Student age
These ages are averages from recent years, a guide rather than a guarantee for your visit.
12 nationalities
Switzerland
15%
Türkiye
12%
Saudi Arabia
11%
Italy
9%
South Korea
9%
Japan
6%
Spain
5%
Brazil
4%
France
4%
China
3%
This mix of nationalities is an average from recent years, a guide rather than a guarantee for your visit.
St Giles Brighton teaches English in the heart of Brighton. Running since 1955, the school holds both British Council and English UK accreditation, and keeps classes small, averaging 8 students and capped at 12.
Alongside its general English courses, the school runs a separate Platinum programme for business professionals and mature learners.
St Giles is right for you if you…
St Giles Brighton suits students who want a lively, international school in the heart of the city. Its scale is large rather than boutique, with a social, high-energy atmosphere.
Start with the students. Start date, trip length and language level are set per student next.
See how busy the school typically is throughout the year and choose the month that best suits your preferences.
The quietest stretch of the year. Ideal if you would rather take the school and the destination at a slower pace, with fewer people around you.
Busyness describes how full the school is, not class size or who you will study with.
The offering of St Giles
Everyday classes for speaking, listening, reading and writing. The starting point for most students.
From €512 per week
Longer stays cost less per week.
See the 6 coursesEveryday classes for speaking, listening, reading and writing. The starting point for most students.
From €361 per week
See the 6 coursesOne teacher, one student. Content and pace follow whatever you need to work on.
From €906 per week
Longer stays cost less per week.
See the 4 coursesOne teacher, one student. Content and pace follow whatever you need to work on.
€1,253 per week
Longer stays cost less per week.
Read about this courseTargeted practice for official exams, built around the exam dates.
From €512 per week
Longer stays cost less per week.
See the 4 coursesA smaller group of students over fifty, with a slower pace and a cultural programme included.
From €974 per week
See the 2 coursesFrom €477 per week
See the 3 coursesA building full of other students, with shared kitchens and common rooms. Easiest way to meet people.
From €448 per week
Sunday to Sunday.
See the 3 staysA hotel or aparthotel booked through the school.
€448 per week
Sunday to Sunday.
Read about this stayA private room in a local household, with meals at the table. The most of the language you will speak outside class.
€229 per week
Sunday to Sunday. Your family is matched after booking.
How host family matching worksYour first day starts with a welcome session, where you meet the school team and the other new arrivals.
Because your level was checked with an online test before you travelled, the school already has a good idea of where you fit. On the day itself, that result is confirmed and used to place you in the right class, and you leave with the timetable for your course.
Step 1 of 3
Welcome session
You're welcomed by the school team and meet the other new students before classes get going.
Your first activity starts before class even properly begins, with a welcome session to meet the school team and other students. From there the programme runs six activities a week in autumn and winter, eight in spring, and fourteen in summer. Free options like city walking tours, yoga and a conversation table sit alongside paid evenings and trips, which have included cheese and wine tasting, paintball, ziplining and day trips as far afield as Edinburgh and the Highlands.
Welcome activity
New arrivals are brought together on their first visit, before anyone has settled into their timetable.
Conversation table
A free weekly conversation table gets students talking across levels.
Student café and lounge
The student café and common lounge are where people end up between classes, over coffee or just killing time.
Residence terrace
The George Street Residence has its own terrace, a spot to sit outside and chat with other residents.
Included for free
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Included for free
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Included for free
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Included for free
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Lessons follow a learner-centred approach, with teachers shaping flexible plans around your needs and interests. Classes average 8 students and are capped at 12. Standard group lessons run from 09:00 to 13:00, Monday to Friday, though some courses are timetabled for the afternoon instead; your exact timetable is confirmed once your level is set. General English is offered as 20 morning lessons, 28 intensive lessons, or 20 off-peak afternoon lessons a week.
St Giles Brighton attracts a mostly solo crowd, with four in five students arriving without a travel companion, so there is always someone around looking to meet people. A welcome activity brings new arrivals together before class timetables are even assigned, and from there the school's communal spaces and ongoing activity programme keep people crossing paths through the week. Here's how those connections start.
An even mix of men and women.
Switzerland
15%
Türkiye
12%
Saudi Arabia
11%
Italy
9%
South Korea
9%
Japan
6%
Spain
5%
Brazil
4%
France
4%
China
3%
A weekday here, as most students experience it.
From where you study to where you unwind: this is what you will find at the school.
British Council
External inspection.
English UK
Requires a separate accreditation or inspected status.
Support centres on a designated student contact you can reach throughout your course, backed by an emergency phone line, WhatsApp and regular phone contact outside school hours. On arrival you're given emergency numbers and a safety briefing, so you know who to call and what to do from day one. The school follows a formal safeguarding policy, and dedicated support is available for homesickness and wellbeing concerns throughout your stay.
No serious incidents were recorded in the past two years.
A trained first-aid team member is scheduled every day the school is open.
Safety incidents are logged in a risk register that the school reviews every year.
1-3 Marlborough Pl, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 1UB, UK
Nearby
Most students fly into London Gatwick Airport, the closest international airport to Brighton. From there you can take the train straight into town, and the school can also arrange a taxi transfer to your accommodation.
Arrange a taxi transfer in advance so a driver takes you straight from your arrival point to your accommodation.
Take the Thameslink train directly from Gatwick Airport station to Brighton.
Catch the National Express coach on route 025 from Gatwick Airport to Brighton.
Book a taxi with Gatwick's official taxi and private hire provider, either on arrival or in advance online or by phone.
“Excellent Support from Admissions I haven’t started my course at St Giles yet, but I already have a very positive impression of the school thanks to the excellent support I have received during the enrolment process.…”Sep 2026
“Excellent Support from Admissions I haven’t started my course at St Giles yet, but I already have a very positive impression of the school thanks to the exc…”
“I would like to thank the whole team for supporting me in my ESOL studies. They have given me their best support, and I have started to communicate more conf…”
“I had a really great time at a language school in Brighton. I only studied there for 11 days. The teachers were fantastic, with very nice students from count…”
The key school facts, terms and travel information in one place.
After the school confirms your booking, you pay a 30% down payment within 5 days. The full payment is due 29 days before arrival.
Flexible date changes and a full refund, up to 15 days before arrival. 10% cancellation fee between 13 and 1 days before arrival. No refund after the course starts.
Flexible date changes and a full refund, up to 30 days before arrival, 50% refund between 29 and 15 days before arrival. No refund after 15 days before arrival.
Brighton has the following national holidays. Please note that schools might be closed on these days. The school will inform you about the exact dates once you request a booking.
Practical answers about the school and your stay.
Pay easily with your preferred payment method
From €361 per week, including course materials. You pay the school price, with no extra charge.
See schools in Brighton that may fit you better on one important point.
