INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ENGLISH LANGUAGE HOUSE AND HOW WE WORK: 
HOW TO JOIN AN ENGLISH COURSE:
We will email you to tell you if we can accept you on the course you have chosen. Then you can: 
HOW TO JOIN AN E-LEARNING COURSE:
HOW TO APPLY FOR THE CELTA COURSE:
HOW TO BOOK AN EXAM
HOW TO BOOK HOMESTAY
What is homestay?
Homestay is accommodation for students with an English speaking family. Homestay hosts will provide students with a study bedroom and treat the student as a full member of the household; this means students will eat together with their homestay hosts and they will share the common living areas eg sitting room, kitchen, garden, and shared bathroom. Sometimes a homestay host can provide the student with a room which has its own bathroom which the student will not need to share; this is called an en-suite. 
When to book your homestay accommodation?
You must book your homestay accommodation 14 working days before your arrival date. Please do not arrive and then tell us you need homestay because we may not be able to help and you may end up paying a lot of money to stay in a hotel while we try to find somewhere for you.
When is homestay available?
Homestay accommodation will be available from 2022 for adult students. If students want to book homestay they will need to:
  • Read the Terms and Conditions for students in homestay
  • ​ Complete the Accommodation Form
  • Pay the Accommodation placement fee
  • Pay the Accommodation fee for 4 weeks in advance.
How much will homestay cost?
Accommodation in Milton Keynes is expensive and rent in Milton Keynes is almost as expensive as London! Homestay can also be expensive, depending on what you want. It may be cost students from £700 to £1500 per month to stay in homestay accommodation.
Can students choose their homestay?
In 2022 it may be possible for students to choose which homestay family they want to live with.
​From December 2021 we will enter information about our homestay families on a homestay website which we thing might help students choose what they prefer.  
HOW TO BOOK A TRIP OR ACTIVITY
HOW TO BOOK FREE ENGLISH LESSONS WITH CELTA TRAINEES
If you are an adult student who is studying at ELH at Elementary (A1-A2) or Intermediate (B1-B2+) level you can:If you are not studying at ELH and you are an adult student student at Elementary or Intermediate level you can:WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Eligible students:
  • You must be 18 years old or over to join.  
  • You must be between A1 to B2+ level to join. 
HOW TO APPLY TO STUDY AS A VISA STUDENT
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LIVING AND STUDYING IN MILTON KEYNES AND THE UK:
ARRIVING IN THE UK
When you arrive in the UK to come to English Language House you will usually arrive at one of the big London airports such as Heathrow, or Gatwick but you may arrive at Luton airport or Stanstead airport, which are smaller. All of these airports have transport links which students can use to reach Milton Keynes.
Luton airport is the closest and is 25 miles away.
  • The coach journey from Luton airport to Milton Keynes takes about 60 mins and costs about £10.00  per person
Heathrow airport is 55 miles away.
  • The coach journey from Heathrow airport to Milton Keynes takes about 1hr 40 mins and costs from £15 to £29 per person depending on the time you book.  
Stanstead airport is about 75 miles away. 
  • The coach journey from Stanstead airport to Milton Keynes takes between 3 to 4 hours and costs from £13 to £25 per person depending on when you book.
Gatwick airport is 90 miles away. 
  • The coach journey from Gatwick airport to Milton Keynes takes between 4 to5 hours and costs from £30 - £50 per person depending on when you book.
AIRPORT PICK UP AND DROP OFF:
Would you like us to arrange for a taxi to pick you up  from the airport and bring you to Milton Keynes?
If you do, please let us know 2 weeks or more before your arrival date.
HOW TO FIND ACCOMMODATION IN MILTON KEYNES:
  • ​There is a wide variety of safe and modern accommodation on offer in and around Milton Keynes. 
If you want to rent your own accommodation we can try to help you so please come and talk to us.

However please bear in mind that:
Milton Keynes is very popular for rented accommodation so it may not be easy to find exactly what you want and you may need to think again about what is acceptable to you. 
  • If you want short term accommodation this is usually much more expensive.
  • If you want long term accommodation sometimes you must pay a large deposit in advance or you may need to pay 6 months in advance if you cannot provide the estate agency with a reference.
  • Some long term accommodation is unfurnished so you may need to buy furniture or get some furniture from a friend or colleague. However if you are planning to stay for a long time this may be a good investment  as unfurnished accommodation is usually cheaper than furnished.
  • If you want something cheaper then you will need to look at shared accommodation. You could try to find a nice room in a clean house with your own en-suite. Shared accommodation will usually be furnished and will mostly include bills eg wifi, electricity, heating etc .    
See study-uk.britishcouncil.org/moving-uk/accommodation for the following information:
  • Most private student accommodation is already furnished, but you may need to provide your own items such as kitchen utensils and bedding. You’ll also need to factor in the costs for utilities.
  • Rented accommodation is strictly regulated in the UK, so if you do have any issues you will always be able to get them dealt with.
  • Luxury student accommodation Many UK cities now have private luxury developments built for students. Accommodation ranges from private self-contained studios to apartments. Fully furnished and equipped with designer fixtures and fittings, residents can expect cinema rooms, 24 hour security, on-site gyms and round-the-clock concierge services. (In Milton Keynes luxury accommodation is available in the Hub, but it is expensive!) 
  • Homestay accommodation A homestay is where you live with a UK family in their home. It can be a great opportunity to experience UK culture first-hand. Your language school, if it offers this during the pandemic, may be able to help you arrange this, or can help you contact one of the homestay agencies registered with the British Council eg www.hostsinternational.com/  which offers accommodation in Northampton. 
LEISURE ACTIVITIES IN MILTON KEYNES
Milton Keynes is a modern town in a historic county.
​It is only 30 mins from London by train and 40-45 mins from Oxford or Cambridge by car. Because it has excellent transport links you can get to any part of the UK easily from Milton Keynes and, because it is such a modern town, there are lots of things you can do and see.
Tripadvisor will give you a list of top 10 fun activities you can do in Milton Keynes and Destination Milton Keynes will also give you information about where to go, what to see and what to do in Milton Keynes.
USEFUL INFORMATION AND ADVICE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS TRAVELLING TO THE UK: 
LIVING COSTS IN THE UK
Source: ​https://study-uk.britishcouncil.org/moving-uk/money-budgeting
Living costs:
You can expect to pay £800 – £1,300 a month, to cover accommodation, bills, food and other living costs.
For example:
  • around £20-£30 for the weekly shop
  • from £30 a month for travel
  • from £10 a month for a mobile phone contract
  • around £2.44 for a cup of coffee, from a high street café
  • around £40 a month for a gym membership
Costs differ depending on where you live in the UK and how much you want to spend. London and other major cities are more expensive.
Milton Keynes can be just as expensive as London for accommodation. 
If you have a scholarship or financial support, make sure you know what is and isn’t covered.

Discounts
The National Union of Students card  and the International Student Identity Card  offer great student discounts in many shops, restaurants and businesses. Have a look to see if you could save money with one of these cards.
Check out VisitBritain  for lots more UK student discounts.
External links
ABOUT MEDICAL AND DENTAL TREATMENT THROUGH THE NHS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS:
See The 2021 Guide to the NHS for International Students​(June 2021) which has useful information for students and includes the following about using the NHS, which is the UK's state health care system: 
WHAT IS THE NHS?
The NHS (National Health Service) is a free health service for  UK nationals and some people who live, study and work in the UK. BUT it is not free for everyone who travels to the UK from abroad and you can pay a lot of money to see a doctor or dentist if you do not have health insurance to cover your medical and dental costs!  
ARE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ALLOWED TO USE THE NHS?
International Students can use the NHS but it may not be free and you may have to pay a lot of money to see an NHS doctor or dentist or to use an NHS hospital. So it is always a good idea to take out  private health insurance to cover your costs, if you need to see a doctor or dentist in the UK. ​
WHO CANNOT USE THE NHS FOR FREE? 
If you have a student visitor visa for up to 6 months only:
  • you cannot access NHS free healthcare.
WHO CAN USE THE NHS FOR FREE? 
If you have a student visitor visa for up to 11 months:
  • you can access NHS free healthcare.
even if you if you were not asked to pay the immigration healthcare surcharge when you made your visa application.  This is because the government has temporarily stopped the immigration surcharge for this group. However, this is just temporary and the rules may change before you arrive so it is always a good idea to buy private health insurance before you travel.
Some useful vocabulary to know:
GP - abbreviation for general practitioner (noun)= a doctor who provides general medical treatment for 
people who live in a particular area: ​
Surgery (noun) = a place where you can go to 
ask for advice and/or receive treatment from a  doctor or dentist.
HOW CAN I SEE AN NHS DOCTOR OR DENTIST?
When you arrive in the UK and you move into your accommodation you should find out where your local GP surgery and where your nearest NHS dentist is; some dentist only work privately and some who are NHS may not be able to accept new patients so its a good idea to find out before you need to see someone urgently!

You may need to register with a GP as a temporary patient and you may need to pay to see him/her and for any treatment you receive. 
How to register with your local GP:
AFTER YOU REGISTER WITH YOUR LOCAL GP:
After you register with your local GP you will get an NHS Number. You will need to use this if you go to the Hospital or if you want to change GP’s. 
The GP you want to register with will probably have a website to do this, otherwise, just walk in that they will guide you on how to do it. This website helps you to find and register with your local GP.
IN CASE OF A MEDICAL EMERGENCY
If you have a medical emergency you may have to go straight to the hospital; your GP may tell you to do this or, if you have called 999 for a serious medical emergency, the ambulance may take you take you there. 
MEDICAL TREATMENT THROUGH THE NHS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS:
source: ​https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/visiting-or-moving-to-england/moving-to-england-from-outside-the-european-economic-area-eea/
WHAT IS THE IMMIGRATION HEALTH SURCHARGE?
The immigration health surcharge is money you pay when you apply for your visa.
If you have paid this you will be entitled to free NHS hospital treatment in England as if you were an ordinarily resident person.

There may be conditions when you may not have to pay the surcharge and you can see details here: This will apply until your visa expires.

Paying the surcharge only gives you access to services the NHS provides. Paying the surcharge does not mean you're treated faster.

Doctors will assess the urgency of your condition in the same way ordinarily resident patients are assessed and, if necessary, you'll be placed on a waiting list.
​
Patients in England are required to make contributions towards the cost of their NHS care, such as paying prescription costs or dental charges. You're required to make the same contributions.
Find out more about paying NHS charges
Information:
​If you're coming to England for 6 months or less or did not pay the surcharge when you were required to, you'll be charged for certain NHS services unless an exemption applies.
More information for visitors from outside the EEA
PRIVATE MEDICAL AND DENTAL TREATMENT
There are private doctors, dentists and hospitals you can visit if you need to. 
Private medical treatment is expensive so please make sure you take out health insurance that will cover the costs if you need to see someone privately. To search for a private doctor or a private hospital near you, you can use a web search engine such as google or bing or you can use a website such as: www.privatehealth.co.uk or 
www.cqc.org.uk. If you need us to help you search, please let us know. We are not permitted to recommend a doctor or a hospital to you, but we can help you to understand the English information you will find so that you can decide what to do.
STAY IN TOUCH
English Language House can accept students who need a short term study visa of up to 11 month to study English Language in the UK.   
English Language House is on the UK Register of Learning Providers:  UKPRN number: 10030742
E L H LIMITED - Company registration no: 3965199
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