About the school
Family-run since 1966, Southbourne School of English is on Beaufort Road in Southbourne, a residential seaside area of east Bournemouth, ten minutes on foot from the beach. British Council accredited since 1982 and a member of English UK, IALC and Quality English, with 19 air-conditioned classrooms, interactive screens, a café, cinema room, games room and garden. Adult courses run all year from age 15 and start any Monday; junior summer courses take ages 9 to 15 from late June to August. Most students stay in homestay, with more than 270 local hosts. Students come from over 40 countries.
Family-Run Heritage & Accreditation
Now in its third generation of family ownership, Southbourne combines decades of experience with robust quality assurance. British Council accredited since 1982, and a member of IALC, Quality English and English UK, the school pairs personal, small-scale management with independently verified standards covering teaching, welfare and administration.
Read more about Southbourne School of English
Course Range for Adults & Juniors
Southbourne offers nine distinct programmes, from General and Intensive English to Cambridge Exam preparation, Over 30s Executive English, university pre-sessional courses and English for Content Creators. Junior Summer English (ages 9–15) and tailor-made Group English Courses for school groups run alongside, all supported by pre-arrival placement testing across CEFR levels A1 to C2.
Caring Local Homestays
Accommodation is handled by a dedicated Accommodation Officer, with over 270 handpicked homestay hosts within a 30-minute journey of the school, many much closer. Options range from standard part-board homestays to premium ensuite rooms, with a 24/7 welfare line and re-matching available if a student isn’t happy.
Life Beyond the Classroom
A ten-minute walk from Blue Flag Southbourne Beach, the school offers a packed social programme — beach volleyball, quiz nights, karaoke — plus full-day excursions to London, Oxford, Bath and the Jurassic Coast. On-site facilities include 19 air-conditioned classrooms, a 70-seat café, cinema room, games room and landscaped garden.
Written by the school.
Courses and prices
10 courses in 6 groupsGeneral English
Exam preparation
Academic English
Business English
One-to-one lessons
Juniors and young learners
Why students choose it
- Small classes
- No more than 16 students in a class.
- Every level
- Courses from beginner (A1) to advanced (C2).
- Experienced school
- Teaching English since 1966.
Facilities and services
At the school
Help with
Staff speak 1 language
Where to stay
We can arrange your accommodation while you study at Southbourne School of English, through our sister company.