Ideal for students under 30.
Not ideal for mature students (35+ years) or very young students (17 years and younger)
The good
- Strong school identity.
- Strong social programme and sense of community.
- Career/university planning assistance from teachers.
The bad
- Not suitable for people with mobility issues.
- Some teachers are not as approachable as others.
- No cafeteria or food served on site.
Date of my inspection visit at Kaplan International Languages London: April 16, 2024
My overall take
Kaplan International Languages London (Kaplan) was a school right up my street for many reasons. Firstly, they are the first school to have a strong identity of who their target students are under 30. This immediately shows that the school caters to an adventure-seeking, carefree student. I could tell this by the students I met and some of the staff members.
Like Burlington, the social programme at Kaplan was one of the best I had seen. The social programme director was super friendly and welcoming with me and in her interactions with the other students. Their unique activities focus on the community aspect of team bonding, including participating in sports teams (basketball, football and hip hop class). They go beyond the typical visits to famous monuments (although there is plenty of that, too), and there is a real focus on partying, so if you consider yourself a “party animal“, this is the school for you.
The school does not have a cafeteria, which is a drawback, however, being based in central London, there are 100s of restaurants you can try for lunch. Prepare to spend some serious cash; central London meal prices are not cheap! Not to mention that the cost of studying here is one of the highest in London.
Another downside was the layout of the building. The school has four floors and a working lift. However, the lift is relatively small, old, and does not reach every floor. There is also a flight of stairs between each floor, so if you have any mobility issues, this school is not for you.
Overall, this is a school I could see myself attending and, in my opinion, is ideal for students in their late teens (18 years) to their late 20s.
Book Kaplan International Languages – Covent Garden London with an exclusive discount
Kaplan International Languages London at a glance
| Rating of former students | 4.2 (479 reviews) |
| Class size | Lingo Traveller rating: Average Max. 15 students in General English course |
| Diversity of nationalities | Lingo Traveller rating: Excellent diversity No nationality more than 15% Top nationality: Turkish |
| Learning intensity | 1.5 hours of homework per week |
| Number of students | 450 adults in July 320 adults in January |
| Minimum student age | 16 years for group courses |
| Accreditations | ALTO, British Council, Preferential Terms, English UK |
| Course range | General English, Business Supplementary, Academic English, FCE, CAE, CPA, TOEIC, IELTS, Cambridge Exam Preparation |
| Accommodation types | Homestay, Residence and Studios |
| Price | |
| Standard Group course 20 lessons/week: 45min/lesson | 1 week: £360 3 weeks: £1080 |
| Additional fees | Inscription fee: £135 Course material fee: none |
| Price level – Standard Group course (based on 3 weeks incl. all fees) | £27.00 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.
“I like Kaplan because it has a very good location, and I love the activities here like the boat party and the pub nights!“
Lena
32 years from Colombia
“I love most of the teacher, a lot of them are helpful but some of them are not very approachable“
Anonymous
23 years from Italy
Questions to school director
Excerpts below from my conversation with Anthony Selby, School Principal of Kaplan International Languages.
Me: “What sets your school apart from others in the city?“
Anthony Selby: “We have an emphasis on customer service and we have a very strong teaching team with our own materials. We don’t just use the communicative approach to learning, but we use task-based learning which really helps students work together on projects in class and use functional real world language, instead of just doing standard input lessons“
Me: “Is there a particular type of student for whom your school is especially suitable?
Anthony Selby: “A student that is happy to embrace the idea of immersing themselves in London life. Someone that understands that coming to class for 3 hours a day and then the study centre straight after to do some homework isn’t taking the benefit of the whole experience“
School inspection report
Classrooms
The classrooms are mostly spacious with padded seating, heating, plenty of natural light and mobile air-conditioning. As far as technology is concerned, every classroom also has an interactive whiteboard.
Facilities
The excellent communal areas at Kaplan include an open seating area, a paid coffee machine, a vending machine and a garden (very rare in central London) where BBQs and parties are hosted during the summer.
Surrounding area
Perfect location in central London, just off of Holborn High Street, opposite Bloomsbury’s Square garden. It is the perfect place to eat your lunch during the summertime. The closest tube station is less than a 5-minute walk and well connected to all other parts of London.
Social activities
A great combination of party events, team sports and educational extra-curricular visits. There is most definitely an activity that caters to every interest. Kaplan is also very open and welcomes suggestions, which shows flexibility within their social programme.
Residence
Large bedrooms, newly renovated, fitted with heating and air-conditioning. Private well-equipped kitchens. The bedrooms are very well furnished and are the standard student accommodation size in London.
The on-site amenities are also incredible; they include a large communal area with pool tables and ping pong tables, a theatre stage, library/study areas, a communal kitchen, a cinema room, a basketball court and a theatre stage.
The colours are vibrant and dynamic and are suited to students with the same personality.
Trusted student ratings of Kaplan International Languages London on the web
| Total | 4.2 (479 reviews) |
|---|---|
| ESL | 4.2 (479 reviews) |
Ratings as of June 19, 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.
