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Bloomsbury, London — general, business and exam pathways

Courses

Compare every programme we teach in the United Kingdom — general English, business English, IELTS preparation and intensive study — by level, weekly hours and format. Pick the row that matches your goal, then tell us where you are and we will confirm your starting class.

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How to read these course types

Every course below is described the same way, so you can compare across programmes instead of guessing from the name. Three things decide where you land: the level you are working at now against the Common European Framework (CEFR), the number of taught hours each week, and whether the format matches your life — daytime, evening or an intensive short block.

General English builds all four skills together and suits most arrivals. Business English keeps the same language foundation and applies it to meetings, writing and presentations. Exam preparation targets IELTS specifically. Intensive study compresses the same content into fewer, longer days.

Before you choose

  • Know your rough level — A1 to C2 — or take a short placement test when you arrive.
  • Count the weeks and hours you can realistically attend, not the ones you would like to.
  • Decide whether you are studying for fluency, for work, or for a specific exam result.

Study pathways in the spine

Names on the left, the level the class feeds into on the right. Tap any pathway to read what a typical week looks like and who usually sits in the room.

Register your interest

Tell us your goal and current level and we will suggest which row to start on.

Empty London classroom in daylight with chairs turned toward a blank whiteboard and a projector glow on the wall
Classes run in Bloomsbury, a short walk from Tottenham Court Road and Holborn. Rooms are small on purpose — twelve learners maximum in a general English group.

Where and when the courses run

Most teaching happens on weekdays between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM, with a smaller evening timetable on Tuesday and Thursday and Saturday morning sessions from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Daytime groups tend to be a mix of students on longer visas and professionals on flexible hours; evening groups are mostly people already working in London.

If you are travelling in for a short intensive block, ask us which weeks have space before you book flights — group sizes fill unevenly through the year.

Read the study in the UK guide

Exam preparation

What IELTS preparation actually changes

Most learners arrive able to hold a conversation and then lose marks on structure, timing and task wording. IELTS preparation works on the exam as a format: how long you get, what the examiner is listening for, and where a good answer stops being good. Writing tasks are marked against the four published criteria and handed back with notes, not just a band score.

We run Academic and General Training tracks separately because the writing tasks differ. Speaking practice happens in small groups, and reading work is timed from the first week so nobody meets the clock for the first time on test day.

See the IELTS preparation course
Adult hands writing on an exam practice paper at a desk under a warm lamp at night

Choosing by level, hours and format

Three questions settle most decisions before you ever speak to us. Here is what each one changes about the course you would join.

Daylight corridor between classrooms in a UK college with a learner walking away in silhouette

Level: CEFR is the shared yardstick

CEFR runs A1 to C2 and describes what you can do, not how long you have studied. If you can handle everyday transactions but stall in a long meeting, you are likely B1. If you can argue a point under pressure but still want polish, you are probably C1. We confirm this with a short placement conversation rather than a written test alone, because speaking usually reveals more.

Courses are grouped so nobody sits far above or far below the room. If the group turns out to be the wrong fit in the first week, we move you.

Hours per week

Short evening blocks suit steady progress; longer daytime weeks suit a deadline. Either way, progress tracks attendance more than talent.

Format

Daytime, evening or intensive. The content is the same family; the rhythm and the group mix are what change.

Still unsure? Send us your goal and the weeks you have available. We will tell you which pathway fits and which one to avoid — there is no benefit in selling you an exam course if you need conversation practice first.

Side by side

The same five pathways, compared on the two things that decide most bookings.

Comparison of English course types by level range and weekly structure
Course type CEFR range Typical week Best for
General English A1 – C1 Five mornings or three full days Building all four skills from a standing start
Business English B1 – C1 Two evenings or flexible daytime slots Workplaces that run in English
IELTS preparation B1 – C1 Four sessions with timed practice University or visa deadlines
Intensive English A2 – C1 Long teaching days over a short block Limited weeks before a fixed date
Evening English class A2 – B2 Two evenings a week after work Londoners studying around a job

Level ranges describe where classes usually sit. If you fall between two, we will place you after a short conversation rather than by a single test score.

Questions before you register

The four things people ask most when choosing between courses. If yours is not here, the FAQ page covers more.

Read all questions
Can I switch course type after I start?

Yes. Plenty of students begin with general English and move into business or IELTS once they know where their gaps are. Give us a week's notice so we can check space in the target group.

How do you decide my level?

A short placement conversation plus a written task, held before your first class. It usually takes under an hour and you will be told which CEFR band the group is working at.

Do you teach complete beginners?

General English starts at A1, so yes. We do ask for a little reading and writing confidence at that level, because the group moves quickly once the basics land.

Can I see the syllabus before I commit?

Yes. Ask us for the outline for the pathway you are considering and we will send what a typical term covers, session by session. Nothing is booked until you have read it.

Ready to register?

Registration runs through the contact page, where you give us your first name, last name, email and phone number. We use that to arrange your placement conversation and confirm which group has space. There is nothing to pay before you have spoken to a tutor.

On weekdays we usually reply the same day. Saturday enquiries are answered from Monday morning.

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