How our program ties in with the school terms will depend on your location and current school. In our experience students have arrived with a range of required work to complete, most usually in mathematics and their additional language, but this might include a book to read as well, and our testimonials show that many students end up going home ‘ahead’ and more confident as students. It will be important for parents to have preparatory conversations with their child's current school to discuss the logistics of 'stepping out' and any essential curriculum that they must cover.

The period between January and April is when we anticipate that students 'jumping onto a different program' will have the lightest impact. This is usually the middle term of the year, in the Northern Hemisphere, and attendance here will mean the least in terms of ‘time missed’. Nor will it impact either the beginning or end of year rituals, or key assessment points. For the Southern Hemisphere, it will be the start of the academic year, and so less likely to interrupt any important exams or end of year rites of passage.

We are currently working on documents to send out to parents to help them with their conversations with schools, so that they understand who we are and what can be expected. We cannot build a relationship with every child’s home school, and it is far more productive and efficient for parents to take this responsibility as the relationship already exists.

We acknowledge that it is a significant commitment, coming away from your home and school life for such a period of time. And that this will mean that students are set to miss out on certain aspects of their life back home. It is our belief that what they will gain from their time with us will more than compensate for those sacrifices, and that students will return home sure of this too.

Academically speaking, our students will not be able to mirror the exact content of all their classes back home, as our English, Science, Arts and Humanities curriculums are unique to us, and are closely linked with our surroundings and the trips we go on. However, our students will grow in maturity, self-discipline and have a better understanding of the processes of learning and self-improvement. They will also develop their range of transferable skills across oracy, written work, problem-solving, lateral thinking, self-reflection and deliberate use of attention. Furthermore, increased confidence, independence, curiosity and self discipline in their learning will make any ‘catching up’ a challenge they might relish. One of the benefits for students being at this age is that the skills acquired will play a far greater role in a successful educational career in the long term.

We cannot replace the exact sporting practices that your child may have back home. However, we can promise invigorating and fun daily physical challenges, including bouldering, trampolining, ‘ninja warrior’, mountain biking, rugby, swimming, team sports, horse riding and a ten-day surfing and coasteering trip. Our short daily yoga practice will help your child feel strong, confident and coordinated and will help them with their posture and attention throughout the day. Your child will see progress in their physical fitness and skill, as they surpass their own limitations.

Our technology policy means that our students really will have to step outside of their social circles for three months. However, it is remarkable how strong a bond can be formed, and how much growth can happen, when placed in an environment that fosters in-real-life relationships and thoughtfulness. Your child will make life-long friendships with amazing young minds from all over the world, explore a new country and culture, create beautiful and meaningful pieces of work and strive to become the best versions of themselves; all whilst relatively little is changing socially back home.

Any child who will be between the ages of 13-15 (American 8th and 9th grade) is welcome to apply. Students can apply from any country in the world.

“I’m not telling you it’s going to be easy, I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it.” Arthur L. Williams

The English Guild Experience suits a wide range of characters and approaches. The program is a pioneering, extended residential experience, so applicants and their families will need to have an adventurous spirit and a willingness to embrace challenges and discomfort as well as the immense reward these can bring, safe in the knowledge that you will get out of it all the hard work that you put into it.

You will be excited about meeting new people, trying new things and being part of a supportive learning community where attitude is every bit as important as attainment. Each year, The English Guild Experience cultivates a group of students who learn to think for themselves, to push the boundaries of what they know and want to explore, and to connect through a shared interest in what it means to be a human being in the 21st century.

If you are nervous about traveling alone to a new place for a new experience, that is natural. We have plenty of experience helping students from all over the world grow into being comfortable in new places with new people. And any butterflies you might feel should also be part of a bubbling desire for exploration, and a feeling that doing something like this is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity - something you will treasure for the rest of your life.

Perhaps you are thinking about going to boarding school but don’t know what it’ll be like. Perhaps you are not considering going to boarding school but want a chance to learn to live with and enjoy the company of your peers in a residential setting before moving on to your next school. Perhaps you are planning to be at the same school from start to finish and so are looking to try something different, experience a different culture, widen your friendship group or learn something new. All these are good reasons to spark an interest in The English Guild Experience. By applying at an earlier age, you offer yourself the opportunity to interact with older peers, to develop habits and study skills as early as possible to help you excel as you mature. The opportunity to understand and take on the variety of leadership roles within the group will raise your confidence in social situations, as you better understand that character and authenticity are more important than age or size when gaining respect.

For many at this age, school is just about to become more intense, with a focus on next steps and formal assessments. The English Guild Experience will offer the chance to prepare your whole self for the next few years in terms of your study skills, academic maturity, and most importantly giving you an opportunity to learn more about who you are and who you aspire to become. Exploring a varied curriculum, engaging in a wide range of activities and reflecting upon them with the help of a supportive peer group and expert faculty will give you insights into your strengths and passions, as well as areas for improvement and further work as you make the most of your formative years. The Guild Experience aims to nurture your ability to make wise choices and prepare your path towards achieving your very best. Coming as an older student could offer you a chance to share your relative experience, take on leadership roles within the group and to better understand the responsibility that comes when people look up to you… and that being bigger or older is not enough - character will be the key.

Yes! Mixing students from different geographical and socio-economic backgrounds is fundamental to what we are trying to achieve. We run on a not-for-profit basis and have a tiered tuition model to make our progam accessible. Please contact us if you would like more information on this.

We believe that students need space and time without social media to allow them to fully develop as themselves. We want young people to be masters of the tools that are available to them and to be able to engage with them in constructive and positive ways. Therefore, when we are together, students will not have access to social media, smartphones, the internet or their own digital cameras. The focus will be on our learning together. Any use of technology in day-to-day lessons and activities will be done in a deliberate way that helps us achieve our stated goals.

The world is undoubtedly in a fast-moving phase of technology adoption, and its ubiquity makes it increasingly unavoidable. The pace of change has been so fast that within a generation, parents grew up without universal access to computers and even the internet, whilst their children are intuitively navigating smartphone apps from their early years. In such an important stage in their development, we believe that offering young people the opportunity to live life without the ever-presence of internet-connected technology will allow them to experience a better quality of connections and depth of experience. However, research shows that outright denial is not as effective, in the long term, at helping develop an improved self-discipline in people’s relationship with such addictive technologies; we therefore aim to introduce habits and provide controlled occasions for the use of technology where it serves our collective purpose. With this approach, our graduates will leave with a set of tools and an attitude that allows them to become masters of technology, not slaves to it, as they navigate their world.

Yes! There will be an opportunity for parents to come and meet us, explore the venue and see what the students have been working on over the course of the term. This will be during the final week of term.

There will be an exhibition of the different projects that the students have worked on, both in their academic classes, and in the arts and crafts workshops. There will also be musical performances, the school play, and the opportunity for our parents to join the final ‘service’ of the term.

The term will then end, and students will return home with their parents.

Once per week you will get a 15-minute zoom call with your child. This will work on a schedule and will happen over dinner-time, between 6pm - 7pm GMT.

You can, and we encourage you to, send lots of letters, but no parcels please.

Of course, if there is an emergency, you can contact any senior member of staff and we will put you in contact with your child immediately.

If your child is mildly ill (for example with a cold) we will have asked your permission before the project starts to be able to administer basic medicines. If your child becomes more severely unwell in any way or if there is an emergency, we would inform you and take the necessary steps to get them appropriate and, if necessary, urgent medical care.

The staff at The Guild Experience have decades of experience supporting children experiencing homesickness. We acknowledge that students may become homesick, and talk to them about this being a natural part of spending time away. We support them through these emotions and use a range of techniques to alleviate homesickness and to enable them to fully engage with what The Guild Experience has to offer.

The English Guild Experience takes the wellbeing and safety of our students seriously. As is best practice for adults working with young people in the UK, all our staff have enhanced DBS safeguarding certificates and decades of experience and training working with young people. We have a comprehensive safeguarding policy in place, and an Advisory Board member, Katie Campbell, as our designated safeguarding advisor. It is for this reason that we ask for comprehensive information about your child, which we will use to inform the ways in which we support their wellbeing and safety throughout the program.

We will do as the English do! If you have the right gear - and the right attitude - being out in cold and wet weather can be invigorating and atmospheric. We will have hot porridge each morning to prepare us for the day’s activities, and warm tea, board games and journalling in front of the fire when we get home - very cosy!

Should the weather really turn prohibitive, there are so many different indoor activities available that it won’t stop us having fun.

A guild is a group of dedicated and skilled craftsmen, or creatives, who work together in mutual aid, towards the pursuit of a higher goal. They collaborate and uphold each other to high standards, meaning that their endeavours are of an exceptional standard and that everybody feels satisfied and happy in their work.

We are delighted that you are thinking about applying. Please email us at theenglishguildexperience@gmail.com and we will send you our application pack. This will have instructions, more information and practicalities.