International House London

International House London

Established	1957
Students	8,000
Location	16 Stukeley Street, London, UK WC2B 5LQ
Website	International House London

International House London is a language school in Covent Garden, London, United Kingdom owned by International House Trust. International Trust is a not-for-profit charitable organisation established by John Haycraft to provide English language instruction and teacher training. Each year International House London educates 8,000 students from over 150 countries.

History

International House was founded in 1953 when John Haycraft and Brita Haycraft opened their first language school in Cordoba, Spain. In 1974 they set up a non-profit International Trust to help raise the standards of English language teaching and training worldwide. John Haycraft sought to promote international understanding through language learning and teacher training. He introduced the first training programme for teachers of English as a foreign language, which blended teaching theory and practice.

In 1957, International House London was established in premises at Endell Street and initially offered students courses to improve their English language skills. Over time it grew, offering more courses and moving to larger premises, first to Shaftsbury Avenue in 1961 and then onto 106 Piccadilly in 1977 and finally to Covent Garden in 2007. International House London added teacher training in 1962, business executive courses in 1986 and foreign language courses in 1989.

International House London language school, 16 Stukeley Street, Covent Garden, London

Campus and Facilities

Since 2007, International House London has been situated in Covent Garden in purpose-built premises. It is the largest single-site language school in London.

The campus has 56 class rooms, student computer rooms, a digital language lab where students can practice their pronunciation, a café and a library with over 10,000 books and journals.

More than 8,000 students from over 150 different nationalities study International House London language school each year.

Accreditation

International House London is accredited by the British Council and EAQUALS and is a member of English UK, the leading professional association for accrediting language schools. A founder member of the International House World Organisation (IHWO), International House London adheres to a strict code of practice, ensuring that students receive high quality teaching and value for money.

Charity

IH London supports two London based charities, the Hackney Migrant Centre and Crisis, by donating the time of their teaching staff. International The Centre provides weekly drop in sessions for refugees and other migrants offering legal aid, health advice, a free meal and a sociable meeting place.

‘The majority of the students are African, mostly from Eritrea. Many are refugees, not all of them have been granted leave to remain in the UK, and some have been homeless. We focus on practical, day to day language. Recently we’ve been looking at topics related to transport, for example asking for information about buses or trains, vocabulary for topping up an Oyster card, and how to ask for directions.’ Ben Darby, IH London Teacher

IH London also donates teachers to Crisis, a charity dedicated to transforming the lives of homeless people through education, employment, housing and well-bring services. Among its educational offerings, Crisis provides ESOL courses to its community and IH London teachers administer the lessons.