Hilderstone College is a non-profit specialist language studies center based in the picturesque seaside town of Broadstairs on the Kent coast. We offer a wide range of English language courses for adult learners aged 16+, and for teenage school groups. Since 1970 Hilderstone has established an international reputation for running top-quality courses for students and teachers from all over the world. We work with educational organisations and government agencies in the UK and worldwide.
We have a rigorous system of quality assurance and we do everything we can to ensure that students enjoy and benefit from their course, whether it is here in Broadstairs or online. We also apply safeguarding procedures to all our services: in our face-to-face courses, in our online courses, in our homestays, and on our social programme.
Find out more about our care of under 18s.
The College is accredited by the British Council (Compliance report 2022, Full report 2017) and is a member of English UK.
Over the last 3 years (2021 - 2023) 96% of students said our language school was 'good' or 'very good' (based on responses to the end-of-course questionnaires all students complete).
An established English language school with an international reputation since 1970.
An ethos of quality and individual attention to every student's needs.
Listed as a Centre of Excellence by the EL Gazette since 2010.
Very high student satisfaction over many years.
A wide range of courses designed for adult learners: intensive English, exam preparation, pre-university, teacher development, one-to-one and online.
Small classes with a maximum of 14 and an average of 7 students on our adult courses.
A team of experienced and qualified tutors motivated to help students reach their full potential fast and effectively.
All course materials included.
Located in the lovely seaside town of Broadstairs in south-east England.
Situated in the town centre, 900 metres from the beach.
Broadstairs has a modern shopping centre, cinemas, cafes, restaurants and bars and a range of sporting opportunities.
In a small, friendly town where the cost of living is much cheaper than in bigger cities.
High-speed rail links to London and Paris.
Carefully selected, caring homestay hosts.
Within easy walking distance (maximum 30 minutes).
Your own room (if enrolled on an adult course) / Shared within the group (if underaged and enrolled on group courses).
Emergency welfare support and assistance available 24 hours.
A full social programme of sports, talks and evening activities.
Half-day trips or activities every Friday, e.g. Canterbury, Dover Castle, etc.
Full-day trips or activities every Saturday, e.g. London, Oxford, Cambridge, etc.
Online and onsite activities
Our self-study room and library are available for our students after class. It is open every day, and there will be a member of staff on hand to assist you with anything you need.
Our listening stations are a wonderful way to help you practise and improve your listening skills for exam preparation, the workplace and everyday communication.
If you plan to take an English language exam during your course, our Learning Centre has all the essential materials you will need and is a quiet place to study after class.
The Learning Centre has a wide range of study materials to help you improve your grammar, vocabulary, business English, reading and writing. There are also dictionaries, newspapers, magazines, DVDs and library books at different levels that you can borrow. There is a teachers' library for those enrolled on a teacher development course.
All students are given a Google for Education account, which is used throughout their course, in and out of the classroom. They can practise their English with a variety of online materials and resources, communicate with other students and their teachers, and prepare homework and presentations. All students need to bring either a laptop or a tablet to take part in our courses.
