Frequently asked questions

Decide which course you want to do by reading through the information available on this site or in our brochures. If you need help call us and we will be willing to you .

Then please check that the dates you require are available. Please remember there are restrictions on the starting dates of some of our courses. They are there to safeguard quality and are therefore in your own interest.

When you have found the course that you would like to study check that you are suitable. Check the age, level of English, working background and language objectives. Then send the registration details in one of the following ways:

• by completing the on-line registration process on our website.
• by sending us the enrolment form information by email or fax.
• by telephoning to give us the information.

Please remember that we also need full details of your accommodation needs. When we have received your enrolment form we will confirm the arrangements as soon as possible - usually the same day although in the summer this can take longer.

Please send your enrolment (and enrolment fee) as early as possible as some courses have limited places and become quickly full – you can check availability with a Course Consultant.

On receipt of your Enrolment we will send you a Certificate of Enrolment with full course details and total fees. You can use this Certificate of Enrolment to help obtain a visa if you need one for payment with your bank and at Immigration Control on arrival in England.

Please pay the balance of your fees as soon as possible. At the latest the fees must be credited to our bank account by your arrival date otherwise you will not be able to begin your course. Payment for social club activities can be made on arrival but can also be included with your course fees payment.

Pocket money can also be paid with your course fees and withdrawn in weekly payments.

Payment for courses and accommodation may be made in any of the following ways:

Payment by credit card

This is the easiest and quickest way to pay. We accept Visa and Mastercard. You will need to give us the following information: Card number, Expiry date, Name of the card holder, Address of the card holder (this must match the registered address of the card) 3-digit security code (the last 3 digits on the back of the card)

Payment by Bank Transfer to our bank (Airmail, Telex, Swift)

A/C name: Churchill House School of English Language
A/C no: 41133659. Bank: HSBC, 1 High Street, Ramsgate,
Kent CT11 9AD
Sort Code: 40-38-02
IBAN: GB79MIDL40380241133659
BIC: MIDLGB2110L
Swift Code: MIDLGB22

Please remember to pay all bank charges at your end. If you are paying by bank transfer, please send us a copy of the transfer advice.

Payment by International Bank Draft

Payable to Churchill House School of English Language and sent directly to Churchill House, Spencer Square, Ramsgate, Kent CT11 9EQ

If you are flying, after you leave the aeroplane you will collect your luggage and pass through immigration and customs and then come into the Arrivals Hall. If you have booked a taxi or our transfer service this is where you will meet the driver. He/she will be holding up a notice saying Churchill House. If you have a problem then telephone the transfer number 07531427628. The journey to Ramsgate will take approximately 2 hours from Heathrow and 90 minutes from Gatwick.

If you are travelling independently there are fast rail links from both Heathrow and Gatwick direct into London from where you should make your way to Victoria Station where you can catch a train to Ramsgate. There are taxis outside Ramsgate Station.

If you are arriving at Dover there are free buses from Dover Harbour taking passengers to Dover Priory Railway Station after each ferry arrival. Trains depart from there to Ramsgate and take approximately 40 minutes. If you are travelling by Eurostar to Ashford International you can take a train direct from Ashford International to Ramsgate; these depart every hour and the journey time is approximately 50 minutes.

You will already have received details of your host family, and if you are in one of our taxis or have booked the shared transfer service you will be taken direct to this family.

Lessons start on a Monday (Tuesday if it is a Bank Holiday weekend in the U.K.) You will have received a letter asking you to report to the School at either 08.00 or 08.30 on the Monday after your arrival.

On arrival at the School you will follow our intake reception procedure where we will check that everything is OK with you. You should have sent your test to us before your arrival, once you have seen reception you will have a short interview with a course director then you will go to class.

You will meet the Social Club staff who will tell you all about the activities and trips on offer and you will be taken on an orientation tour of Ramsgate.

Finding your way around any new building can be daunting, so here are a few hints to help you at Churchill House

The School has three buildings:
Spencer Square, the Paragon and the Executive Centre.

The classrooms at Spencer Square all have the prefix ‘S’ and then the floor number.

The following are located in Spencer Square:

The room numbers at the Paragon all have the prefix ‘P’ and then the floor number.

The room numbers at the Executive Centre all have the prefix ‘E’ and then the floor number.

We hope that you are happy here. However, sometimes you may have a problem, or things can go wrong, and this is what to do if this happens:

If you have a problem, please tell us. Your problem may be practical – for example to do with your course or your accommodation – or it may be personal – for example to do with a member of staff or another student. We are here to help you, but we can only do this if we know the problem exists.

If you have any problems, worries or concerns about any aspect of your stay at Churchill House please speak to a member of staff in the appropriate department as soon as possible. Most problems or worries can be sorted out quickly and easily if dealt with immediately. However if your problem is not solved immediately you can follow the complaints procedure below.

If you have any concerns about your class or level please speak to your teacher first. However, if you are still unhappy you should talk to a Course Director. If the matter is very serious you should arrange to see the Academic Principal.

If you have a complaint about another part of your course you should see the Head of Department concerned, e.g. the Accommodation Manager, the Social Club Manager, the Financial Controller for financial matters and the Director (Sales & Marketing) for matters concerning sales or publicity. If you are not sure who to see please ask in Reception.

If you are still not happy you may arrange to take your complaint to the owner and principal of the School. Please see reception to arrange an appointment.

Finally, Churchill House is accredited by the British Council and is also a member of English UK (see notice boards). Both these organisations have procedures whereby they can raise any serious complaint with the school on your behalf if our own procedures have still left you dissatisfied.

If you cancel your course because you visa application was refused we will refund 100% of fees paid on receipt of the original written visa refusal.

If you cancel your course or accommodation up to 21 days before the start date, we will refund the total fees paid minus the enrolment fee. If you cancel your course less than 21 days before the start date, the full value of fees paid, minus the enrolment fee, will be transferred to another course of your choice at a later date. If you wish to cancel all or part of your course or accommodation after your arrival 4 weeks’ notice must be given. The balance of the accommodation fees will be refunded in full and the balance of the tuition fees will be transferred to another course at a later date. If less than the required notice period is given, 4 weeks’ tuition and accommodation fees will still be deducted from the remaining balance.

If you have any questions regarding our terms and conditions or cancellation policy we would be very happy to discuss them with you either by telephone or in person by contacting Birgit Wilson (reception).

If you have any questions about your accommodation you should speak to our Accommodation Manager – Susan Thompson – on the first floor of our Spencer Square building.

Your family will be booked for you before you arrive. We know all our families personally and take great care trying to find you the right family.

If you have any problems regarding your accommodation we will be happy to talk to you about them. If you need help with immigration and visa matters, they can offer advice and assistance.

If you wish to change your family for any reason you should go to the Accommodation Office.

Churchill House provides a small prayer and worship room for those students and staff of all faith traditions and religions. This is a quiet space for individual prayer, quiet reflection or reading. Our Social team will be happy to assist you in finding suitable places of worship in Ramsgate.

Please see the visas page.

Our social team can be found on the ground floor of our Spencer Square building. The Social team are responsible for overall planning of trips, activities and sports, and can also help you join local clubs and organisations, as well as insurance, reconfirming flights and renewing membership cards.

Speak to them if you want to know what to do locally. They will provide you with timetables and leaflets on museums, sport and recreation. They will give you up-to-date opening times and prices.

If you have any problems or queries regarding social activities we will be happy to talk to you.

You are automatically a member when you enroll on your course at Churchill House. The membership fee is included in your course fee.

When you arrive at the School, you receive a Student Identity Card. Please make sure you put your photograph on it immediately and bring your card to the Social Club to be laminated. You must carry your membership card with you at all times. The card is only valid for the duration of your course so if you change or extend your stay you will need to have a new card.

We have our own quality assurance scheme and we want to know that we are offering a high quality service to you. Student Satisfaction Questionnaires, after-Sales interviews and Leaving Questionnaires are all part of the process and we really appreciate your time as it helps us to improve things where necessary. Please continue to help us to maintain and improve our quality by filling in and returning these forms. Thank you.

Please ask any member of staff if you have any questions or if you need help. Even if they cannot help they will know where you need to go to get the answer.