About us

Residential English Language Courses

Vacational Studies Courses have been running for 39 years. We have tried in this time to develop an enjoyable balance between vacation and study.

Course Director

Ian Mucklejohn – who, as the Director, co-ordinates the Schools – was born in London. He is a graduate of the University of London with an Honours Degree in English Language and Literature, is an Associate of the College of Preceptors and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He has had many years experience in teaching. He is a published writer. He is the founder of Vacational Studies and has three 11 year-old sons of his own.

Accredited by the British Council

Vacational Studies is ‘Accredited by The British Council’ and is a member of English UK – formerly ARELS (The Association of Recognised English Language Services) – a
professional body, membership of which is granted only after thorough inspection by The British Council and re-inspection every four years. We were last inspected in 2011 and are Accredited until March 2016.

What we try to do

Vacational Studies tries to create a totally international Course with students from as many different countries as possible. We avoid accepting a large number ofstudents from any particular country. In this way we try to ensure that English is the
main medium of communication among the students. By using English not just as a school subject but as a living language, we hope our students will realise better its importance and value. Our students want to use English to make friends. This element of self-motivation greatly increases their fluency.

The emphasis on the practical use of English is combined with a full sports, entertainment and excursion programme helping young people to learn English internationally. But it is more than this…

Residence

The Courses are all fully residential. Students eat, sleep and receive classes in the Schools.

The Students

We accept boys and girls near-beginners, intermediate and more advanced students aged 10 to 18. Complete beginners are not accepted because they cannot participate in an international community. The Courses are sports-orientated and encourage good social development in a community situation.

Students who will benefit

Please make sure that our Course is
suitable for your child and that he/she wants to come. Those who
will benefit and we enjoy having with us will be internationally-minded, interested in English, outgoing, gregarious and able to function independently. They will also be
willing to accept the constraints of community living. We consider it so important that our standards and expectations are understood and accepted that we ask parents to confirm that they and their children have read the rules and that they agree to abide by them. A slip sent with the rules is provided for this purpose.

How they will benefit

We hope that our students will learn a
great deal of English, make good friendships and develop a positive international feeling. As well as formal study, we concentrate on the holiday aspect of the Course. While we try to involve students in all activities, we naturally respect the wishes of those who like to read quietly or be withfriends. Over the years, we have built up an excellent reputation with parents and young people all over the world. Many boys and girls spend several summers with us renewing old friendships and making new ones. Students from the ’70s and ’80s are now sending their children. Most students come to us on personal recommendation. The numbers on the Courses are deliberately kept quite small so that the staff can get to know everybody and treat each young person as an individual.