University of Kent Junior English Course in Canterbury
Embassy Summer at University of Kent
Canterbury is a historic cathedral city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site with many historical structures, medieval streets, remarkable buildings all located in the county of Kent.
Our centre is located on the modern campus of University of Kent, within walking distance from the city centre. The campus is ecologically diverse and home to a number of species, including Great Crested Newts! The Northwest of the site is heavily forested, including pockets of ancient woodland, while the Southern Slopes contain a mix of wildflower and hay meadows. There are excellent sports facilities available as well as large outdoor spaces on campus for additional activities.
Key Facts:
Prices (per week):
Single en-suite rooms: £1,060
Standard single rooms: £980
Prices include tuition, trips, activities, accommodation, and full board
Location: University of Kent
Dates: 24th June - 19th August 2025
Ages: 11–18 (18 year olds accepted as part of a group)
Sample Excursions: London, Cambridge and Brighton
Single en-suites are refurbished and located in Tyler Court
Standard rooms are located in Darwin College and are arranged in flats of 5
Standard rooms have washbasins in each room
Room furniture includes a wardrobe, desk and chair
Rooms are cleaned weekly
Laundry available in each residence building. Cleaning is £2.70 per wash and drying is £1.30 per cycle
Meals are served in a large dining hall
Wi-Fi throughout
Bathrooms are cleaned every weekday and linen changed weekly
Students must bring their own towel
A deposit of £30 is required upon arrival and replacement of lost key is £35
Meals are served in a large self-service dining hall in Rutherford College
Breakfast
Continental breakfast including coffee, toast, jam, cereal and fruit
Lunch
A minimum of 2 options available, including a vegetarian option.
Packed lunches for full day excursions and weekends.
Evening Meal
A minimum of 2 options available, including a vegetarian option.
Learning
Bespoke lesson materials, the Embassy lesson is designed to engage students in discussion, to develop the key life skills of collaboration and intercultural communication, and to provide extensive opportunities to practice and build on current language.
Lessons taught by teachers trained to deliver the Embassy Lessons
17 students per class and classes suitable for students of all levels.
15 hours a week
20 x 45 mins in UK, US and Canada
15 x 60 mins in Malta
All learning resources provided are age appropriate and all students receive an end of course certificate of attendance.
Arrival
Students will be welcomed upon arrival at Darwin College where they will register and get their room keys so that they can check-in to their rooms.
Welcome
On the first evening, there will be a welcome activity which is designed to ensure students have the opportunity to meet staff and other students and get to know more about the campus, its facilities and useful information which will help them during their stay.
Activities
Activities are organised before and after lessons and during evenings. These activities could be on-site or near to the centre. These may include:
Sports such as football, mini Olympics, rounders, table tennis, volleyball and basketball
Daytime activities such as scavenger hunt and drama workshops
Evening activities such as karaoke, talent shows, and team games
Excursions and Trips
Our students get to explore exciting places such as Whitstable, Chatham Dockyards, Leeds Castle, and Rochester.
London: Visit this exciting capital city and take a walking tour of central London and visit the National Gallery.
Cambridge: This iconic university city is famous for its colleges, where we will visit a famous college.
Brighton: A vibrant, popular seaside resort with beautiful architecture, home to the Sea Life Centre.
Optional excursions
London:
Madame Tussauds: Experience one of London’s best loved attractions! Star in immersive experiences and get up close and personal with more than 150 lifelike figures of your favourite celebrities.
Tower of London: Explore the iconic 1000 year-old Tower of London, a must-see historic attraction housing the stunning Crown Jewels!
Hastings: Hastings is a town on England’s southeast coast. It is known for the 1066 Bale of Hastings, fought on a nearby field where Bale Abbey now stands. The Norman ruins of Hastings Castle, once home to William the Conqueror, overlook the English Channel.
Margate: Margate is a town on England’s southeast coast. It’s known for its sandy beach. Near the Harbour Arm stone pier, the modern Turner Contemporary art gallery has rotating exhibitions.
3 Week Sample Programmes
Extra
Each 21-night stay will include 2-3 local visits to Canterbury on foot with attractions of interest, 3-4 half-day trips to other exciting places/cities and 3 full-day excursions to other major cities like London, Cambridge or Brighton. Transport for trips may be by private coach or public transport.
The programme is for illustrative purposes only and is subject to amendments or alterations.
Students may have lessons either morning or afternoon in their first week, alternating weekly after that and visits may change.
| Week 1 | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Monday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | Arrivals/Departures Sports/Local activities Optional trip: London with Westminster walking tour and visit to the National Gallery |
Testing/Induction | Lessons | Lessons | Lessons | Lessons | Full-day trip: Cambridge with walking tour and college visit |
| Afternoon | Half-day trip: Canterbury city, Canterbury Cathedral or walking tour |
Half-day trip: Whitstable Town with beach and view of the castle |
On-site sports | Half-day trip: Chatham Dockyards |
Mini olympics | ||
| Evening | Welcome games On-site activities |
Marshmallow challenge | Photo scavenger hunt | Karaoke | Multi sports | Disco | Film night |
| Week 2 | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Monday |
| Morning | Arrivals/Departures On-site activities Optional trip: Margate and the Turner Art Gallery |
Half-day trip: Canterbury city, Canterbury Cathedral or walking tour |
Half-day trip: Rochester Town with Rochester Cathedral or Rochester Castle |
On-site sports | Half-day trip: Richborough Roman Fort & Amphitheatre |
Capture the flag | Full-day trip: London with Westminster walking tour and National Gallery visit |
| Afternoon | Lessons | Lessons | Lessons | Lessons | Lessons | ||
| Evening | Welcome games On-site activities |
Game/casino night | Arts & crafts | Karaoke | Talent show | Disco | Film night |
| Week 3 | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Monday |
| Morning | Arrivals/Departures Sports/Local activities Optional trip: Hastings or Chessington World of Adventures |
Lessons | Lessons | Lessons | Lessons | Lessons | Full-day trip: Brighton with walking tour and visit to the Sea Life Centre |
| Afternoon | Half-day trip: Canterbury city, Canterbury Cathedral or walking tour |
Half-day trip: Dover with nature trail through the white cliffs |
On-site sports | Half-day trip: Leeds Castle |
Egg drop | ||
| Evening | Welcome games On-site activities |
Kahoot quiz | Multi sports | Karaoke | Trashion show | Disco | Film night |
We place the highest priority on care and supervision at all of our Embassy Summer centres so you can rest assured students are well looked after. Members of staff are available 24 hours a day.
Student Services
Our student support staff can help you with:
Accommodation
Airport transfers
Information about local services
Assistance with individual and personal problems
Emergency contact
Medical information
If a student needs medical attention, an Embassy staff member will help make an appointment. Group Leaders must accompany the student to an appointment. An Embassy staff member will accompany any student that is not part of a group. There is a medical centre located on the campus of the University.
LOCAL DOCTOR
University Medical Centre, Giles Lane, Canterbury CT2 7PB, Tel: +44 1227 765682
LOCAL HOSPITAL
Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother Hospital, St Peter’s Rd, Margate CT9 4AN
INSURANCE
If a student does not have insurance to cover their time abroad, guard.me insurance is available to purchase through Embassy Summer.
CASH
Please note that the centre is mostly cashless. Cash is only required for optional activities and room deposits.
In case of emergency
A 24 hour emergency telephone number is available all summer:
Location
Embassy Summer Schools
c/o Darwin College
University of Kent
Canterbury CT2 7NY
Travel times to nearest airports
| (LGW) London Gatwick Airport | 1 hr 15 mins |
| (LHR) London Heathrow Airport | 1 hr 30 mins |
| (STN) Stansted Airport | 2 hrs |
| (LTN) Luton Airport | 2 hrs |
Travel times to nearest train station
| St Pancras International (Eurostar) | 2 hrs |