 hours of English over 5 days | |
| Lessons: 9.15 –12.30 | Closed Groups | |
| Afternoons: Visit to local business | Max Class Size:12 | |
| Accommodation - 5 nights fullboard | Course material included | |
| All year round | Minimum 1 week | |
| £215 p/p arrive Sun - depart Fri | 1 free leader per 12 students | |
| Additional night’s accomm: £15 p/p | Half day excursion: £15 p/p |
All our groups are met by a school representative and host families.
Afternoon lessons are available on request.
Current afternoon visits offered:
Drake Circus Management Suite/ Theatre Royal Education Department/ Tax Asistant Accountants/ Royal Mail post sorting office / Plymouth Dry Gin Distillery / University of Plymouth - Arts Department/ Supermarket / Department store / Specialised store / Plymouth Arts Centre / Job Centre / Employment service / Estate agency / Assurance agency / Accountancy firm / City hotel / Leisure facility / Tourist attraction / Plymouth Age Concern / University Medical school / Derriford Hospital / Roundabout Nursery.
Course Aims
- Practise and improve all four main skills
- Increase accuracy, fluency and confidence in English
- Expand vocabulary and improve grammatical knowledge
- Clearer pronunciation
- Offer an insight into working life in a vibrant English city
Course Content
- Business language
- Pronunciation practice
- Grammar and vocabulary
- Phrasal verbs and idioms
- Functions and everyday language
- Interesting discussion topics and communication activities
- Authentic listening/reading texts, e.g. radio and newspapers
Intensive Cambridge Exam Preparation Group Course
Cambridge First Certificate in English (Council of Europe Level B2) - upper intermediate. Accepted by many employers worldwide as indicating proficiency in English to be able to be of use in many jobs.
| 25 Hours per week | Cambridge Exam Syllabus | |
| Mornings: 9.15 – 12.30 | Closed Groups | |
| Afternoons: 1.30 – 3.30 | Max Class Size:12 | |
| Mondays - Fridays | Course material included | |
| Available all year round | Minimum 1 week | |
| £230 Per Student | Arr: Sunday Dep: Friday | |
| 5 nights full-board accommodation | + evening activity |
Course Aims
- Prepare students for internationally recognised exam
- Improve general English level and increase confidence in using English
- Improve examination techniques and strategies
- Practise and improve all four main skills
- Expand vocabulary knowledge and improve grammar
- Focus on accuracy, fluency and clearer pronunciation
Course Content
Reading (Paper 1) – skills and strategies to apply to a broad range of texts. Approaches to dealing with multiple choice (Part 1), gapped texts (Part 2), and multiple matching (Part 3).
Writing (Paper 2) – focussing on appropriate style and register as well as a range of text types, e.g. letters, reviews, emails, essays, articles and reports.
Use of English (Paper 3) – practising open and multiple-choice clozes (Parts 1 & 2), word formation and word transformations (Parts 3 & 4).
Listening (Paper 4) – exposure to and skills for dealing with native speech
Speaking (Paper 5) – focussing on accurate and appropriate usage of grammar and vocabulary, coherent expression of ideas, pronunciation, interactive communication and performing exam tasks successfully.
Full or Part practice exams are also available in class or as homework.
This course is suitable for French students preparing to enter the following educational establishments:
- Hypokhagne and Khagne
- Les Grandes Ecoles Scientifiques
- Les Grandes Ecoles de Commerce
- Les Ecole Militaire de St Cyr
Morning lessons are in a closed group focussing on grammar, vocabulary, translation work, essay and summary writing. In the afternoons students have the opportunity to further improve and practise their English in adult mixed nationality groups, where the focus is on listening and speaking. The day ends with individual oral tests with the teacher on a one to one basis.
| Monday - Friday | 30 Hours Tuition: 1 week | |
| 09.15 –12.30: closed group | Minimum class size: 8 | |
| 12.30 – 13.30: Lunch | Max class size: 12 | |
| 13.30 –15.30: mixed nationality classes | Course material included | |
| 15.45 – 16.45: individual oral tests | Computers available 9am - 5pm | |
| £360 per person | 5 nights full-board accommodation |
Course Aims
- Prepare students for Les Concours des Grandes Ecoles
- Practise and improve all four main skills
- Increase accuracy, fluency and confidence in English
- Expand vocabulary and improve grammatical knowledge
- Clearer pronunciation
Course Content
- Individual oral tests (colles)
- Grammar and vocabulary
- Idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs
- Pronunciation practice
- Functions and everyday language
- Interesting discussion topics and communication activities
- Authentic listening/reading texts, e.g. radio and newspapers
- Homework (essays, summaries and translations)
- Translations (French-English and English-French)
Students will be met by host families upon their arrival in Plymouth
Aimed at the more mature student, the programme offers the opportunity to improve and refresh their English skills in a relaxed supportive atmosphere.
The afternoons are spent visiting some of the many places of local interest with which Devon and Cornwall are blessed.
All our groups are met by a school representative and host families.
| Monday - Friday | 10 - 15 hours General English | |
| 0900 -12.00 | Small class sizes | |
| Break 10.30 - 11.00 | All year round | |
| 1 Afternon Free for shopping! | Course material included | |
| One full day excursion | Afternoon excursions / visits | |
| £310 per person - group of 36 | 5 nights full-board accommodation |
Afternoon visits and excursions:
- One or more of the many beautiful parks and historical gardens in Devon and Cornwall.
- Tour of Plymouth and its modern and historical buildings dating back to Elizabethan times.
- Visit to local Country houses - Mt. Edgecumbe House (16th Century), Cothele House (15th Century), Saltram House (18th Century), Antony House (18th Century).
- The Plymouth Gin Distillery dating back to 18th Century
- Local historical abbeys and churches dating back to 11th and 13th Centuries.
- Dartmoor National Park - place of wild natural beauty, special scientific interest, Bronze age ruins and Dartmoor ponies.
- Traditional Devon cream teas, pasties and pub lunches.
- The Eden Project - tropical, mediterranean biomes, environmental, educational charity.