Elac Easter Programme

EASTBOURNE COLLEGE, EASTBOURNE
DATES: 2nd March – 16th April 2017

Our Easter programme in Eastbourne College provides students with fantastic opportunities to practise and improve their English and learn about British culture in a truly authentic learning environment.  There are also opportunities to integrate with English teenagers in some of the afternoon activities.

In the mornings, our students will have daily English classes in mixed-nationality groups – a total of 30 hours over the course.  A level test is given to students on the first day to ensure that they are placed in the correct class.  Like our summer courses, there is a focus on activating our students' English and practising their communication skills.

Afternoon sessions involve students participating in a wealth of activities and excursions.  We organise different sport, art and craft, music as well as other alternative activities, some of which involve the participation of local English teenagers, to give our students an authentic learning experience.

Various elements of our Easter course are flexible – students can choose to participate on the course for 1 or 2 weeks.  There is also the option of staying in the school residential accommodation or with a homestay provider (see below for further details about the accommodation options).

Welcome to Eastbourne – The Sunshine Coast

Eastbourne is renowned for being one of the most attractive seaside towns in the whole of England.
Located at the foot of the South Downs National Park, Eastbourne enjoys more sunshine hours than anywhere else in Britain.  Indeed, as you enter Eastbourne you will be greeted by the sign “Welcome to Eastbourne, the Sunshine Coast”.

As a centre for English Language Teaching, Eastbourne is quite superb with many things for young people to do and see.  There are great sports facilities, a wonderful seafront and excellent leisure attractions.

Here are some of the main attractions that you can find in Eastbourne:

• Excellent shopping centres, both indoor and outdoor
• First class sports and leisure facilities, including lively discos and three theatres
• An extensive leisure marina with its own waterside walks, shops and restaurants
• Modern cinemas with the most recent films
• One of the finest seafront promenades in the whole of England
• National Parklands (The South Downs) within 1 km of the town, including the famous Beachy Head cliffs
• Half-hourly direct train service to central London (journey time: 90 minutes)
  

Eastbourne College

The College campus enjoys a great location right in the heart of Eastbourne.  It is two minutes’ walk from the beach and eight minutes’ walk from the shopping centre and railway station.
While outwardly retaining the charm and style of a traditional English Independent school, inside Eastbourne College offers excellent educational facilities.  Classrooms are spacious and well equipped, and the modern dining hall offers varied menus and a welcoming eating environment.  We have off-site access to an indoor heated swimming pool and sports hall/gymnasium.  There are on-site tennis courts, as well as grass fields and astro-turf for football, hockey, volleyball and a variety of other activities.  The site has disabled access.

Accommodation

Our students can choose to stay in residential accommodation at Eastbourne College, which is located close to the campus, and a few minutes’ walk from the facilities.  Elac staff are always on hand to ensure thorough supervision of students, especially at bedtime.  Most rooms are singles or twins, with some triples.  Each house has its own security code on the front door.
Many of our students choose to stay with a local homestay provider.  Here they will have further opportunities to experience British culture first-hand by living with a British family and participating in their day-to-day life.  For more information on our homestay providers and how they are chosen click here.

Meals

Residential students
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are taken in the college restaurant.  The excellent menus include vegetarian meals as well as a selection of hot and cold dishes together with a salad bar.  A full English breakfast is served twice weekly with continental breakfast on the other days.

Home-stay students
Breakfast and dinner are taken with the homestay provider.  Lunch is eaten in the school dining hall.  There is always a range of options, including vegetarian meals as well as a selection of hot and cold dishes together with a salad bar.

Excursions

During the Easter programme our students will have the opportunity to visit London twice and Brighton once.
Eastbourne has a quick direct train service to London and Brighton, so we make full use of this proximity in our excursion programme.

On the first London excursion the students will take a guided sightseeing walk through the most touristic parts of the city with one of our Elac activity leaders.  Included in the walk are Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, Downing Street, Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square.  Students will also get some free time to explore the centre of London in small groups before heading back to Eastbourne.

In the second excursion to the capital we arrange a museum visit (to the Natural History, Science or British Museum).  There is also further free time to take in more of the sights.

On the full-day excursion to Brighton on the South coast, students will get a guided walk around the historic Lanes, full of alternative shops and boutiques followed by a visit to the Brighton Pavilion, a palace built by the Prince Regent in the late 18th century in the Indo-Saracenic style.  There will also be free time to explore the beach, the pier and do some shopping!