Under 18s at EC UK Schools

Though EC Centres and courses are primarily designed for students aged 18 and older, we welcome students aged 16 and above at all our UK centres. However, please note that EC does not provide 24-hour supervision. Travel to and from school will be unsupervised and at the student's expense. For the student's safety homestays are required to report arrivals after curfew in the evening 7 days a week and teachers will flag any absences within 30 minutes of the start of a class in order to confirm the student’s whereabouts. Students who are under 18 years old attending an EC centre wanting to book accommodation with EC are required to stay in half-board homestay accommodation (students will need to buy their own lunch, which will cost up to £6.00 a day).

The following notes have been prepared for Parents and Guardians of students under 18 to help them to understand what to expect when their child comes to study at EC. Parents/guardians are asked to read these before booking their child to study at our centres.

Induction for students Under 18 years old

When they come to study with us, students who are under 18 will be given an induction by the designated members of centre staff responsible for under 18s. This induction includes important information such as school and UK rules regarding under 18s, curfew times, emergency numbers, as well as the support services provided by EC and who students can speak to if they need help.

The curfew time for 16 to 17 year olds is 23:00

Students under 18 will be given an information booklet when they come to study at EC.

Weekly meetings for students Under 18 years old

Students who are under 18 years old attending an EC centre will have a weekly meeting with the designated members of centre staff responsible for under 18s to check on their wellbeing. This meeting is also an opportunity to discuss any issues or questions the students may have.

Parental consent for Under 18s Studying in the UK

Parents/guardians of students who are under 18 studying at EC centres, will be asked to complete a parental permission and medical consent form at the time of booking.

Travel for Under 18s Studying in the UK

EC requires that students aged 16 and 17 who are arriving in the UK between 8pm and 8am have airport transfers arranged by the school on arrival. We recommend that students aged 16 and 17 arriving outside this timeframe book airport transfers arranged by the school. However, we do not insist, provided the school is given the student’s travel details in advance (flight times and numbers), contact telephone number and confirmation of how the student will get from the airport to their accommodation and their expected arrival time at their destination location. EC also recommends that students aged 16 and 17 book airport transfers on departure.

Safeguarding and Child Protection

EC UK has a Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy and E-Safety Policy in place for the safeguarding of students including those under 18 studying at our centres.

Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy - UK

E-safety Policy UK

Brighton - Safeguarding and Prevent - Who's Who

Bristol - Safeguarding and Prevent - Who's Who

Cambridge - Safeguarding and Prevent - Who's Who

London - Safeguarding and Prevent - Who's Who

Manchester - Safeguarding and Prevent - Who's Who

Parental Authorisation Form