FAQs

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you need any further information.

What should I bring?

Stationery for lessons
Water bottle to refill around campus
Towels for showering and swimming
Shower gel and any other toiletries you need
Face masks and a travel bottle of hand sanitizer
Sports clothes and trainers for use in the sports centre
Comfortable walking shoes for excursions
Swimming shorts/costume. Please bring goggles if you need them.
Sports equipment, if you want to use your own (equipment is provided by the school if not)
Rain-proof jacket and warm sweater
International Evening - any items you will need
A plug adapter – the UK uses 240v
A sensible amount of clothes - remember you will have to carry your own bags on arrival and departure. A laundry service is available mid-course
Padlock for your suitcase or lockable cupboard
A damage deposit of £40/€40. This will be returned to you at the end of your stay, if you have not caused any damage to school property.
Spending money - students usually bring a card or between £60-£150 per week, but all students have different needs.

What is the accommodation like?

Each boarding house at Bloxham has a mixture of rooms, including singles, twins, quadruples and multi-bedded dormitories.

Younger students enjoy more companionship in the dormitories, while older students are allocated single or double rooms.

Each house more than one homely common room to relax and socialise in, modern bathroom and shower facilities and fully equipped kitchens, which are shared by all the students, and are available for use throughout the day.

We have separate houses for girls and boys. Students are allowed to visit the common rooms, but not bedrooms.

How can I improve my English?

There are 20 lessons of formal classes each week, which focus strongly on spoken English. Students study General English, British Culture and create a theatrical production in their Project classes.

Students mix with students from other countries and communicate with their new friends in English. We ensure classes and boarding houses are truly international so that students have lots of opportunities to practise their English.

During sports and excursions students use English with their fellow international students and work together to produce an end-of course Project show.

Most students find their confidence in English improves considerably during the stay. We usually have around 20 different nationalities represented in the school so it is important that students arrive with an open mind, make friends with other nationalities and practise their English as much as possible.

How are classes organised?

When students arrive at Bloxham, they have a tour of the school, welcome talk and a short level test, so that we are able to place students in the correct level.

Our lessons are communicative in focus and we want students to feel comfortable when speaking with their international classmates. Teachers meet with the director of studies each day to discuss the progress of students and if necessary, students can be moved to another level. Our aim is for students to improve their fluency and confidence while at ISC and any changes would be made with this in mind.

We work hard at ISC to ensure their is a good mix of nationalities in classes, so that our students have plenty of opportunities to practise their English and make new international friends.

There is a maximum of 16 students in General English classes. On our more intensive Academic English and Cambridge Exam courses we have a maximum of eight students.

What are the school rules?

ISC students are told the school rules in the welcome talk and in their first lesson. Students are asked to sign a student agreement upon enrolment, agreeing to behave properly during the course.

We treat students fairly, but do not tolerate bullying, racism, sexism or anti-social behaviour. We have a no drugs or alcohol policy on site.

Students who break these rules may be sent home at their parents’ expense. Similarly, we will not tolerate verbal or physical abuse of Bloxham staff, our staff or other students.

Part of our responsibility for the safety of each student involves ensuring that every student is treated well and fairly by everyone else attending or connected with the school.

If you damage any property, you will be asked to pay for the repair before you leave. We require a damages deposit of £40/40 euros from you on arrival. This will be returned at the end of the course if there is no damage.

What food is provided?

Bloxham's food is almost exclusively homemade and of a very good quality. There are 3 well-balanced meals a day, with a variety of healthy options to choose from each meal.

Please inform us of any dietary requirements and we will cater for these.

At breaktimes we provide drinks and biscuits and there is a modern café for students who wish to buy snacks, hot and cold drinks. There is also a light snack in boarding houses after the evening activity.

Is Bloxham a safe place to study?

Bloxham is a very safe campus, with a lockdown of houses at 23:00, meaning students can only leave in an emergency. We expect students to stay on campus, except when they go on organised excursions with our staff. While students are supervised during lessons, activities and excursions, there is a period between lessons/activities finishing at 5pm and dinner at 6pm, when students are allowed controlled free time. ISC staff and Group Leaders will be patrolling the campus to make sure everything is ok during this hour.

All staff live on site, so there is always someone available to help.

What excursions are there?

ISC students go on 3 full-day trips to London, Birmingham and the university city of Oxford. All trips include an informative, guided walking tour and students can practise their English in real-life settings.

In London, students explore the capital's most famous sights and visit the excellent Natural History Museum. In Britain's culturally-diverse second city, students see the striking architecture of Birmingham, visit the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and have free time for shopping in Europe's biggest shopping centre. In Oxford, students enjoy punting on the scenic River Cherwell, have time for souvenir shopping and learn about the university's historic colleges.

Optional Excursions

On the first Sunday of the course, there are optional trips for an extra charge of £70-100 to lots of exciting destinations.

For history fans there is a trip to Shakespeare's birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon where students can learn all about Shakepeare's life, works and the history of the market town on a guided tour. There is also a trip to Royal Windsor, where students can explore the late Queen's favourite residence Windsor Castle, go on a guided walking tour and go shopping for souvenirs.

Harry Potter fans can go on a tour of the Harry Potter Warner Brothers studios and experience the Great Hall, Diagon Alley and the forbidden Forest. You can see how the films were made, you some of the original props and costumes. Not to be missed!

For lovers of London, we offer a ride on the UK's number one attraction the London Eye or a cruise on the Thames and visit to the Tower of London, where the crown jewels are kept, along with centuries of royal drama and secrets! There is also time for souvenir shopping.

And finally, for students who love adrenaline, there is a trip to one of the UK's largest theme parks Thorpe Park.

Optional trips are subject to interest. There is a full day of activities for students who wish to stay on campus.

Is there a laundry service?

There is a mid-course laundry service for personal washing for an additional charge of £5.

Bed linen is changed each course for no additional cost. Please note you should bring your own towels for showering and swimming, these are not provided by the school.

What happens when students arrive at the airport?

A member of staff or one of our drivers will be waiting for the student in the arrivals lounge, holding an ISC sign. They will accompany the student to the school or they will travel with other students by coach to ISC.

On departure, we take students directly to the airport terminal. Alternatively, we offer a check in service or unaccompanied minors service at an extra cost, which must be booked in advance.

What are the terms and conditions of enrolment?

A 20% deposit must be paid upon booking to secure your child's place.
The balance for the course is due 6 weeks before the start date.
Cancellation policy for all courses: If cancellation occurs more than 4 weeks before arrival, the deposit will be retained. If cancellation occurs less than 4 weeks before arrival, but more than 72 hours, 50% of the fees will be retained. If cancellation occurs less than 72 hours before arrival, 100% of fees are retained.
If a visa application is rejected and we receive written evidence, we will refund the fees received in full.
Programme refunds are never made once the course has started.
Students must follow the school rules. Racist, violent, sexism, homophobic, bullying behaviour, or harassment, will not be tolerated. If students do not abide by the rules, they may be asked to leave the school at their parents’ expense. Fees will not be refunded.
By sending students to ISC, it is understood that the families have agreed to all ISC’s terms and conditions. Please ensure that the Parental Consent, GDPR, and Student Behaviour forms have been completed and returned to ISC. These will be provided during the enrolment process.
In the event of death or illness, ISC accepts no responsibility unless negligence can be proven.
Students must have insurance to cover medical fees, cancellation, repatriation, damage to property etc. Please contact ISC if you need us to organise this for you.

Who accredits the courses?

ISC is accredited by the British Council and is inspected every 4 years. The BC Accreditation Scheme assesses the standards of management, premises and facilities, teaching, course design, , safeguarding and welfare. Accredited organisations have to meet the overall standard in each aspect of what they offer.

We are also members of Young Learners English UK and English UK - the world's leading language teaching association and this provides you with a further guarantee of high quality and good service. Parents and students can appeal to English UK if they are dissatisfied with the way a school deals with a complaint.

The British Council last inspected International Student Club in July 2026. We are currently awaiting our inspection report.

In our 2022 inspection, strengths were noted in the areas of teaching, course design, staff management, student administration, quality assurance, premises and facilities, accommodation, leisure opportunities and care of under-18s.