School and Teaching Avalon School of English is a British Council accredited school in the heart of London. For over 20 years the school has developed a reputation as a fun and friendly school that welcomes students from all over the world. We are famous for improving students’ speaking and listening skills and have developed a unique and dynamic teaching system, Avalon Quantum English (AQE), used by schools around the world. In addition to being the number one speaking school in London, The school is small and we feel it has a family-like atmosphere. Every student is important to us and we pride ourselves on getting to know each one. With a great location, a unique social and learning environment and opportunities to make the most of everything this city and the English language have to offer, we believe Avalon is a truly exceptional school. We offer completely free no-commitment level tests and trial lessons so come and see why our students recommend us!
Location Is there a greater city in the world than London? Well that’s for you to decide. Avalon is within walking distance of some of this city’s greatest attractions. The school itself is located on Denmark Street, the music world’s legendary Tin Pan Alley, where everyone from David Bowie to the Rolling Stones has hung out and where musicians today still come to buy their instruments. The British Museum and The National Gallery are minutes away and culture lovers will be rewarded as like nearly all museums and galleries in London they are free to enter. For shopaholics, we have the UK’s most famous shopping area - Oxford Street, Regent Street and Covent Garden right on our doorstep! London is also famed for its beautiful parks and riverside places. Many are just a short walk or bus ride away. Hop on the tube and find yourself in one of London’s iconic villages with their markets and characteristic architecture like Camden and Notting Hill.
Avalon Quantum English Avalon Quantum English (AQE) is a unique, student-centred approach to learning that focuses on speaking and listening skills developed by Avalon School of English in London. AQE is for all students who want to speak English confidently, naturally and understand and engage with native English-speaking cultures. In class, students ask and answer questions, discuss related topics using the AQE student’s books. You only need to speak, listen and take notes. Specially-trained teachers will correct you and teach from your errors targeting grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation.
AQE Books 1-6 take students from CEFR level A1B1/B2. Each book is divided into 2 units and has 40 pages of speaking, listening and pronunciation practice. AQE Books 7-8 provide a comprehensive discussion and listening course at CEFR B2-C1 level. This unique course is based on 18 General English topics suitable for Cambridge and GESE exams. Each topic offers up to 8 hours of dynamic speaking and listening practice.
There are listening and speaking checks throughout the course to monitor your progress and provide you with new goals.
Courses In order to help our students get the most out of their time in London, we have created a timetable based on demand. At Avalon we have courses to fit around work/family/study commitments or travel plans. From 25 lessons per week to just 1, we have something for everyone. All our classes run five days a week, Monday-Friday and we have classes available at most levels from 09:30-17:20.
Most students choose to study 15 or 20 lessons per week which allows them to study a combination of AQE or IELTS preparation and General English. Part-time study: For people who work, study, or need to take care of children we offer weekday classes on a part-time timetable (either 6 or 9 lessons a week on days convenient for you) as well as Saturday classes between 10:30 and 13:30.
Prices You can start your course on any day and study for as many weeks as you want. You can also choose the number of lessons you study for each week. Most students study 15 or 20 lessons and take Avalon Quantum English speaking classes (AQE) and General English. You can also change onto an IELTS Exam Preparation course when your English level is high enough, at no extra cost. Please see full price list for more information.
10 Lessons (8.3 hours)
15 Lessons (12.5hours)
20 Lessons (16.7 hours)
Accommodation Where you choose to stay is an important part of the Avalon experience. Our accommodation team works in partnership with trusted providers to find the best option to meet your requirements. While some students prefer to stay with a host family to immerse themselves in British Culture, others really like the Shared Houses– our most popular choice– where they share a house with other language students. Many choose a Residence with shared facilities, like at university. We recommend booking at least a week’s accommodation at the start of your course, so that you have somewhere to stay when you first arrive in London. Click to view prices here
Our sales team are happy to give advice and help with any queries you may have including which area of the city may suit you best – you might want to be close to your favourite team’s stadium, for example! All accommodation offered by Avalon school is inspected to ensure that we recommend great places to stay!
Social Events
The Avalon experience is uniquely friendly and fun. Students and staff interact closely both in and out of class to create a vibrant social atmosphere. Avalon social events and trips maximise the opportunity for students to not only get the most out of life in London but also their learning too. Check out our great social events calendars to see the range of activities and events happening each month or follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to see what our students are up to and find out the latest news. Regular events include pub nights, themed parties in school and trips with staff to museums, markets and more! Tickets for all top London attractions are available at a discounted rate in reception to help students enjoy what the city has to offer. Whether you want to spend a long weekend in Paris or a night in an old English pub with new friends, you’ll find Avalon can make your time here something you’ll never forget.
Testimonials First of all, I want to thank the Avalon English School for this amazing opportunity. Avalon School exceeded my expectations in all respects with excellent professionals, welltrained teachers with knowledge and wonderful methods of teaching with conversation. Avalon has some social events that are amazing because provide the opportunity to practice your speaking skills with a mix of people and nationalities in different places like a pub. My experience was simply wonderful. I gained a lot of knowledge about studying English and British culture. I learned a lot from you all thank you very much for everything I hope to see you again. Avalon is the best English school in London. Kenedy Rafael Ribeiro Dias, Brazil I came to this school three months ago .. and now I can say that my English is much improved and is continuing to improve thanks to the teachers who are excellent .. Thanks to all the staff Avalon school .. I recommend it to everyone! Chiara Guerra, Italy Avalon school creates a perfect learning environment for students! We are given the opportunity to learn grammar and use it in real life situations, to improve speaking skills through discussion of interesting topics, to discover different cultures and make new friends. I recommend this school to everyone !!! Le Nguyen Thuy Van, Vietnam
Support Services We are here to help you - our international, friendly team speak Portuguese, Korean, Chinese, Polish, Italian, French, Spanish, Japanese and more! They are on hand right from the initial enquiry to the last day answering any questions students have. From helping students to choose the correct visa to apply for, to organizing airport transfers, opening a bank account or just giving advice about which clothes to bring – they can assist. Many of our staff are ex-Avalon students so they know exactly what information it is important for new students to have. At any point during their course at Avalon, students can request a tutorial to discuss their academic progress or a meeting with our welfare officer if they are experiencing any personal issues. Perhaps they are finding their class too easy, are thinking about moving on to an exam preparation course or are finding it difficult to make friends - our team will make an appointment to discuss it with them.
FAQs Frequently Asked Questions Are all teachers native English speakers? Yes, all teachers are native English speakers with a minimum of a certificate level qualification and a first degree.
How many students are there in a class? The maximum is 12 in AQE classes and 15 in IELTS and General English classes. The average class size is 7 students. (Sept ‘17)
Can I take a holiday during my course? The school is closed on public holidays and over the Christmas period. 1 week holiday is given for every 6 weeks on enrolments of 12 weeks +.
Do you provide visa support? We can advise on which type of visa to apply for but we cannot help with the application. Most information can be found online. We will refer students to a local educational agent who can help if necessary.
Are online courses available? We can organise online 1 to 1 classes on request and hope to launch online group classes next year!
Can I take a free trial lesson? Yes! Just contact us and let us know which day is best for you and we will organize a level test and class for you.
updated Sept '17