Students Under 18

We welcome individual students aged 16-18 and closed groups of under 18s throughout the year.

Celtic English Academy has a responsibility to provide a safe and caring learning environment for all our students and staff. However we take extra care of students under the age of 18 and vulnerable adults. On this page, we explain how we support students under the age of 18 and the level of care we offer.
This information is for individual students aged 16 or 17. We have different procedures in place for groups or students on our Junior Summer and Winter Programmes. We will communicate this information separately to these students.

Individual Under 18s

If a person has not had their 18th birthday then they are a child (not an adult) according to UK law.
Most of our students are 18+ so students under 18 will need to feel comfortable in an adult environment. The average age of our students in 2021 was 27. There is no maximum age.

What to expect

Classes & The Academy

∎ Individual students aged 16 or 17 will study in classes with adults over 18.

∎ CEA does not provide 24-hour supervision.

∎ Students will travel between their homestay and the Academy unsupervised.

∎ Students will be unsupervised outside lesson times including during the breaks and at lunch time.

∎ Students under 18 are asked to wear an orange lanyard which makes them easily identifiable to staff.

Social Activities

∎ The Academy runs a full and varied social programme which is organised on a pay-as-you go basis. Under 18 students are allowed to attend most of our social activities. If any of our activities are not suitable for under 18s, our staff will inform you.

∎Students will travel to and from the social programme meeting points unsupervised.

∎ On full-day weekend excursions to other destinations, students will normally have about 2-3 hours free time unsupervised for shopping or sightseeing.

Other rules

∎ Your curfew (the time you must return home before) in homestay is 9pm if you are aged 15 and under or 10pm if you are 16 -17 years old. You must be at home every day before this time.

∎ Students under 18 are not allowed to visit the Academy’s residence in the evenings.

∎ You cannot drink alcohol, buy cigarettes, enter a bar or a club. Many pubs/bars also do not allow under 18s to enter after 7pm.

Parental Agreements

Before a student under the age of 18 starts a course at Celtic English Academy, both the parent/guardian and the student must sign and send us the agreement for students under 18 to study at CEA.

∎ The agreement is to confirm that parents, guardians and under 18 students understand the procedures and the rules we have in place for the welfare of under 18s and the level of supervision that we provide.

∎ If a student under 18 breaks the rules we will inform the parents/guardian and in serious cases we have the right to ask the student to return home and, in such cases, the fees are not refunded.

∎ The parent/guardian must also complete our Medical Information Form for Under 18s.

∎ If parents would like to authorise a guardian to act on their behalf when their son/daughter is in Cardiff, then they must sign a guardian authorisation form giving their consent.

When a student under 18 travels to the UK, he/she should have a Parental Consent form to travel to the UK with him/her as the airport immigration officer may request to see this and want confirmation of who is meeting the student at the airport.

Airport Transfers

Celtic English Academy recommends that students under 18 have airport taxi transfers arranged by the Academy on arrival and departure.

However, if parents give permission for their child to travel independently, then we do not insist on the taxi transfer, provided the Academy and the homestay provider are both given the student’s travel details in advance (flight times and flight numbers), confirmation of how the student will get from the airport to their accommodation and their expected arrival time in Cardiff.

Parents must also give both the Academy and the homestay the student’s mobile number. Once the student has arrived in the UK, the student must keep the phone switched on and charged.

Accommodation

We require students under 18 to stay in homestay accommodation except if the student is joining our Junior Summer Programme in Monmouth. Alternative accommodation may also be arranged for groups in Cardiff.

Alternative arrangements, where the student will have adult supervision, such as staying with a family friend, will be accepted if Celtic English Academy finds it suitable. We must have written confirmation of the arrangements from the parents/guardian at the time of the enrolment for this.

We would not expect students aged under 18 to stay unsupervised in a hotel or guest house. If an under 18 student wishes to stay out overnight or visit another city unsupervised, we need the parents/guardian to sign a parental permission form to stay out overnight or visit another city.

Important documents for parents/guardians

Safeguarding Policy > Click here
Parental consent form Under 18 > Click here
Parental consent form for overnight stay > Click here