Welcome to International English courses at Westminster Adult Education Service

This leaflet gives you some basic information about our International English courses. If you any
have specific questions about your course, please speak to your tutor once you start.

About our courses

We offer a complete suite of Cambridge courses ranging from Cambridge English: First (FCE),
through Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) to Cambridge English Proficiency (CPE). The levels vary
from strong upper intermediate (FCE) through advanced (CAE) to a native-like level (CPE). We also
run academic IELTS courses.

Your teacher should give you a course overview at the start of your studies. This outlines the topics
and language you will study on the course for the next 6 weeks.

Before you start: Some personal information

If you paid online, before you start your course, someone from WAES Admissions will contact you via
email or phone requesting some additional information to complete our internal registration. We
will need information such as date of birth, address in London, work status, nationality and previous
levels of education in UK or your home country. Please provide these details promptly and this will
allow us to get you on to the class register and give you access to online learning.

At the start: Needs Analysis

Your teacher will ask you some basic questions about your language experience and needs and use
this information to plan the course to meet the needs of the group over the course of study after
your first lesson.

Helping you through the course

Your teacher will recommend a course book for you to buy to help you do self-study as well as a list
of recommended grammar books. You should also a good quality dictionary. You also have access to
your course via its webpage on e-zone. Log on at http://moodle.waes.ac.uk/moodle (do not use
www) to help you self study. Also use the Cambridge website:
http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/prepare-and-practise/

Fees Policy

You can study as many weeks as you wish but we expect you to pay for a minimum of 4 weeks of
study and this is non-refundable if you decide to stay or not. The course fees on our website are for
4, 6 or 12 weeks but will be adjusted according to your requirements (e.g. if you want to study for 10
weeks the course fee will change). You can pay by phoning 0207 297 7297. Most courses take
online bookings for 4, 6 or 12 weeks. Re-bookings can be made for fewer weeks by arrangement,
but payments for this need to be agreed with the manager and will be taken over the phone or
made in person. There are no refunds once you have started studying on your course.
Homework

Your teacher will give you homework during the course and mark and return this work to you with
comments and suggestions to help you improve. You should bring a folder, pen and paper to each
lesson as well as recommended course books and a dictionary.

Facilities

All students at WAES have access to Learning Centres to use computers and loan books at our main
sites at Pimlico and Lisson Grove.

Health & Safety

There are fire evacuation posters in the classrooms. Please follow instructions from teachers and
centre staff at all times.

Teaching dates

Teaching dates follow an academic year pattern. These are the dates for 2015-2016. Please note we
operate on an academic calendar and courses have half term holidays and longer 2 or 3 week breaks
over Christmas and Easter. If for some reason, WAES has to cancel a class due to staff sickness,
your owed teaching hours will be carried out and your end date will be changed on our internal
records.

Teaching Weeks Half-term holidays

Autumn Term: 14/09/15 - 12/12/15 Winter half-term: 26th October
- 31st October
th
Spring Term: 05/01/16 - 24/03/16 Spring half-term: 15th 20
February
Summer term 11/04/16 - 16/07/16 Summer half-term: 30th May
th
4 June
Complaints/Suggestions

If you are unhappy about your course, please speak to your teacher in the first instance. If your
teacher cannot resolve your concerns, please contact the manager for the area who will try to help
you and answer your concerns. If this fails, you can make a formal written complaint.

Feedback

You can make comments and suggestions online via e-zone as well as completing WAES learner
surveys in year. We also hold Learner focus groups in year meeting with managers to discuss your
class and experiences of the course.

Taking the exam

Please discuss with your teacher about whether you are ready to sit the exam. IELTS exam sittings
are held every month. FCE, CAE and CPE exams are held less frequently. Cambridge exams cost
approximately 110-150.

We recommend you book and pay for your Cambridge or IELTS Exam with Westminster University.
See http://www.westminster.ac.uk/courses/examinations/cambridge-esol or phone: 02035069900
to book.

Other exam centres can be found via the Cambridge ESOL website.
http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/find-a-centre/find-an-exam-centre/

About WAES

Westminster is one of the most diverse and dynamic communities in Britain. Westminster Adult
Education Service (WAES) reflects that diversity as one of the largest local authority adult
education providers in the country.

The service is part of the education department of the City of Westminster and is funded by the
Skills Funding Agency. Our board of governors includes elected members of the city council and
members from the community and local organisations.

To ensure the quality of our courses and support for students we are inspected by Ofsted as
well as local quality assurance arrangements. We aim to make it as easy for our learners as
possible to study with us.

The WAES website (http://www.waes.ac.uk/waes-key-policies) has a full list of policies and

information about the College.

Recommended course book:

Your tutor will recommend a course book for you to purchase once you start the course.

Recommended books for self study:

Your tutor will recommend a list of additional books to help you prepare for the exam and improve
your English as well as a number of websites.

You can buy many of these books at any good bookshop or order online for cheaper copies or
second hand copies.

Online learning with WAES:

You also have access to your course via its webpage on e-zone. Log on at
http://moodle.waes.ac.uk/moodle (do not use www) to help you self study. You will need your
student ID number and your date of birth to log on. Your teacher can show you how to use Moodle
as part of your course.