Your booking

If you would like to cancel a confirmed booking, we ask you to submit a written cancellation request to our customer support team.

Take some time to re-read out terms and conditions so you are aware of all your options.

To submit a cancellation request:

1. Provide us with your booking details, including: full name, date of birth, student ID number, and booking confirmation number.
2. Details regarding what you would like to cancel, e.g. full booking, accommodation etc
3. Reasons for your cancellation request
4. Email all the information to our customer support team at customersupport@bellenglish.com

We will then process your cancellation request. Depending on the notice period provided, we will confirm any charges and refund with you if required, as per our booking terms and conditions.

While extremely rare, there may be occasions where Bell is required to cancel a course.

This is not something we do lightly. If your booking is cancelled as a result of this decision, we will contact you immediately and discuss your options and do everything we can to move you to an equivalent programme.

If this is not possible, we will automatically process a refund of all booking fees paid to Bell.

In the unfortunate event that an emergency arises or an unavoidable circumstance forces you to cancel a confirmed booking, your student insurance may be able to cover any cancellation penalties that may incur.

We ask that you still follow cancellation process, by submitting a request to our customer support team.

To submit a cancellation request:

1. Provide us with your booking details, including: full name, date of birth, student ID number, and booking confirmation number.
2. Reasons for your cancellation request
3. Email all the information to our customer support team at customersupport@bellenglish.com

You may be asked for documentation to confirm your circumstances, but our team will review your case and follow up with you to discuss your options.

As you will know, we provide free insurance to all our students (excluding students who are UK domiciles).

This travel insurance may protect you against unexpected financial losses you incur while travelling or due to changes you have to make after your booking has been confirmed with Bell.

Our travel insurance plan includes:

• Cancelling or cutting short a trip
• Medical emergency and other expenses
• Baggage claims
• Personal money and passport
• Missed departure
• Course fees

Your free insurance is provided by Endsleigh, who were voted the Best Student Insurance Provider by Insurance Choice Awards in 2019 and the only insurance provider recommended by the National Union of Students (NUS) in the UK.

You will have received a summary of your insurance with your booking confirmation, please check the coverage in line with your circumstances.

Some credit cards may also offer travel insurance plans and other benefits, it’s worth checking your coverage here also.

If you would like to make a change to a confirmed booking, we ask you to submit a written change request to our customer support team.

Take some time to re-read out terms and conditions so you are aware of all your options.

To submit a change request:

1. Provide us with your booking details, including: full name, date of birth, student ID, and booking confirmation number.
2. Detail the changes you require to your course, e.g. date changes, shorten or lengthen your course stay, change of course or accommodation etc
3. Reasons for your change request
4. Email all the information to our Customer Support team at customersupport@bellenglish.com

If your request is possible, your booking will be updated and you’ll be charged or refunded if necessary, as per our booking terms and conditions. On the rare occasion that we would not be able to fulfil your request, we will contact you to discuss your options. In the meantime, your booking will remain the same.

If your course has started and you want to change the length of your stay, change to a different course or accommodation, or add additional modules / academies to your course, you can submit a written change request to our customer support team.

Take some time to re-read out terms and conditions so you are aware of all your options.

To submit a change request:

1. Provide us with your full name, date of birth, and student ID number.
2. Detail the changes you require to your booking, e.g. shorten your stay, extend your stay, add additional modules/academies etc.
3. Reasons for your change request
4. Email all the information to our customer support team at customersupport@bellenglish.com

If your request to alter your booking is possible, your booking will be updated. Depending on the notice period provided, you will be charged or credited if necessary, as per our booking terms and conditions. On the rare occasion that we would not be able to fulfil your request, we will contact you to discuss your options. In the meantime, your booking will remain the same.

If you have completed your course, and subsequently decide to extend your studies, you will need to notify the customer support team as soon as possible, so we can assess availability on the course, accommodation and process administrative changes, e.g. extending insurance cover etc.

Due to the urgency of this request, we recommend you contact the customer support team by phone or liaise with your academic team at the school – to give us as much time as possible to process your request.

If your request is possible, we will process your new booking and issue an invoice for immediate payment. It is critical that payment due is paid in full before you can resume your studies.

If we are not able to fulfil your request, we will discuss your options. In the meantime, your booking will remain the same.

It is not necessary to bring specialist equipment for electives or academies. We do ask you to pack specific clothing for some options:

Tennis
Trainers suitable for astro-turf (artificial grass) surfaces
Tennis racket

Football
Boots or trainers suitable for astro-turf (artificial grass) surfaces
Shin pads
Goal keeper gloves
Waterproof jacket

Basketball
Loose fitting, comfortable clothing
Suitable trainers

Horse-riding
Clothes that can get dirty (not best clothes!)
Tight-fitting trousers – leggings or riding trousers (jodhpurs)
Suitable shoes or boots with a 1-inch heel

Your child does not need a lot of clothing, but please remember that it can sometimes be cold and wet in Britain. A number of activities will take place outside, so your child is likely to get a little dirty or wet depending on the weather conditions.

We recommend that students bring:

• Casual clothes for everyday wear
• Warm sweaters
• Something to wear at a party or disco
• Walking shoes
• A warm coat or jacket (preferably waterproof)
• Jogging pants and sweatshirt
• Sportswear and sports shoes (non-marking soled shoes must be worn in all indoor sports halls).
• Towels

For Winter Explorer at St Albans:

• Hat, scarves and gloves
• Warm waterproof coat/jacket
• Old trainers

Site specific items

At Bell Tudor Hall there is a swimming pool. If your child wants to swim they should bring:

• Swimming costume or trunks
• Towels for washing and swimming
• Goggles (if required)

For specific Academies, we recommend they bring the following items:

Tennis

• Multi-surface trainers
• Tennis racket (rackets are provided to students who do not have their own)

Horse-riding

• Tight fitting trousers of jeans, or jodphurs
• Suitable outdoor footwear, preferably wellington boots or riding boots
• Waterproof jacket

Luggage

Your child should only bring one suitcase, in addition to their hand luggage. Please check with your airline regarding weight restrictions for luggage on both outward and return flights and remember to attach your Bell luggage labels.

Valuable items

Please note that Bell cannot be responsible for the safety of valuable items and students wishing to bring them do so at their own risk.

Toiletries

Your child must bring their own towels, soap and shampoo, as well as a hairdryer and adapter if desired. Paper hand towels are provided in bathrooms.

If your child’s luggage is misplaced by the airline or it is delayed, they will usually receive a reference number.

The Bell team will manage all communication with the airline, to ensure that the luggage is recovered and sent directly to the school as soon as possible.

While your child is without luggage, the school will provide them with what they need until it arrives, including a towel and selection of toiletries. Where possible, this will be free of charge but, in some circumstances, they may need to use some of their pocket money to buy small items.

We offer airport transfers to all our students to ensure they have a smooth arrival after travelling all day. You can book an airport transfer directly to Bell Cambridge or Bell London.

To book an airport transfer:

1. Complete the mandatory enrolment form provided to you after completing your online booking, and tick the relevant boxes under ‘arrival and departure taxi transfers’
2. Complete the electronic booking form pdf, and tick the box under ‘arrival and departure taxi transfers’
3. If you have already submitted your booking, simply get in touch with our customer support team to request transfer arrangements

Just to note that taxi transfers are chargeable, as per our terms and conditions. You do not need to follow this process if you have booked a young learner programme at Bell.

All our young learner programmes include free return airport transfers. Transfers will be available for arrivals and departures between 10am and 5pm (depending on student travel requirements) from designated airports or stations.

To guarantee your airport transfer, please submit an online travel form:

1. Go to www.bellenglish.com/online-travel-form
2. Provide your booking details, including: Full name, course, course dates, contact number, and flight details
3. Click SUBMIT

Please be aware that our designated airports / stations for young learner programmes include:

• • Heathrow, Stansted and London St Pancras* for Bell St Albans
  • Heathrow and Stansted for Bell The Leys and Bell Tudor Hall

*based on advised train times

If you are planning to arrive out-of-hours, on a different date, or different airport, please contact our support team on yl.travel@bellenglish.com or call +44 (0) 1223 275 598 and we will arrange a bespoke transfer price quote.

An Unaccompanied Minor refers to an individual who is registered for a service some airlines offer for underage flyers.

The airline agrees to take special responsibility for the student during the flight and personally ensures they take them to a Bell representative on arrival.

We recommend that all students under the age of 15 are registered as unaccompanied minors.

If you register a student as an Unaccompanied Minor, please notify our young learners team once this has been confirmed.

A few things to know :

1. It is most often a chargeable service paid in advance when registering outward and return flights with the airline.
2. Bell is not able to register students as Unaccompanied Minors or pay for this service on your behalf
3. The service is not available across all airlines, so we encourage you to check with the airline first
4. There a surcharge for airport transfers for unaccompanied minors of £65 each way, payable at the time of booking.

Our online travel form notifies our Young Learners team with flight details and transfer requirements. It is important that we receive this form as soon as possible – or at least 10 working days before the course start date – so that we can guarantee an airport / station transfer for your child.

Online Travel Form

Once you’re all packed and ready to go, run through the following checklist to make sure your child has everything they need for their travel.

• Flight or train tickets
• A valid passport for travel (and visa if required)
• Bell booking confirmation (plus proof of payment if required)
• Letter of Authorisation to travel completed and signed by parent/guardian
• Bell travel confirmation with arrival and departure procedures checklist
• The emergency phone number +44 07522551397 saved on their phone under Bell, in case of any unforeseen circumstances occurring during their travel

When arriving in the UK, your child will:

1. Go through Immigration and luggage collection at the baggage hall
2. Go through Customs
3. Go through to the Arrivals Hall where they will be met by our Bell representative, who will have a Bell sign, ID card and have authorisation forms with the student’s name and details. They will often be wearing a bright coral shirt with a Bell logo.
4. Register with the Bell representative

Due to unforeseen circumstances, your child may experience flight delays, cancellations of diverted flights. This sometimes happen, so do not worry! Simply phone Bell at the emergency contact below and notify us of any changes to travel. We will ensure we are ready and waiting for your child once they do arrival at their final destination.

A few things to note:

• Make sure you have your Bell luggage tag in clear view so that our representatives can quickly see you.
• Your child should only leave the airport with a Bell representative or pre-approved transfer driver.
• If you can not see our Bell representative, please wait up to 15 minutes at the barrier in the Arrivals hall, and keep your eyes open for someone with a Bell sign.
• On the extremely rare occasion where you can not see our Bell representative after 15 minutes, please go to the information desk nearby and ask: ‘Please can you ask the Bell representative to come to the information desk?’ Wait at the desk until a Bell representative arrives.
• If there is a problem, contact Bell on the emergency line saved on your phone: +44 07522551397

During high season, we may request students to wait while we collect other students due to arrive at similar times. If this is the case, we aim for the wait to be no longer than 2 hours before the shuttle departs and they will be supervised throughout this period.

Our designated Operations Coordinator oversees all Unaccompanied Minor arrivals. If you have notified us that your student is using this service, our Operations Coordinator will ensure full coordination with airline staff on the day of arrival.

When arriving in the UK, airline staff will accompany your child:

• Through Immigration and luggage collection at the baggage hall
• Through Customs
• Through to the Arrivals Hall where airline staff will take them to meet our Bell representative, who will have a Bell sign, ID card and have authorisation forms with the student’s name and details

Your child should only leave the airport with a Bell representative or pre-approved transfer driver.

As transfers are arranged 1 – 2 days before the arrival date, we are not able to confirm the specific driver who will be collecting the student in advance. However, our Operations Coordinator is available to liaise with you and be your key contact if you should require further information on the day.

During high season, we may request students to wait while we collect other students due to arrive at similar times. If this is the case, we aim for the wait to be no longer than 2 hours before the shuttle departs and they will be supervised throughout this period.

We ensure the safety and well-being of your child from arrival to departure. On departure days, your child will:

• Get their flight tickets and passports returned to them at the end of their course
• They will travel to the airport by coach or taxi
• Be escorted by a Bell representative to check in with the airline, where they are given the departure gate number.
• Be escorted by a Bell representative to the entrance of the departure lounge. Please note: Bell representatives are not allowed to go through into the departure lounge.
• Make their own way to the departure gate and wait to board the plane

If your child is travelling as an Unaccompanied Minor, a Bell representative will take them to meet the airline staff, who will then take care of them during the flight.

Of course! We are more than happy for students to explore alternative ways of getting to and from their schools.

Here are few things to know:

• Travel by coach: regular coaches run from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton to Cambridge and London. Visit National Express for more information
• Travel by train: regular trains run from all major airports to London, with frequent connecting services to Cambridge from Liverpool Street Station, London Kings Cross Station, and Stansted Airport. Visit National Rail for more information.
• Travel by underground or ‘tube’: this is the easiest way to travel around London. You can purchase an Oyster Card (a prepaid travel card), or use contactless payment on your card or mobile. See Transport for London for more details.
• Travel by bus: there are regular local services in London (See Transport for London) and Cambridge (see Stagecoach buses).

Important: we strictly do not allow any under-18 students to travel within the UK unaccompanied. We take responsibility for the welfare of under-18 students from the moment they arrive until they depart. If alternative travel arrangements are made for them, we must be notified with the details of the parent or authorised adult who will meet and accompany them to and/or from the school.

Yes you can. Students on a tourist visa can study for up to 6 months.

Please note: The above is for guidance purposes only. We encourage you to always consult official government advice and information on Immigration and Visas available online at www.gov.org.uk

Yes, you can! However, there are a few things you may need to consider:

Short-term student visas (18+)
This type of visa is only suitable for applicants who are aged 18 and over – it allows you to study any of our courses offered by Bell for up to 6 months, or English language courses up to 11 months. This visa can not be extended.

Short-term student (child) visa
This type of visa is suitable for applicants aged 17 or under – it allows you to study any of the courses offered by Bell for up to 6 months. The maximum stay in the UK is 6 months and this can not be extended.

Please note: The above is for guidance purposes only. We encourage you to always consult official government advice and information on Immigration and Visas available online at www.gov.org.uk

On 5 October 2020, the Student Route replaced the Tier 4 route. The Student Route, which falls under the UK’s new points-based immigration system, improves on the previous Tier 4 route making for a more streamlined experience for both sponsoring institutions and students. Visas that have been issued through the Tier 4 route are still valid and those eligible will still be able to apply for the Graduate Route when it opens in summer 2021.

The Graduate Route will be available to international students who have completed a degree at undergraduate level or above at a Higher Education Provider with a track record of compliance and who have a valid Student (or Tier 4) visa at the time of application.

More information about the UK’s new points-based immigration system can be found here. Further guidance for EU, EEA and Swiss students, who from 1 January will need to comply with the new system can be found here.

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens resident in the UK before 31 December should apply to the EU settlement scheme.

Please note: The above is for guidance purposes only. We encourage you to always consult official government advice and information on Immigration and Visas available online at www.gov.org.uk

Unfortunately, on any visa type, you are not allowed to work in the UK while studying at Bell. This includes unpaid internships, work experience placements or carrying out any business. However, you can gain some amazing experience through volunteering opportunities to supplement your English language studies.

e-gates, or ePassport gates, are automated self-service barriers operated by the UK Border Force and located at immigration checkpoints in arrival halls in airports across the UK. They were designed to to improve the passenger experience of those arriving in the UK by reducing queue times, while also improving security. Those travelling with ID cards cannot use the eGates.

You can normally use eGates if you:

• have a biometric symbol on the cover of your passport
• are aged 12+ (12 to 17 year olds must be accompanied by an adult)
• a British citizen or
• a national of an EU country or
• a national of Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, USA or
• a member of the Registered Traveller Service

There are two important things for students to note about using e-gates:

If you are a non-visa national coming to the UK to study for 6 months
Do not use the e-gate. You must get a stamp by a Border Force officer. If you use the e-gate and do not get a stamp, you can only study for 30 working days. If you use the eGates by accident, you may still be able to ask a Border Force officer before you leave the airport to receive a stamp in your passport. Otherwise, you will need need to leave the UK after 30 working days (even going to Europe) and get the stamp when you re-enter.

If you have already got a visa (entry clearance) from your home country
Whether for 6 months or 11 months – it is fine to use an e-gate. You must supply our customer support team with: a copy of your visa or Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), and a copy of your flight details to confirm you entered the UK on our system.