Ideal for all students who want the convenience of a UK boarding school-style education (residence, accommodation and perfect location).
It is not ideal for students looking for a cosy community atmosphere. This is a massive school with a very large intake.
The good
- Boarding school setup: they have very large bedrooms on-site for students and offer lunch in their fully equipped canteen.
- One of the best locations in London (located in central London)
- Several varied courses for different age groups, including General English courses, Business English courses, FCE, CPE, CAE and IELTS Exam Preparation.
The bad
- It can feel impersonal with so many students at the school.
- Their social programme is less diverse than other schools.
- Much more expensive in comparison to schools with a similar boarding school setup (i.e. Burlington)
Date of my inspection visit at St Giles International London: April 16, 2024
My overall take
St Giles International London (St Giles) is an impressive school. It is a combination of convenience and PERFECT location. This school is the best of both worlds.
St Giles is a mix of the old and the new. While the building is old, there are modern residences, classrooms, and a Platinum student suite on the upper-level floors. For the most part, the rest of the classrooms, whilst not refurbished to the same spec, are clean, well lit and well-ventilated. The school is constantly undergoing refurbishment, and there will be several more residence spaces this upcoming summer. The residences are very, very spacious and newly renovated. It’s vastly better than the 6-bed dorms you will find at Burlington.
The school has a cafeteria, but unlike Burlington, they do not serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and are limited to just serving lunch, which is a big drawback between the schools. However, the residences include a fully equipped student kitchen, which Burlington does not have. Students are free to prepare their food on-site, lessening the need for breakfast and dinner to be served in the school cafeteria.
Their social programme, on the other hand, is not very detailed and gives the impression that not a lot of thought goes into their social activities. The students enjoyed the programme, but most said they specifically liked the pub crawl, and as young 20-year-olds, I’m not surprised that was their favourite activity! Overall, this school is ideal for students in their early-mid 20s.
Book St Giles International – Central London with exclusive discount
St Giles International London at a glance
| Rating of former students | 4.4 (69 reviews) |
| Class size | Lingo Traveller rating: Small Max. 12 students in General English course |
| Diversity of nationalities | Lingo Traveller rating: Excellent diversity No nationality more than 14% Top nationality: Japanese |
| Learning intensity | 2 hours of homework per week |
| Number of students | 380 adults in July 220 adults in January |
| Minimum student age | 16 years for group courses |
| Accreditations | ALTO, British Council, Eaquals, English UK |
| Course range | General English, Platinum, Business for specific professions, FCE, CAE, CPE, IELTS exam preparation, Family Course run in the summer |
| Accommodation types | Homestay, On-site residence, Hotel/Guesthouses |
| Price | |
| Standard Group course 20 lessons/week: 50min/lesson | 1 week: £392 3 weeks: £1176 |
| Additional fees | Inscription fee: £80 Course material fee: £50 |
| Price level – Standard Group course (based on 3 weeks incl. all fees) | £26.10 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.
“The atmosphere with the other students is amazing, and I love the Friday Pub Crawl and the trip to Portobello Market. But I wish there were more activities where students could learn about different careers“
Louise
21 years from France
“Students that are social and have good vibes will do well here, you need to be open to having conversations”
Taito
20 years from Japan
Questions to school director
Excerpts below from my conversation with Thomas Borrie, School Principal of St Giles International.
Me: “What sets your school apart from others in the city?“
Thomas Borrie: “We are one of the most established names in English language teaching, within 10 minutes walk of 7 different tube stations. One things that is very unique about our school is our on-site residential accommodations, we have 45 beds right here at the school!“
Me: “Is there a particular type of student for whom your school is especially suitable?
Thomas Borrie: “We welcome all students but what they all have in common is a sense of adventure and an appetite for experience“
School inspection report
Classrooms
All the classrooms are spacious and have large windows letting in natural light streams. The only downside is that only 65% of the classrooms have air-conditioning, meaning the rooms can get very hot during summer.
Facilities
The communal areas are rustic and imitate a classic UK pub. In contrast, the Platinum Students lounge is modern and newly refurbished, exclusively for Platinum students.
Unlike any other school I’ve seen, St Giles has a rooftop terrace available to all students, which is used in the summer for hosting BBQs.
Surrounding area
The school is located in central London, within walking distance of several underground stations, making it the perfect base for exploring the heart of London and beyond. The school is situated on a high street, close to a hotel, allowing guests to stay close to the school.
Lastly, several chain and independent restaurants are in the surrounding area, perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner dining.
Social activities
The social programme lacks lustre and lacks any natural creativity. Unlike some other schools, activities are posted a week in advance. That being said, many students did say they enjoyed the weekly pub crawl activity.
Residence
Large bedrooms, newly renovated, fitted with heating and air-conditioning. Private well-equipped kitchens. The bedrooms are very well furnished and would be a comfortable stay for any long-term student.
Trusted student ratings of St Giles International London on the web
| Total | 4.4 (69 reviews) |
|---|---|
| LanguageCourse.net | 4.3 (3 reviews) |
| Boa Lingua | 4.5 (63 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.
