Sunday | Welcome to London

Welcome to our English + Business and Leadership Pre University Program. Today, we transfer you from one of London's airports. We will take you to our dorm in the city centre or our Richmond neighbourhood close to the world-famous Thames River. After a short break, we will start exploring both neighbourhoods with our introduction to bus stops, supermarkets, pharmacies and other important local points. This is what you need when you visit a new place. A light welcome meal is served for tonight.

Depending on your choice your accommodation will be either provided in English families or in the school's dorm.

Monday's English Activity Programme : Walking Tour in Westminster City & Buckingham Palace

Your lesson starts at 9 am and our program aims to prepare our students for their upcoming university career while improving their communication skills in English. University taste programs extensively offer grammar, related vocabulary, reading, writing, listening and speaking in the context of an academic, career-focused subject. Lessons also focus on study skills and introduce our students to life as a student. Here is today's curriculum: Working life and Me Speaking: - Talking about career aspirations - Networking - Presentation skills - Giving a short, personal presentation Lessons finish by 12 pm. After lessons, hot buffet lunch will be offered in our school's refectory.

Today's afternoon exploration program starts with some of London's highlights. The Houses of Parliament, known also as the Palace of Westminster is where the two Houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (the House of Lords and the House of Commons) conduct their sittings. They lie on the north bank of the River Thames in the London borough of the City of Westminster, close by other government buildings in Whitehall. The oldest part of the building is still in existence, Westminster Hall, which dates from 1097. The palace originally served as a royal residence, but no monarch has lived in it since the 16th century. Most of the present Houses of Parliament structure dates from the 19th century when the Palace was rebuilt after it was almost entirely destroyed by a fire in 1834. The architects responsible for rebuilding the Palace was Sir Charles Barry and Augustus Welby Pugin, and the building is an example of the Gothic revival.

Westminster Abbey is a Church, burial ground, coronation site and much more, Westminster Abbey continues to attract visitors over 900 years after its founding. In many respects the architecture is common. There's the traditional cross-shaped floor plan with a nave, north and south transepts and several round side areas. But both its execution and use raise The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster (the official name) to among the highest examples of church construction. Here at Westminster Abbey lie buried kings and poets, scientists and philosophers who have themselves raised humankind to the highest levels. Isaac Newton and James Clerk Maxwell (discoverer of electromagnetic theory, which later lead to radio and TV), Chaucer and Kipling, Dr. Samuel Johnson (creator of the first English dictionary) and many other justly famous names are interred here.

Buckingham Palace is still the official residence of Britain's monarchy, as it has been since Queen Victoria's designation in 1837. Much of the Buckingham Palace was constructed as early as 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham. Buckingham House (as it was then known) was purchased in 1762 by George III, who used it as a private residence. Over the following 75 years the house was expanded to form three wings around a central courtyard. When Queen Victoria discovered Buckingham Palace lacked several 'necessary' rooms - such as a formal ballroom, a nursery, visitor's bedrooms and others - major additions were undertaken, including adding an entire wing to form a quadrangle. Buckingham Palace is the home of the Changing Guard Ceremony in London. The Changing of the Guard has been a tradition for hundreds of years whereby the Household Regiment, the Queen’s Guards at Buckingham Palace, change shift in a fascinating show of pomp and circumstance.

Imagine a park that is surrounded by world-famous landmarks such as Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Whitehall right in the heart of the city. It is arguably the city's best park in every season. St James’s Park is one of London’s eight Royal Parks and covers an area of nearly 57 acres. Summer, fall, winter and spring, St James's Park gives you great joy with the outstanding beauty of its landscape with animals, nature and the vegetation you can admire. The park’s famous flower beds at the front of Buckingham Palace are a familiar backdrop to pageants including Trooping the Colour, as well as state visits and other ceremonial occasions. Can you believe this? Pelicans have lived in St James’s Park for nearly 400 years. They were originally presented as a gift from the Russian Ambassador to King Charles II. If we go back to 1500's, Tudor times we should mention our big King Henry VIII who was also known for his love of hunting; he regularly used Regent's Park as a hunting ground. St James's Park wasn't quite big enough for his needs, so he put it to use as an area for breeding young deer — once they were old enough, they were shipped off to Hyde Park and Regent's Park to face their fate. Listen to other stories from our APTG qualified blue badge tourist guides.

Depending on your choice your accommodation will be either provided in English families or in the school's dorm.

Tuesday's English Activity Programme - Visiting St Mary's University (Or similar)

Today's lessons will be scheduled between 9 am and 12 pm and your curriculum will be: Customers and Service Speaking and Listening: - Customer service - Talking about future arrangements - Making and changing arrangements Language: - Saying ‘sorry’ in different ways

In the afternoon, we'll visit one of London's well-known universities to learn about UK student life, majors, degrees and academic searches. For our students, it will be questions and answers based on an interactive visit.

Depending on your choice your accommodation will be either provided in English families or in the school's dorm.

Wednesday's English Activity Programme - Museum of London - Lloyds of London

Today's lessons will be scheduled between 9 am and 12 pm and your curriculum will be: Finance and Money Reading and Speaking: - Financing a new business idea Language: - Making predictions Professional Skills: - Giving a presentation with visual information

The Museum of London is a must-see place for those who are really interested in the history of our 2000 year Roman City. Although London's history starts in 43 AD as Londinium, it goes back to prehistoric times. We will be able to discover many different collections and archives held by the museum and learn more about their history. We will also find out about the Archaeological Archive and the Centre for Human Bioarchaeology, London people and events, collections as well as objects and important remnants derived from the boroughs of London. This museum is a cultural treasure with many bounties. Today in the museum we will discover how Londinium came to life and what daily life was like for Romans in the city 2,000 years ago. Not only the museum but also other remnants in the City area will give us a clue about Roman life in the city. Roman Walls from example, an important milestone in London's history in 250 AD when our little town turns into a city. Did you know that our first ever built bridge was the London Bridge in the 76 AD by the Romans?

You will see how a total business success goes back to the 17th century and how little coffee beans created 2.3 billion pounds ($2.87 billion) in the heart of the business district of London. Everything started with a little coffee house which became the ancestors of all chain coffee houses. Lloyd's of London, generally known simply as Lloyd's, is an insurance and reinsurance market located in London. Unlike most of its competitors in the industry, it is not an insurance company; rather, Lloyd's is a corporate body governed by Lloyd's Act 1871 and subsequent Acts of Parliament. We will visit Lloyds of London to understand the direct connection to London's trade past. It's an amazing story.

Depending on your choice your accommodation will be either provided in English families or in the school's dorm.

Thursday's English Activity Programme - Museum of Brands

Today's lessons will be scheduled between 9 am and 12 pm and your curriculum will be: Decisions and Management Professional Skills: - Decision Making - Negotiating an agreement - Being an effective manager Language: - Future Possibilities - Using ‘If’ in different ways

Today we will take you to a very interesting museum related to our curriculum and training programme. We will take a closer look at the images and famous labels in the Museum of Brands. The museum displays the advertisements through the decades from Victorian times to the sixties. We will explore more than 12,000 original products ranging from vehicles, music and TV to household goods and sweets under one roof and take a ride through the time tunnel to find out how the products evolved and grew. We also share the story of the success and failure of those brands in their business life. It will be also interesting to see the displays of iconic brand packaging over the history of specific brands and package sizes at that time. Be prepared for a lovely journey throughout time.

Depending on your choice your accommodation will be either provided in English families or in the school's dorm.

Friday's English Activity Programme - Shopping in London

Today's lessons will be scheduled between 9 am and 12 pm and your curriculum will be: Innovation and Entrepreneurialism Speaking: - Talking about innovative Ideas - Presenting new ideas Professional Skills - Creating a business plan - Launching a new product

Oxford Street is one of London’s stretching between Tottenham Court Road and Marble Arch. It’s also Oxford Street is one of London’s artery stretching between Tottenham Court Road and Marble Arch. It’s also Europe’s busiest shopping street hosting around half million visitors daily. Today, there are more than 300 shops, cafes, restaurants, language schools, department stores and many more. It’s the heart of daily business, fun, leisure and of course shopping in London. Like everywhere in London, Oxford Street has its history. The street route used to be part of the Via Trinobantina, a Roman route that passes through London between Hampshire and Essex. It was known as the Tyburn Road during the Middle Ages when Tyburn Gallows was also known for its public hangings. It became known as Oxford Road and then Oxford Street in the 18th century and began to change from residential to commercial and retail use by the late 19th century, attracting street traders, confidence tricksters and prostitution. The first department stores in the UK opened in the early 20th century, including Selfridges, John Lewis & Partners and HMV. Unlike nearby shopping streets such as Bond Street, it has retained an element of downmarket trading alongside more prestigious retail stores. The street suffered heavy bombing during World War II, and several longstanding stores including John Lewis were completely destroyed and rebuilt from scratch. Oxford Street, with several chain stores on the street and a number of buildings listed, remains in demand as a retail place amid competition of other shopping malls, including Westfield Stratford City and the Brent Cross Shopping Centre. Because shopping is simply a tradition on this street and especially tourists love this experience during their stay in London.

Welcome to the heart and soul of the fashion industry in the city. Carnaby Street is a pedestrian shopping street in Soho City and its colourful history stemmed from when the street was built in 1682, taking its name from Karnaby House to the first men's boutique, being the epicentre of the Swinging 60s, home to the punks of the 80s and up to today. It is an iconic London area. Between Oxford and Regent Streets, fashion and lifestyle retailers are just located here, including a large quantity of independent fashion shops. In the heart of London's shopping scene, Carnaby Street brings you over 100 foreign and British fashion brands, independent boutiques, one off concepts, trendy beauty emporiums, grooming salons and custom jewellery specialists together. From brand-new flagships and UK firsts to presenting one-off and unique designers, Carnaby's 14 streets are lined up with women's wear, men's clothing, cosmetics and accessories like no other. Not just for shopping of course, more than 60 independent restaurants, bars, cafes and pubs selling cheap à la carte and late-night drinks, even yummy breakfasts bedazzle the tourists and Londoners alike. Now it’s your turn to explore this lovely district with us.

Depending on your choice your accommodation will be either provided in English families or in the school's dorm.

Saturday's English Activity Programme - Oxford Full Day Excursion

Christ Church is one of the famous colleges in Oxford. The School of British Prime Ministers of all times was founded by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, Cardinal and statesman of Henry VIII. The Chapel of the College is doubled as the Cathedral of the city. The Grand Hall of the Harry Potter was filmed in three different spots. On the walls there are portraits of alumni–Prime Ministers, churchmen and philosophers; and Alice in Wonderland writer Lewis Carroll was teaching at the university. Christ Church has a number of architecturally significant buildings including Tom Tower (proudly designed by Sir Christopher Wren an Oxford professor, architect, inventor, astronomer and physicist) Tom Quad (the largest quadrangle in Oxford), and the Great Dining Hall which was also the seat of the parliament assembled by King Charles I during the English Civil War. Our APTG qualified blue badge tourist guides will tell you all interesting stories about Christ Church.

Yes, Alice is in Wonderland is real. In the Victorian era, its customers included Alice Liddell, daughter of Henry Liddell, who was Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, which is opposite the shop. Alice, who used to buy sweets at the shop, was the inspiration for Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. We are talking about one of the most famous little shops in the world is right up there, just across the road from Christ Church College. The Alice’s Shop in Oxford is world-famous because the shop itself was written into the Alice adventures over 150 years ago. The small shop was dubbed “Alice’s Shop” locally as soon as the stories became well known, even as it continued as a grocery and sweet shop. Since the mid-60s, the shop began to sell Alice in Wonderland souvenirs. The Shop is now a treasure trove of Alice in Wonderland themed gifts, souvenirs and memorabilia. Alice’s Shop is one of the most tangible links to an entire episode in the Alice in Wonderland adventures and offers lovers of the stories a moment of intimate connection with the World of Alice as well as an insight into Carroll’s creation. The story is as sweet as candies in the store. Wanna shop?

The name "Carfax" derives from the Latin quadrifurcus via the French carrefour, both of which mean "crossroads". The tower is located in the centre of Oxford's shopping area since the medieval times. This 6 bells tower is all that remains of the 14th-century Church of St Martin. The Carfax Tower, also known as St. Martin's Tower (it is the remaining part of what was the City Church of St. Martin of Tours) is a prominent landmark and provides a look-out over the town. the Mayor and Corporation were expected to worship, between about 1122 and 1896, when the main part of the church was demolished to make more room for road traffic. In 1896 the City Church was moved to All Saints Church in the High Street. The tower is 74 feet (23 m) tall, and no building in central Oxford may be built higher than it.

Oxford Covered Market features more than 50 traders selling fresh produce, gifts, fashion, flowers and jewellery, and provides a unique showcase for the very best in local crafts, food and drink. The majority of the businesses are independent and with some going back generations. Oxford Covered Market, which was designed by Magdalen Bridge architect John Gwynn, first opened as a market for meat, fish, vegetables and herbs on 1 November 1774. It was then enlarged several times, rebuilt and fully roofed over during the 19th century. Original iron roof supports can easily be seen even today. Iron bars projecting from shop fronts that date from the 19th century and were used to hang meat. The Covered Market has been in continual use as a market for almost 250 years. Fancy a cup of traditional English tea with homemade cookies in this charming atmosphere? Just follow Tourope UK's APTG qualified blue badge tourist guides.

English Palladium Style with its stylish Cotswold stone, Radcliffe Camera is completed in 1737, this domed classical building forms the hub of architectural Oxford and is considered one of England's earliest examples of around library. Funded by Dr John Radcliffe, designed by James Gibbs and built between 1737–48, this grand circular building in the middle of Radcliffe Square is an iconic landmark in Oxford and a working library. The domed classical building is considered to be one of England's earliest examples of around the library. This lovely masterpiece is actually a gift from Dr Radcliffe showing his appreciation to the town where he became famous.

The Bodleian Library is a working library which forms part of the University of Oxford. It is housed in a remarkable group of buildings which forms the historic heart of the University, and you can explore the quadrangles of these magnificent structures at no charge. Some of the buildings, such as the University’s oldest teaching and examination room, The Divinity School (built 1427-88). Here you will discover more of the University’s fascinating history by Tourope UK's APTG qualified blue badge tourist guides telling behind the scenes in the Library, including its oldest research library, dating from 1602-20. You will marvel at 5 basic orders of the architecture of columns such as Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, Tucson and Composite.

The main buildings at Hertford College are linked together by a corridor called the "Bridge of Sighs," built-in 1913-14 and named after the Ponte Dei Sospiri in Venice. The Bridge of Sighs lies right opposite the entrance to the Bodleian Library, famous for its similarity to the Bridge of Sighs in Venice, has never intended to be a replica of the Venetian bridge, and instead, it bears a closer resemblance to the Rialto Bridge in the same city. Nevertheless, the bridge provides a popular photo opportunity for tourists and newcomers. Just pay attention to our guide why we call the bridge as "Bridge of Sighs"

Built-in 1712 by the Oxford University Press for the University's printing, the building is now part of the Bodleian Library. It was built to house the Oxford University Press, which had previously been occupying a large room over the ceiling of the Sheldonian Theatre. It owes it name to the fact that it was partly paid for by the profits from the History of the Great Rebellion by Lord Clarendon, whose son presented the University with its copyright. It was known as “The Printing House” until the University Press moved to Walton Street in 1832. Today the building is used as an international exam centre.

The Sheldonian Theatre, an exquisite Grade I listed building situated in Oxford's city centre, is the official ceremonial hall of Oxford University. The Theatre is a popular tourist attraction particular because it offers one of the best indoor panoramic views of Oxford's famous skyline from its Cupola. It was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1664 and 1669. Learn about how the University was formed, how long it's been in existence and the secrets of its past by Tourope UK's APTG qualified blue badge tourist guides. Next to the Sheldonian Theatre, we will also visit Divinity School. You will be amazed at the Divinity School’s intricate ceiling patterns and gorgeous tall windows. On your visit make sure to take a sit on a bench and imagine oral exams taking places within those magnificent walls. The Divinity School is a medieval building and room in the Perpendicular style characterised by its rich ornamentation and tracery. The building, which belongs to the University of Oxford, is attached to the Bodleian Library. Designed between 1423 and 1488 specifically for lectures, oral exams and discussions on theology, was almost ‘certainly the building that popularised Tudor arches’. The building was also used during the very first series of the Harry Potter movie.

Divinity Hall is the final stop also the final scene of Harry Potter's Philosopher’s Stone film. Here in this spot, we will mention her business success story of the author JK Rowling, how her character Harry Potter turned into a phenomenal Beatlemania trend globally. In the Harry Potter films, this famous lobby was used as a Hogwarts Infirmary with its classic Gothic vaulted ceiling. You know Harry finally meets with "You-Know-Who" or "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named". We have a great Harry Potter surprise right in this location if you are a Harry Potter fan too. Follow us.

Depending on your choice your accommodation will be either provided in English families or in the school's dorm.

Sunday | Transferring to the Airport

Today is the last day in London unless you continue our program. Well, all good things must come to an end. We provide your transfer service back to the airport with a private vehicle. This is the end of our service and we hope to see you in our various programs here in London.