Ideal for students looking for a community atmosphere where they can make a physical impact at school.
Not ideal for students who want to remain anonymous in the study body.
The good
- Excellent value for money when considering the facilities, school size, location, lessons, and social activities provided.
- Offer internships within the hospitality industry.
- Strong community within the school, with an active student ambassador programme.
The Bad
- The school does not cater to immobility; the building has no lifts.
- 30% of students are from Saudi, a below-average diversity mix.
Date of my inspection visit at Bayswater College Brighton: April 23, 2024
My overall take
In my opinion, Bayswater College Brighton (Bayswater) is an excellent school for students seeking a community vibe and are passionate about social causes. The school has internships that allow students to use their English skills in the hospitality industry within a natural working environment.
The communal areas are well-maintained, vibrant, and suited for the student intake. The student lounge is in the basement, with a few cafeteria-style tables, a sofa, and comfortable lounge chairs. There is a large TV for the students to watch during small self-break time and study area. Unlike a traditional cafeteria, no food is served on-site, but the school is on the high street, so many restaurants, cafes and supermarkets are nearby.
The large classrooms have ample lighting and interactive whiteboards for their interactive online resources and their e-learning platform. There is a good range of free social activities, and the social programme team encourage students to suggest new activity options. That being said, the social programme is less advanced than other schools. Undeniably, they have a community identity at this school, and they promote students getting involved in all aspects of the school and having student voices amplified through an ambassador programme.
I recommend this school to students in their late teens to early 20s who want to be close to the centre of Brighton, feel like they belong to a community, and get professional working experience.
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Bayswater College Brighton at a glance
| Rating of former students | 4.5 (53 reviews) |
| Class size | Lingo Traveller rating: Average Max. 14 students in General English course |
| Diversity of nationalities | Lingo Traveller rating: Below average diversity Top nationality: Arab-speaking countries 30% |
| Learning Intensity | 1.5 hours of homework per week |
| Number of students | 120 adults + 130 juniors in July 40 adults in January |
| Minimum student age | 12-17 years for specific junior courses 16 years for General English |
| Accreditations | British Council, English UK |
| Course range | General English, Intensive English, FCE, CAE and IELTS Exam Preparation. |
| Accommodation types | Homestay, Residence |
| Price | |
| Standard Group course 20 lessons/week: 45min/lesson | 1 week: £320 3 weeks: £960 |
| Additional fees | Inscription fee: £90 Course material fee: £6 per week |
| Price Level – Standard Group course (based on 3 weeks incl. all fees) | £23.70 per 60 minute tuition |
My tour of the school & video review
Student voices
Unfiltered comments from random students I met at the school and asked about their experience.
“Baywater Brighton is like a family to you, they are always interested in how you are doing, how your classes are and how they can help you. I think that’s one of the best things about this school”
Sylvia
from Colombia
“My favourite social programme is coffee and chat because we can interact with students from different levels and also with the teacher and practise our English. I think it has really helped me become confident with my English.”
Juan-Paulo
19 years from Colombia
Questions to school director
Excerpts below from my conversation with Michael Bradford, Centre Director of Bayswater College Brighton.
Me: “What sets your school apart from others in the city?“
Michael Bradford: “We are really interested in providing professional skills to the students, not just English language. We want you to take the next step in your career.“
Me: “Is there a particular type of student for whom your school is especially suitable?
Michael Bradford: “Students that don’t want to just learn English but want to become part of the school community and the wider community also.“
School inspection report
Classrooms
Every classroom is clean and well-lit, with interactive whiteboards, and all the classrooms are relatively spacious but some are much smaller than others.
Facilities
A relatively large cafeteria/student lounge has a designated study area. They have a “library” area, but it is more of “a shelf “resource corner” with access to academic and leisurely reading books rather than a traditional library.
Surrounding area
The school is on a busy high street with easy access to many restaurants and cafes. The journey to the centre of Brighton is also only 10-15 minutes from the city centre.
Social activities
There is a good range of free social activities, and the social programme team encourage students to suggest new activity options. The social programme is not as advanced as some other schools, i.e. EF International or St Giles, but at least one activity is still offered daily.
They also have a great initiative, the Bayswater Foundation, giving students in other countries, i.e. Colombia, Jordan and Brazil, the opportunity to study English. This is a thoughtful initiative, emphasising their social awareness and community-driven values.
Lastly, they have a student ambassador programme for long-term students, which allows students to get involved and have a say during their time at Bayswater.
Trusted student ratings of Bayswater College Brighton on the web
| Total | 4.5 (53 reviews) |
|---|---|
| LanguageCourse.net | 4.6 (7 reviews) |
| Boalingua | 4.3 (46 reviews) |
Ratings as of June 17, 2024
Why no Google or Facebook ratings? Schools may have requested Facebook, Google or Trustpilot reviews only from those students that previously gave positive after-course evaluations. I only trust ratings from independent booking platforms/agencies, that allow exclusively clients who booked via their platform to rate the schools. I have checked each of these sites above and they have no disproportional number of positive vs negative reviews.
