Ideal for students between the ages 18-25 looking for an upscale school with many facilities and an extensive social programme.
Not ideal for students who want an intimate community focused school, the school is large with a large intake.
The good
- Good location, a 10-minute walk to the beach pier and 15 minutes to the city centre.
- The school is large, well-designed and furnished with great facilities.
- Several courses are available for different age groups, including General English courses, Business English courses, CPE, FCE, CAE, and IELTS Exam Preparation.
The bad
- There is a maximum of 17 students per classroom, which is more than the average maximum number of students per classroom in other schools.
- It is more expensive than many other language schools, by at least £6 per lesson.
- It is unsuitable for those with mobility issues; there are many flights of stairs but no lifts.
Date of my inspection visit at EF International Language Centre Brighton: April 26, 2024
My overall take
EF International Language Center (EF) Brighton is an excellent school for generally younger students seeking a young, vibrant environment to learn English whilst exploring Brighton.
There are two main communal areas, a cafeteria and an activities room. The cafeteria serves hot food during breakfast and lunch, and snacks for break times; students can eat on the premises. If they prefer to eat at the numerous restaurants in Brighton, it is merely a 10-15-minute walk to the centre. Other facilities include a self-study room, which is small in size but effective for quiet individual studies.
The classrooms are large and modern, mostly with full-sized tables, comfortable chairs and plenty of natural light. However, with a maximum capacity of 17 students, this could still be an issue with students who want more attention from their teachers.
A positive that was raised numerous times by the students was the social activities. EF Brighton has a dedicated and active social activities team. They have a great range of activities, from night outs to museum tours and in-house creative artsy activities, e.g. mirror painting. It’s evident that a lot of thought goes into planning the activities.
Regarding teaching, the school has a mantra known as “Efecta”, which essentially means immersing the students in lessons and using the language in every way possible. Students said their classes were never dull because of the teachers’ method.
This school is a lot more expensive than other schools within Brighton, so I would definitely recommend this school to younger students who are looking for a complete package immersion experience and who can afford the high costs.
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EF International Language Centre Brighton at a glance
| Rating of former students | Insufficient number of student ratings |
| Class size | Lingo Traveller rating: Very large Max. 17 students in General English course |
| Diversity of nationalities | Lingo Traveller rating: Excellent diversity No nationality more than 15% Top nationality: French |
| Learning Intensity | 1-2 hours of homework per week |
| Number of students | 500 adults in July 350 adults in January |
| Minimum student age | 12 years for group courses 16 years for General English |
| Accreditations | British Council, ISI |
| Course range | General English, Summer Courses, FCE, CAE, CPE, IELTS Exam Preparation |
| Accommodation types | Homestay, Residence |
| Price | |
| Standard Group course 26 lessons/week: 40 mins/lesson | 1 week: €600 3 weeks: €1800 |
| Additional fees | Inscription fee: €150 Course material fee: None |
| Price Level – Standard Group course (based on 3 weeks incl. all fees) | €37.73 / (£32.50) 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.
“This is my first travel alone and it was scary at first with a different country and different culture, but the staff at the school really make me feel like I am at home“
Alicia
19 years from Italy
Questions to school director
Excerpts below from my conversation with Rory Paxton, director of EF International Language Centre Brighton.
Me: “What sets your school apart from others in the city?“
Rory Paxton: “We’re a very big language school, so no matter what time of year you come to study with us, we always have many students studying with us. At any one time, there are usually around 30 different nationalities at the school.“
Me: “Is there a particular type of student for whom your school is especially suitable?
Rory Paxton: “Anyone from the age of 16 is welcome, and all the students are from different backgrounds. Students that want the big city feel but be in a location near the beach and also walkable.”
School inspection report
Classrooms
Every classroom is very spacious and well-lit, with interactive whiteboards. Most classrooms have large table spaces rather than two-in-one table desks.
Facilities
There is a large cafeteria with a good selection of meals and snacks for the students during breaks. The communal areas have TVs, a game console and a pool table.
There is also a tiny self-study room, not large enough to accommodate more than five people, but still an option for students who want to study outside class.
Surrounding area
Although there is a café on site, the school is within walking distance of Brighton’s city centre and Palace Pier. The school is in an upmarket neighbourhood with residential properties on either side of the school.
Social activities
There are several types of activities for all interests. Sports activities, e.g. yoga in the sky, art club, language exchange, theatre visits, etc. They focus on a wide range of social activities catering for many different interests and less on parties, possibly because the general student age is younger than in other schools.
Residence
EF Brighton owns a private residence exclusively for EF students. This private residence is a relatively old building, and no lifts are available, so please bear this in mind. Homestay and other student residence options are also available.
In my opinion, this is a very student-friendly accommodation, but it caters to younger students. Although they have single rooms, these are limited; most of their bedrooms are twin and multi-sharing rooms with a shared bathroom. They also have a corridor exclusively for under-18s; a welfare staff lives on-site to assist those under 18.
The facilities include a large garden area where they host BBQs in the summer, a gym, a laundry room, a study room, communal living rooms, two shared large kitchens and food lockers.
Unlike many other residences, they also offer activities to the residents, such as movie marathons, bracelet-making experiences, pizza-making experiences, breakfast clubs, and many more.
Trusted student ratings of EF International Language Centre Brighton on the web
| Total | Insufficient number of student ratings |
|---|
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.
