In order to enrich your experience, we offer a varied social programme. This is also a chance to use and improve your English, and to meet students who are not in your class.
Every week we typically offer:
- 2 afternoon activities or excursions e.g. trip to Canterbury, an English Castle, bowling, coastal walks, sports, crafts
- 3 evening/after-school activities e.g. folk dancing, quizzes, karaoke, films, yoga, fitness training, talk on an aspect of British life and culture, drumming workshop, disco
- 1 excursion/activity every Saturday e.g. London, Oxford, Cambridge, Windsor Castle, Leeds Castle, Brighton or local day trips
We organise a range of interesting and exciting activities, from sports to sightseeing, from crafts to shopping. We sometimes tie in some of our activities with your work in class, and provide opportunities to do activities that are related to British culture, or the nationality mix of the College - things you probably wouldn’t do back home.
Maybe an enjoyable dancing evening, or an informative talk - we offer a mix of fun and interesting activities. Our talks on an aspect of British life and civilisation are very interesting and consistently get fantastic feedback from our students, but activities such as karaoke or dancing are also very popular.
With our regular excursions students have the opportunity to visit some of the most famous places in England. Before an excursion we give you information about the destination, and members of staff are always present to give advice. During the quieter months, depending on the interests of the students we have, we may offer activities such as Christmas markets, llama walking, or local festivals on Saturdays.
Our social programme is voluntary, and most activities are free of charge.
We aim to have 2-4 paid activities/trips/excursions per week, and the price can range from £3 to £45 per activity/trip/excursion (average £25).*
* Included in the English+Action and English+Sightseeing courses.
We usually require a minimum of students for each activity to go ahead, and some activities may also have a maximum number of students. This will always be stated in the current social programme.
If there are restrictions in place, our traditional social programme may have to be adjusted.
Broadstairs is a great place to enjoy your free time. Here is a selection of sports and leisure facilities in Broadstairs:
Take a tour of our local area:
For more information about what to do in Broadstairs and the local area, see the Visit Thanet website.
There are many ways to make your stay even more memorable. Here are some ideas:
Turner Contemporary in the next town of Margate is an award-winning gallery offering a stimulating programme of temporary exhibitions, events and learning opportunities. Entry is free. The art galleries and collections of London are also within easy reach; venues such as the National Gallery, Tate Britain, Tate Modern and the National Portrait Gallery are all free to visit.
Broadstairs has a very wide selection of places to eat out including Chinese, English, Greek, Indian, Italian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish and seafood restaurants. The local area has several award-winning and Michelin-starred restaurants.
There are also lots of interesting pubs, each with its own character, selling local ales and ciders, as well as international beers and wines. The Chapel in Broadstairs, The Four Candles in St.Peter's and The Lifeboat in Margate are just a few of the many which are definitely worth a visit.
Broadstairs has a lovely, little cinema, the Palace Cinema, which shows the latest releases, as well as a regular programme of interesting international films proposed by the Thanet Film Society. Our larger multiplex cinema, Vue, also shows regular live performances from the National Theatre and the Royal Opera House in London.
The College shares its premises with the Sarah Thorne Theatre who have a regular selection of plays and shows, whilst the Gulbenkian Theatre and the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury add to the choice.
London is only 1 hour and 20 minutes away from Broadstairs by direct train, making it easy to visit our capital city during your stay.
There is an endless list of places to visit and things to do in London. For example you can see Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey, experience the London Eye and the Tate Modern, go shopping on Oxford Street, visit the markets of Covent Garden and Camden Town, stroll across Hampstead Heath and have lunch in Soho or a cream tea at The Ritz!
Our Social Programme features regular day trips to London, where you will have a short coach tour of the sights, or a short walking tour by our member of staff, and the rest of the day to spend as you wish.
For a full list of London attractions please click here.
Our programme of weekly excursions will give you the opportunity to visit places such as: Canterbury, London, Cambridge, Oxford and Brighton.
With good transport links, it is really easy to travel further and visit places such as Scotland, Wales, Manchester, Liverpool or the Cotswolds for a weekend break. We are always happy to help you organise your trip so come and talk to us.
For further information please visit the Visit Britain website.
It is also easy to travel to places such as Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam if you want to experience more of Europe during your stay. Hilderstone is only 30 minutes from the ferry port of Dover, and a 45-minute train journey from Ashford and Ebbsfleet International stations, which have Eurostar services to France and other European countries. Students from outside Europe may need a (Schengen) visa. If you need one, make sure you have the correct visa. We are happy to offer help and advice with your travel plans.
You can find more information on the International Friends website.
