Residential FAQs
Twin have 3 London residences. Northwick Park is in zone 4, very close to the tube and is approx. 20 minutes travel from central London. Our Hackney residence is in zone 2, it is also approximately 20 minutes from central London and our Bromley residence is in zone 5 and from there it takes about 25 minutes to reach London. All residences are within easily commuting distance to our London school. Speak to a member of Twin staff if you need help with travel directions.
We can arrange that you gain access to your accommodation any day of the week. However we do require you to arrive no later than 11.00 pm in the evening and weekend arrivals do have a supplement of £30.00.
You will have a bed, chair, desk, hanging space, draws and a bedside table. You will also have an en suite shower room which consists of a toilet, shower and wash basin.
No you have your own en suite shower room in your room.
There is a socket for internet in your room, but you will need to pay and arrange for the connection. If you are a short stay student it may be better for you to buy a dongle for your laptop than arrange for connection as this can take several weeks to install.
Yes you will be given a key, or in some cases several keys. Please note that if you lose your key you will have to pay for the replacement which will be expensive.
You are provided with one set of bedding (duvet, pillow, duvet cover, pillow cover, bottom bed sheet). Towels are not included.
The residence is self catering. Your room forms part of a flat. There are 6 rooms in each flat and each flat shares a kitchen. The kitchen will have a locked cupboard for each student, an oven, a fridge freezer , toaster and kettle. Pots, pans, plates and cutlery are not provided. The accommodation also has a laundry, 24 hour security, bike storage and communal gardens.
It can be difficult to open a bank account in the UK unless you are studying for six months or more. You will need proof of address and recognised ID, e.g. your passport. However, each one of our schools has agreements with certain banks in the area and the Welfare Officer at your school will be able to advise you.
The Oyster card is a form of electronic ticketing used on public transport services in London. The Oyster card is a plastic credit card sized smart card and it can be the cheapest way to travel around the capital.
Oyster cards are available for use in the London area and are the cheapest and most efficient way to travel around the Capital.
There are two types -
pre-pay (which works a bit like pre-pay mobile phones), where you put money on the card and there is no time limit for when you use it
travelcard where you buy a week or month of travel for the areas or 'zones' you wish to travel in
If you are studying for longer than fourteen weeks, you can get a discount Oyster card which give you 30% off your travel. The Welfare Officer in the London school will help you with that.
Before you leave your country to attend our course, you should check with the Embassies of all countries you wish to visit whether you need a visa.
Non-EU students will probably be charged up to £50 to see a doctor. If you have medical insurance you could claim this fee back. Try seeing a pharmacist first at the local chemist. It's free.
However, non-EU students studying for six months or more are entitled to free NHS hospital treatments. Please note that everyone, including EU and British citizens, has to pay for NHS prescriptions. They currently cost approximately £6.40
Twin English Centres London, Eastbourne and Salisbury are an A rated licensed sponsor granted by the UK Border Agency to enrol international students under Tier 4 of the Points Based System.
Please consult the British Embassy in your country to check if you require a visa to study in the UK.
When you book a course and pay your deposit of £150, you will receive your Certificate of Registration, which you should present at the British Embassy if you need to apply for a visa.
You must pay a deposit before we can send you your visa support. The balance of your fees are due 28 days before your course, so we recommend that you book your course and apply for your visa with plenty of notice. Otherwise, your balance of fees may become due before you have received your visa.
If you are refused a visa, you will be given a signed and dated refusal notice. You should then cancel your course and fax / email us a copy of your refusal statement, and we will be able to refund you fees (we will retain an administration fee of £60.)
If you decide that you would like to extend your course, you will need to fill out a FLR(S) form, which must be submitted to the Home Office along with several other documents, including your passport and evidence of attendance from your school and payment for the visa extension. For full details, see the Home Office website - www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk
Studying at any Twin English Centre is a great way to meet friends and improve your social life in the UK. Plus, Twin English Centre London has a very lively Social Programme as well as the Twin Zone for students. You can see What's On this month at Twin by visiting http://www.englishcentres.co.uk/social/
There are no classes in the Twin English Centres on these public holidays - 2011: New Year's Day: 3 January • Good Friday: 22 April • Easter Monday: 25 April • Royal wedding: 29 April • Early May Bank Holiday: 2 May • Spring Bank Holiday: 30 May • Summer Bank Holiday: 29 August • Christmas Day: 26 December • Boxing Day: 27 December. 2012: New Year's Day: 2 January • Good Friday: 6 April • Easter Monday: 9 April • Early May Bank Holiday: 7 May • Spring Bank Holiday: 4 June • Queen's Diamond Jubilee: 5 June • Summer Bank Holiday: 27 August • Christmas Day: 25 December • Boxing Day: 26 December.