Ideal for students who are self-motivated and willing to put time in outside of the classes (mature/motivated students).
Not ideal for students wanting to be in the centre of London.
The good
- Located in one of the most historic neighbourhoods in London.
- Discounted or free access to different facilities in the Greenwich centre (gym, pool and library).
- Courses for different age groups, from 11+ to 50+.
The bad
- The school is situated on one floor, there is only 1 communal area that gets very busy during break times.
- There is no on-site cafe.
- There is no strict enforcement of English spoken in the classroom or during classes.
My overall take
Twin English Centre London (Twin School) is set in the modern Greenwich centre in the heart of Greenwich. Greenwich is a UNESCO historical area, one of the oldest, greenest and safest neighbourhoods in the city of London. Twin School has a large floor plan but is only based on one floor. Unlike some of the other schools, immobility can be catered to at this school. The perks of being based in the Greenwich Centre include access to the different facilities in the building:
- Free library access and membership.
- Discounted access to the gym and swimming pool.
- NHS Doctor on-site.
Better yet, the school is located a 30-minute walk, or 15 minutes on public transport, to the O2 arena where you have access to a mini shopping mall, full food court, and many different leisure activities. The school does not have a cafeteria, but they do have a microwave which allows students to bring food from home. There are also at least 9 different restaurants with different cuisines all within a 10-minute walking radius.
The teaching technique used at the school is the communicative style, however, there are no interactive field trips as part of the General English courses, and they may be included in some bespoke courses. Personally speaking, for me this is a disadvantage as many other language schools integrate school trips into the learning experience, making the lessons generally less boring.
Their social programme is varied with a few different options to travel around London and outside of London also, but there are not as many out-of-the-box options as some other schools. There is a very laid-back atmosphere and an emphasis on the students being self-motivated and willing to put in time outside of class. So if you are someone who wants a school where the teachers will hold your hand, this is not the school for you, especially if you want to truly develop your English.
In my opinion, the Twin School is well suited to students in their mid-late 20s and upwards who want to stay in a safer, cleaner and quieter part of London, but with easy links into the city centre.
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Twin English Centre London at a glance
| Rating of former students | 4.4 (16 reviews) |
| Class size | Lingo Traveller rating: Average Max. 15 students in General English course |
| Diversity of nationalities | Lingo Traveller rating: Good diversity No nationality more than 17% Top nationality: Turkish |
| Learning Intensity | 5 hours of writing, grammar and “learning in environment” homework per week |
| Number of students | 300 adults + 200 juniors in July 160 adults + 50 juniors in January |
| Minimum student age | 11 years for specific junior courses 16 for General English courses |
| Accreditations | ALTO, British Council, ERSA, English UK |
| Course range | General English, Young Leaners, Teacher Development, Parents and Juniors, Business English for specific professions, IELTS Preparation course |
| Accommodation types | Homestay and Residences |
| Price | |
| Standard Group course 20 lessons/week: 45min/lesson | 1 week: £310 3 weeks: £930 |
| Additional fees | Inscription fee: £55 Course material fee: none |
| Price Level – Standard Group Course (based on 3 weeks incl. all fees) | £21.90 per 60 minute tuition |
My tour of the school & video review
Student voices
Unfiltered comments from a random student I met at the school and asked about their experience.
“I chose this school because it was ranked in the top ranking of language schools in London. If I had to choose something to change about this school I would request for the school to be stricter with the “English only rule” in the classrooms. I think the students who have high motivation and ambition to learn English would do the best here“
Yuka
21 years from Japan
Questions to school social media manager
Me: “What sets your school apart from others in the city?“
School: “The school was founded by 2 twin sisters and is still very much a family business. We care about who we work with and this extends to the students, we have a warm and friendly environment. Also, the area is really underrated, Greenwich is one of the top 10 tourist attractions in London.“
Me: “Is there a particular type of student for whom your school is especially suitable?
School: “Somebody who wants to make lots of new friends, meet lots of people from around the world. Someone who wants to improve their English and is dedicated to that“
Excerpts above from my conversation with Billy Hunter, Social Media Manager/Teacher.
School inspection report
Classrooms
All the furniture is new and comfortable.
All the classrooms a very well lit, both with natural light from the large windows, as well as the artificial lights in the ceilings.
Each room looks newly renovated, clean and well-furnished. Every classroom also has air-conditioning and heating (which is a surprising luxury in London – not every school has these amenities). The technology is also top-end, with each classroom having interactive smart TVs and an online learning platform/app used in lessons called “Spark”.
Facilities
Free access to the public library on the ground floor of the Greenwich Centre. However, it is open to the general public and handy as there are no designated quiet self-study areas within the school itself.
There is only 1 communal area within the actual school, which gets extremely busy during them break time. The communal area does have a few computers but not enough for more than 5 students at a time.
Surrounding area
Greenwich is a UNESCO historical area, one of London’s oldest, greenest and safest neighbourhoods, right by the river Thames. Twin School is 30 minutes’ walk, or 15 minutes on public transport, from the O2 arena. Lastly, there are at least nine restaurants with different cuisines within a 10-minute walk radius.
Social activities
A good mix of different social activities, from museums to dance classes to pub nights. The only missing activities are the internal on-site activities that many other schools have, i.e. conversation club.
The school also has an ambassador programme, like Bayswater College, which allows a long-term student to represent their peers regarding all matters of the school. Not many schools do this, but the few schools that do this promote a sense of community and the students’ voices being heard and implemented.
Trusted student ratings of Twin English Centre London on the web
| Total | 4.4 (16 reviews) |
|---|---|
| LanguageCourse.net | 4.4 (16 reviews) |
Ratings as of June 18, 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.
