Ideal for meeting students from many different countries and enjoying the best of Brighton with them.
Not ideal for students looking for a cosy family atmosphere. This is a very large school with a substantial intake.
The good
- It is one of the best-located language schools in Brighton (located 4-6 walks from the heart of the city centre).
- They have a creative and advanced social programme catering to everyone, specifically to students over 30.
- Option of premium facilities for students who want to pay a higher course fee.
The bad
- It can feel impersonal with so many students at the school.
- One of the most expensive language schools in Brighton.
Date of my inspection visit at St Giles International Brighton: April 25, 2024
My overall take
St Giles International Brighton (St Giles) is an impressive school set in the best location in Brighton. They are one of the only schools that accept 14-year-old students on the General English course, which is a big plus for students who want to start during the summer season.
St Giles is a mix of the old and the new. Whilst the building and most classrooms are a little dated, there are modern classrooms and a platinum student suite specifically for “platinum students”. For the most part, the classrooms are clean, well lit and well-ventilated. All classrooms are equipped with an interactive whiteboard and an e-learning platform for additional self-study; this platform is available to students three months after they leave.
The school has a cafeteria, but unlike St Giles London, they only have sandwiches and snacks. Besides the cafeteria, there are few communal areas, i.e. a library, study area, lounge, etc. For a large school, this is a drawback.
Their social programme is impressive, and one of the best in Brighton, in my opinion. There are a lot of creative ideas that go into the planning of social events. From chocolate-making classes and wine and cheese events to trips outside of Brighton, St Giles provides a variety of activities for everyone. The students enjoyed the social programme, which was one of the things they said they liked the most about the school.
All in all, I believe the school, although on the expensive side, is a great place to study English and explore Brighton. This school is ideal for students in their early-mid 20s.
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St Giles International Brighton at a glance
| Rating of former students | 4.6 (749 reviews) |
| Class size | Lingo Traveller rating: Small Max. 12 students in General English course |
| Diversity of nationalities | Lingo Traveller rating: No percentage given Top nationalities: Saudi and Korean |
| Learning Intensity | 1 hour a week, but students have access to an e-learning platform where they can do extra homework |
| Number of students | 310 adults in July 160 adults in January |
| Minimum student age | 14 years for General English |
| Accreditations | British Council |
| Course range | General English, English for Beginners, Platinum, Teacher of English course, FCE, CAE, CPE, IELTS Exam Preparation |
| Accommodation types | Homestay, Residence |
| Price | |
| Standard Group course 20 lessons/week: 55min/lesson | 1 week: £380 3 weeks: £1140 |
| Additional fees | Inscription fee: £80 Course material fee: £37.50 |
| Price Level – Standard Group course (based on 3 weeks incl. all fees) | £21.50 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.
“They are very creative here at St Giles. It is easy to meet other people outside of your course.”
Sophie
46 years from France
“The social programme is my favourite. Last week I went to wine and cheese, I loved it !”
Thiago
35 years from Brazil
Questions to school director
Excerpts below from my conversation with Katie Walsh, School Principal of St Giles International Brighton.
Me: “What sets your school apart from others in the city?“
Katie Walsh: “We have teachers that have been with us for a long time, teacher that trained at this school right at the beginning of their journey. It almost creates this family feel and we have got some really great success stories based on that”
Me: “Is there a particular type of student for whom your school is especially suitable?
Katie Walsh: “The average age of the students at this school is 25, so somebody who is in their early 20s would really enjoy this school. We have a great social programme, so anybody who is really keen to get involved in the social scene and practise their English within an integrated community would really thrive here“
School inspection report
Classrooms
All the classrooms are spacious and have large windows letting in natural light streams. The only downside is that none of the classrooms have air-conditioning, which means the rooms can get very hot during summer.
Most of the classrooms are technologically equipped with interactive whiteboards and some with TVs.
Facilities
The communal area is located in the basement. It is spacious and has a lot of seating areas to eat and to commune with friends. In contrast, the Platinum students’ lounge is modern and newly refurbished, and this lounge is exclusively for Platinum students.
Surrounding area
The school is a 5-minute walk to the Brighton Royal Pavilion, Gardens and Brighton Museum and Art Gallery on a busy road. The heart of the city centre is also 6 minutes from the school, and the beach is a 10-minute walk.
Social activities
A lot of care goes into planning social events, and they also encourage student suggestions. They are one of the only schools I have seen that provide activities specifically catered to 30+ students; the definition of true inclusivity.
Residence
I visited St Giles’ privately owned residence. The rooms are spacious, well lit and well ventilated too. The residence has two well-equipped kitchens; one kitchen is smaller than the other and could be a problem due to the 32 rooms in the building. There is no laundry room on site; whilst this is a little inconvenient, there are two laundromats within a 5-10 minute walking distance from the residence.
Trusted student ratings of St Giles International Brighton on the web
| Total | 4.6 (749 reviews) |
|---|---|
| LanguageCourse.net | 4.9 (12 reviews) |
| ESL | 4.3 (631 reviews) |
| Boa Lingua | 4.5 (106 reviews) |
Ratings as of June 14, 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.
