We have been welcoming foreign students to our home for 8 years. In the past all the family have been involved in hosting the students when they are at home collecting them from the airport,helping prepare the meals, accompanying them on outings, playing tennis and kayaking with them in the sunshine or board and card games in the evening. We now have family friends' children helping with the students. Each year many of our guests are returning for the second, third, fourth or fifth time or have been recommended by friends who have visited us previously. We also welcome adults and families who combine learning English with a holiday.
ABOUT OUR FAMILY
John works in executive search from home and in London and Europe and is a school governor. Phoebe worked as an actress before the birth of the children and is an English language and literature graduate with a TEFL qualification and 30 years teaching experience. She teaches adult literacy throughout the year and devotes the summer to hosting students. They both run the small estate where they live looking after the farm, woodland, animals and gardens. Phoebe's sister, who is a musician also lives in part of the house and has her studio upstairs. Tom (30),an engineering graduate is now in the Coldstream Guards. Hugh(28) works as a vet. Ophelia (24) graduated in History of Art and following a year in Rome, has completed a law conversion. Our kind friends also welcome our guests to their homes to swim or for meals.
We are now not able to take bookings for 2024 summer school
from 29th June to 31st July.
We are happy to take bookings from adults and families at other times of the year
Contact: pacfortescue@gmail.com
WHERE WE LIVE AND WHAT A STUDENT CAN EXPECT
We are very lucky to live in a beautiful house set in a hidden valley in SW England near to lots of attractions. We all love the outdoor life and our menagerie comprising dogs, cat, ponies and chickens. We play tennis on our court and grow our own fruit and vegetables and enjoy cooking. Any guest can join in these activities. Phoebe gives one to one English lessons most mornings to those who sign up for them and the afternoons are spent having fun. We are five minutes from the picturesque town of Shaftesbury. We normally spend two days a week going further afield on outings. Guests are accompanied riding our ponies and bicycles, exploring our woods and Iron Age Fort and walking up on the Downs. They can also swim and kayak in our lake under supervision. We love sharing our home with others and all our guests enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and the time we spend chatting, playing games and getting to know one another and learning about the idiosyncracies of our different cultures. We teach guests to cook English food, baking cakes and making jam and encourage them to teach us to cook their favourite home food. We all share our meals together and chat around the table. Being able to muck in will enhance the enjoyment of a stay with us. We endeavour to host different nationalities concurrently so everyone communicates in English and our guests make new friends. We look after guests as part of the family and we endeavour to accommodate all diets and any allergies. We have welcomed guests for 8 years and many return to us year after year or recommend their friends. We collect our guests from and return them to local airports or train stations.
Those who sign up for lessons are assessed by Phoebe on arrival and targets to achieve during the stay are agreed. The lessons are divided into reading, writing and speaking activites, are project based and individually designed to meet the needs of the student. She also recommends books to read during the stay.
Depending on the length of your stay we suggest a trip to the Jurassic Coast and one other outing per week. We try to accommodate all students' choices but sometimes we have to moderate depending on what others have chosen. There are no lessons on outing days.
The World Heritage site is 25 minutes by car from our house. We visit early in the morning before the crowds arrive and when available book entry when it is restricted to 30 people. The price of the ticket includes a good audio guide for the visitors’ centre and the site.
We drive 75 minutes to the coast, walk along the cliffs to see the dramatic rock formations , enjoy a picnic and swim in the sea. If time allows we visit the fossil museum at Kimmeridge.
We drive 35 minutes to Salisbury and look around the medieval city and the cathedral including a spectacular tour up the tallest cathedral spire in England. After a picnic lunch in the cathedral grounds there is time to shop and we can choose to visit the museum or go on to Old Sarum (the original site of the cathedral).
We drive 45 minutes to the beautiful city of Bath, visit the Roman Baths, take an open top bus tour of the Georgian parts of city and visit the Assembly Rooms and Fashion Museum. There is time for shopping.
Learn about prehistory. At 400ft deep and 3 miles long, this is England’s largest gorge and with its spectacular pinnacles and beautiful caves it makes for a fun day out. It is an hour and 15 minutes drive.
The story of Tanks and their crews from 1915 to the present. With over 300, the museum has the largest collection of tanks in the world. It is 45 minutes drive and if it is sunny we can go on to the coast for an evening swim and barbeque.
DATES AND PRICES 2024
The summer school will be running from 28th June to 12th July and 15th July to 2nd August
for 12-18 year olds.
We welcome adults and families at other times of the year.
Please check for availability of dates by emailing pacfortescue@gmail.com before booking transport.
Once dates are confirmed you will be asked for a 10% deposit to secure your place
The balance of the stay must be paid two weeks before arrival.
It is the responsibility of the guest to have adequate insurance for the duration of their stay.
ACCOMMODATION | Per night, full board, including bed, breakfast, lunch, tea, supper | £135 |
Activities including tennis, riding cycling, swimming and fishing | Included in price of stay | |
Weekly laundry | £8 | |
PICK UP/ DROP OFF | Southampton/ Bournemouth Airport | £95 |
Bristol Airport | £95 | |
Gatwick/ Heathrow Airport | £150 | |
London eurostar | £150 | |
Tisbury station | £20 | |
LESSONS | One to One private English lessons | £30 for 30 minutes |
OUTINGS | Jurassic coast | £35 |
Salisbury | £50 | |
Bath | £90 | |
Stonehenge | £60 | |
Portsmouth | £90 | |
Tank museum | £50 | |
Cheddar gorge | £80 | |
Theatre/cinema | Charged at price of entry ticket |