Programmes · Groups
Your students join a British school for a week or more. They follow a full timetable alongside UK pupils, each has a UK buddy, and Bridges looks after the group from arrival to departure. Outside school the group stays together, and we manage accommodation, transport and excursions.
Plan a School Immersion programme
Planning for one student? We design individual programmes too.
/01At a glance
/02Inside a British school
In a UK school, English is not just a subject. It is how the day happens: with their buddy, in lessons and out on excursions.
Each student is paired one-to-one with a UK student, for cultural exchange and friendship from the first day.
Students join lessons alongside UK students, morning and afternoon, from maths and science to art, languages and PE. Depending on the school, up to 30 subjects may be on offer.
Dedicated English lessons can be added on request, on top of the English students use all day in every lesson.
The school day ends with after-school clubs and activities, such as music and sport.
A professionally guided day in London, taking in the National Gallery or British Museum, Big Ben and Westminster, or a day in Oxford or Henley-on-Thames.
Every student receives a certificate of participation. On past programmes, students have received their certificates in front of the whole school at a closing assembly.
/03An example week
Eight days, five of them in school. Every programme is tailored to the group.
| Day 1 · Sun | Arrival | Touch down in the UK, transfer to the hotel or residential hall and settle in. |
|---|---|---|
| Day 2 · Mon | First day at school | A welcome from the school and a first meeting with UK buddies, then lessons begin in the afternoon. |
| Days 3–5 · Tue–Thu | Full school days | Side by side with UK students, morning and afternoon, with English lessons on request. Evenings back at the accommodation. |
| Day 6 · Fri | Farewell to school | A last morning of lessons, then a proper goodbye to the school and their buddies. |
| Day 7 · Sat | Excursion day | A guided day in London: the National Gallery or British Museum, Big Ben and Westminster. Oxford or Henley-on-Thames are alternatives. |
| Day 8 · Sun | Departure | A final transfer to the airport or station, and home with stories to tell. |
Staying longer? Two-week and longer programmes add further full school weeks, with weekend excursions such as Oxford, Cambridge and Windsor.
A typical school day: visiting students follow their buddy's timetable. At one partner school, a Year 8 day runs from registration at 08:30 and tutor time, through five lessons with a morning break and lunch, to after-school clubs and activities from 15:05 to 16:05. Subjects and times vary by school.
All schedules are indicative. Dates, school days and excursions are tailored to your group, including which of London, Oxford or Henley-on-Thames you visit.
/04What we arrange
/05Case studies
2026
School Immersion · Wargrave
Our first group of students from Spain joined The Piggott School in June 2026, combining full school days with exploring the history of Reading.
Read the story : Our first Spanish group joins The Piggott School2025
School Immersion · Wargrave
Students from China joined The Piggott School in June 2025 for lessons alongside UK students in the final weeks of the summer term.
Read the story : A summer term week at The Piggott School2024
School Immersion · Windermere
In October 2024, students from China joined Windermere School in the Lake District, combining a full school week with kayaking on the lake.
Read the story : School by the lake2024
School Immersion · Loddon, Norfolk
A group of students from China spent a week as part of Langley School in February 2024, joining lessons from science to languages alongside their UK buddies.
Read the story : A February week at Langley School2019
School Immersion · London
In summer 2019, 60 students from three schools in Henan, China, joined full-time lessons at three state schools around London. Each was paired with a UK buddy, and every student received a certificate at the closing assembly.
Read the story : 60 students, three London schools
Above Windermere
“Students gained far more than improved English from the immersion programme. They developed confidence, independence and cultural awareness by learning alongside British students.”
/06 Safeguarding
Every programme is planned so that each student is accounted for at all times. All staff who work with students are DBS-checked, the group stays together in managed accommodation with one leader for every 15 students, and every journey is pre-arranged and supervised, including the daily school drop-off and pick-up. Every excursion is risk-assessed in advance, a named Bridges contact is reachable 24 hours a day, and our Designated Safeguarding Lead oversees every programme.
/07Enquiry
Tell us your students' ages, numbers, preferred dates, English level and interests. We will match a partner school and send you an indicative programme and proposal within five working days. Please allow at least three months before arrival.
Request a tailored proposal
