Wimbledon School of English - about
2015.09.09
Overview
WSE is one of the oldest English language schools in the UK and since its foundation in 1964 it has earned a reputation for quality and excellence. We have been named as one of the top UK Centres of Excellence, according to our British Council Inspection reports. This is an honour of which we are justifiably proud and one that we all work hard to maintain. We believe strongly in the importance of education and have developed a range of courses designed to improve your understanding of the English language and develop your confidence in its use. Our continued success is largely down to the talent of our staff, the dedication they devote to our students and the pride they take in the school. A lot of our staff have been with us for many years and I myself started here as a teacher over 20 years ago! The charming Edwardian façade of our main building hides a busy school with excellent educational and recreational facilities, including a beautiful garden where you can relax between lessons. The London Exam Centre is part of WSE and is a dedicated test site for the Cambridge Examinations, IELTS and PTE Academic. Depending on the time of year, we have between 230 and 380 students, from up to 60 different countries, studying at any one time. This gives a wonderful opportunity to make new friends from around the world, learn about each other’s cultures and, most importantly, speak English together!
Location
Wimbledon lies in south-west London and is one of the city’s most popular locations. With excellent transport links, it is easy to reach by train or underground from all of London’s major airports, rail and coach stations. If you let us know your travel plans, we can advise on the best way to get from your airport or station to your accommodation. Alternatively, we can arrange a meet and greet service, where a school representative will meet you at your airport or station and take you to your driver, who will make sure you are safely inside your accommodation before leaving you.
Transport
Wimbledon (London Transport Network Zone 3) has fast connections to Central London (Zone 1) and a great choice of transport options. The school is only 3 minutes walk from the train and underground station. The following options are available:
- Overground train
- Taxis
- Underground train
- Night bus
- Tram
- Numerous local buses
From Center of London: 40 minutes
Address: 41 Worple Rd, London SW19 4JZ, United Kingdom
Learning Environment
Wimbledon has an excellent range of leisure facilities and shopping opportunities within walking distance of the school. With its excellent transport links, it’s also the ideal location to enjoy the benefits of London without the stress of a daily commute to the city centre.
Our facilities at a glance:
- 21 classrooms in the main building
- Large, beautiful garden
- 4 classrooms in the annexe (Mansel Road Centre)
- Interactive whiteboards in 10 classrooms
- Large, light, comfortable common room with TV,
- DVD, PCs, newspapers, magazines & games
- Snack bar
- Fully-equipped multimedia Study Centre with a teacher there to help every afternoon
- Film library
- Reading library
- Free WiFi throughout the school
- Table tennis
- Piano
Highlights/Advantages
- Intensive full-time classes (minimum 20 hours per week) and a serious study programme
- The care and attention of an independent school
- A team of experienced and ded icated teachers including several IELTS examiners
- A centre for Cambridge, IELTS & PTE examinations
- A lovely building with a large, beautiful garden
- Top location in one of the best parts of London
- Great transport links, only 20 minutes from the centre of London
- The e-wimbledon language learning platform
- Excellent accommodation situated near the school
- Good facilities including free internet access, WiFi and a multi-media study centre
- Free sports and social activities…including tennis!
- A free placement service for all UK universities
- Accredited by the British Council and the ISI. Member of EnglishUK, Business EnglishUK, Quality English, IALC and the English Network
Accommodation
Standard Homestay Accommodation
Homestay is our most popular option and is the best way to improve your English, whilst at the same time experiencing a British way of life. Host families vary from couples with children to people living alone. All our families are carefully selected and regularly checked by our specialist staff and many have provided excellent homestay accommodation for our students over many years. Around one third of our families are within walking distance of the school, whilst for the others the maximum journey time is 30 minutes by bus or two stops on the London Underground or overground train. Wimbledon is very well served by all types of public transport.
Homestay Guarantee
- The family will be welcoming, friendly and happy to talk to you
- If you are unhappy with your accommodation for any reason, you will be moved as soon
- The home will be clean and comfortable and your bedroom will be cleaned every week
- You will be able to bathe or shower every day
- If you take the half-board option you will be givena varied, balanced diet
- You will not be placed with a student who speaks the same language, unless you ask to share with a friend from your country
- There will be no more than students in the homestay
- Wireless Internet access will be available
House-share - The Self-catering Option
As the name suggests, you will share a house with a group of fellow students from the school, in one of our residential houses. All our house-share properties have a living room with a TV and DVD player, where you can relax and chat to your housemates, and lovely gardens in which to enjoy the sun. They also have well equipped kitchens, though there’s always the temptation to eat out in one of the many local cafés and restaurants.
Superior House-share
King’s Lodge is a large house, ideally situated in the centre of Wimbledon, just two minutes walk from the train and underground station, shopping centre and cinema - and only ten minutes from school. There are numerous cafés, restaurants and bars in the immediate area if you wish to eat out. It has nine study bedrooms (single, twin and double) each with its own bathroom. Queen’s Lodge is a beautiful house in a quiet residential road only ten minutes’ walk from the school and the town centre, and five minutes from the shops, cafés, bars and restaurants of West Wimbledon. It has six large single study-bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. Queen’s Lodge is for students aged 30+.
Standard House-share
Haynt Walk 1, Haynt Walk 2 and Cherrywood are three houses located in pleasant residential areas in South West Wimbledon. They are only ten minutes from the school by bus or thirty minutes on foot. There are a few shops and cafés just around the corner from each of the houses. The two Haynt Walk houses each has five bedrooms, of which two are ensuite and three share shower-rooms. Cherrywood has six bedrooms, all sharing bathrooms.
Catholic Student Hostel
This facility is operated by the Catholic Church and is located in Southfields, home of the famous All England Lawn Tennis Club. It is only available to unmarried women, aged between 18 and 30 years. Whilst the hostel has no connection with the school, we are able to make bookings on your behalf if required, subject to availability.
Hotels, Guest Houses and Apartments
Often, students attending our more business-orientated Tailored English Courses prefer to stay in local hotels and guest houses or, if they are perhaps studying for a longer period, a rental apartment. Our accommodation team have information on a variety of properties, with a range of prices, and they will be happy to help you select the most appropriate for your needs.