Pre-Arrival Info | Merrist Wood | St Clare's, Oxford

Students feeding goats

PRE-ARRIVAL 
INFORMATION

PRE-ARRIVAL INFORMATION

JUMP TO SECTION:

    1. Visas
      1. Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)
    2. Placement Test
    3. Transfers
      1. Airport Transfers
      2. Booking a Transfer

 

After booking onto a Summer Course at St Clare’s, there are still a few things left to do before you arrive:

  1. Check if you need a UK visa.
  2. Book your flights, remembering that Arrival Day is normally Sunday, with Departures on a Saturday.
  3. Let us know your travel plans: we will send you an email where you can book airport transfers and let us know your arrangements. Please book transfers as soon as possible to ensure we can make the necessary arrangements for you.
  4. Download and complete the Letter of content to travel form for immigration. You will need to show them your passport, visa (if required), St Clare’s course confirmation letter, and your 'Letter of consent to travel’ form.

Visas

We welcome students from all over the world, and if a visa is needed, we can guide and support you through the application process.

It is easy to check if you need a visa on the UK Government website.

The UK Government have created a leaflet with key information, including required documentation and the application process.

Visa types may vary according to your individual circumstances. If you are unsure, please go to the UK Government Visa and Immigration website or contact us.

If you plan to study beyond the summer at another school in the UK, please inform us at the time of booking.

Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)

Students who plan to study for short-term courses of six months or less and from countries that don’t require a standard visitor visa for the UK will need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).

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You must provide a valid passport. Your passport should be valid for the whole of your stay in the UK.

You may also be asked to prove that:

  • you’ve been accepted on to a course by an accredited institution, for example, a letter of acceptance on official headed paper stating the course name, duration and cost
  • you’re able to support yourself during your trip (or have funding from someone else to support you)
  • you’re able to pay for your return or onward journey (or have funding from someone else)
  • you’ve arranged accommodation for your stay
  • you’ll leave the UK at the end of your visit


Applying for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)

It is quick and simple to apply for an ETA. It permits multiple journeys to the UK for stays of up to 6 months at a time over 2 years, or until the holder’s passport expires – whichever is sooner.

To apply for an ETA, you need to:

  1. Pay a small fee
  2. Provide contact and passport details
  3. Provide a valid photo, complying with rules for digital photos on GOV.UK
  4. Answer a set of questions

You usually get a decision within 3 working days but may get a quicker decision if you use the UK ETA app, download here for Apple or Android.

You must travel using the same passport used when you applied for an ETA.

To check if you need a visa or ETA please click here.

For more information about the ETA and instructions on applying please click here.

Placement Test

A few weeks before the course begins, students will receive a placement test to complete at home.

This test is designed to give us an accurate measure of overall English ability and to ensure you are placed in the right class according to your English level.

It is not a record of achievement and it is not a pass or fail exam, so please do not worry too much about your performance.

We will combine this information with our spoken interview on your first day to get a better picture of your overall ability. Your test results will remain confidential and will not be shared with anyone.

Transfers

Airport Transfers

For Merrist Wood students, course fees include airport transfers to and from London Heathrow and Gatwick Airports.

For transfers to/from other airports, train, and bus stations, please enquire at summer.transfers@stclares.ac.uk.

Additional Charges
  • £100 (single charge for arrival/departure) for Unaccompanied Minor status students: If you reserve an Unaccompanied Minor (UM) service with the airline, you must also reserve the St Clare’s UM service, which covers the additional cost for collecting your child from the airline on arrival and check-in your child on departure. It is essential that you inform us of your child’s UM status when you send us flight details. Check with your airline for further information about the service.
  • £30 Assisted airport check-in (departures only): this service covers escorting your child into the terminal and helping them with check-in on departure.

Booking a Transfer

Airport transfers should normally be booked and paid for at least 3 weeks before arrival.

Please email summer.transfers@stclares.ac.uk to book a taxi to and/or from the airport or train station.

If you are travelling together with friends on the same flight, we can collect you together. It is essential that you provide the names of your friends at the time of booking the transfer.

Please do not book your flights until you have received confirmation of your child’s place on the course.

All Students

Please see our Travel Insurance Policy for complete coverage details.

WHAT TO BRING

You Can Also Bring:

  • Camera
  • Tennis racquet

  • Suitable machine-washable clothes for an English summer outdoors (at least one jumper/sweatshirt and a waterproof coat or jacket)

  • Swimwear and swimming towel

  • Light waterproofs and sunscreen
  • Sports shoes suitable for grass

We highly recommend bringing a bank card instead of large amounts of cash. Cash can be safely stored in our safe. Travel cash-free on buses using contactless.

Do Not Bring:

  • Bed linen (sheets, sleeping bag, blankets, etc.)
  • Expensive jewellery or items of sentimental value
  • Designer clothes requiring dry cleaning
  • Towels

How to Find Us

The Merrist Wood programme is located on a 400-acre campus of fields and ancient woodland, offering a peaceful and spacious environment where students can enjoy both learning and outdoor leisure. The campus features a working farm, licensed zoo, landscaped gardens, and sports fields, creating unique opportunities for a wide range of outdoor activities.

Located just outside Guildford, a lively town with shops, cafés, and cultural attractions, the campus is also only an hour from central London, making it the ideal setting to study and experience life in the UK.

Although there is a train station in Worplesdon, it is easier to travel to Merrist Wood from the main Guildford station. 

From there, you can catch the number 20 public bus that runs from Guildford bus station.

Address

Merrist Wood Campus: Merrist Wood, Worplesdon, Guildford, Surrey, GU3 3PE

How to Find Us