FAQs

There are generally 14 children in our young learner classes.

Please ensure that you arrive promptly and pick up your child on time at the end of the lesson. Only students and staff will be allowed entry to our teaching floors. We ask that parents, guardians or attendants accompany their child(ren) to the entrance of the British Council but not enter the building. British Council staff will ensure that students are guided to their classrooms.

Your child can expect a warm welcome. In the first lesson we take time to get to know one another, help children make new friends, and make your child feel comfortable and at ease. Your child’s teacher will set up classroom routines and discuss basic classroom behaviour and rules. Some classes produce an agreed Class Code of Behaviour. This first lesson also provides you with an opportunity to set up a weekly routine with your child.

Our 60-minute hour is divided into 45/50 minutes of teaching and a 10-minute break. Some breaks are taken in the classroom while others will be taken in the reception areas.

Children who feel unwell will be asked to wait in a dedicated isolation space until their accompanying parent, guardian or attendant can be contacted.

We know that your child may have a lot of school homework and we don’t want to overload anyone. However, we will set a variety of homework tasks. The frequency of homework will depend on the type of class your child is attending; exam preparation classes will have more homework.

If face-to-face teaching is interrupted either because of a Covid19 event or absence of your child’s teacher, lessons will be delivered online until guidelines allow for resumption of face-to-face teaching.

At the British Council, we believe strongly in respect and encourage all our children to respect:

• themselves
• other children
• their teacher
• their school

If a child misbehaves, they will receive an informal warning from their teacher. If the behaviour continues, the child will receive a second, but formal, warning from the Academic Manager who will keep a record and notify the parents. If serious misbehaviour continues, we reserve the right to expel the child. No child will be expelled until we’ve consulted parents.

At the British Council, children must use their or the British Council’s mobile devices responsibly. Mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets can be very useful tools and can help children learn, but they can also be a distraction. We want children to stay safe online and to make the most of their time in the classroom. Mobile devices must be on silent/airplane mode and must be kept in your bag in the classroom.

At the British Council, we do not have a canteen or food and drink vending machines. Drinking water is available on each teaching floor but you are asked to provide your child with their own reusable bottle or drinking cup. We encourage you to pack a small healthy snack for your child to enjoy during one of their breaks.