British English Olympics

We use a variety of traditional British boarding schools for the British English Olympics competitions. All of our boarding schools offer multibedded accommodation and impressive on campus facilities. Staying in these ‘harry potter’ style boarding schools is all part of the student experience!
Group leaders are accommodated in single rooms. Staff and group leaders are accommodated nearby to students
Rooms are equipped with single beds, a desk and chair as well as wardrobe space. Bed linen is provided but students should bring their own towels
Rooms are cleaned weekly with bathroom areas cleaned daily
Laundry facilities are available on campus
Wi-fi is available at all of our locations
Teams are unable to choose which school they wish to stay at as we manage team allocation based on number of participating teams, team sizes and team nationality. Competing teams are allocated to their respective school locations in January

All meals are served in the schools’ traditional dining rooms. Food is served buffet style and students have a variety of options to choose from. Special diets can be catered for, please ask on booking
On excursion days students may have packed lunches or meal vouchers in lieu of their onsite meals
Dedicated spaces for team competition preparation (typically a classroom)
Theatre spaces and similar for competition purposes
Indoor sport halls
Large outdoor sports facilities
Outdoor & indoor common spaces

Now in its 18^th year, and the original academic style competition, The British English Olympics (BEO) is an academic competition designed to promote inter cultural collaboration, and provide participating students with the opportunity to develop essential life skills in socialisation, independence and empowerment in the use of the English language that will have a positive impact throughout their lives.

During the competition teams take part in 5 key challenges, one of which they prepare for pre-arrival, the other 4 being presented and prepared for on campus:

Improvisation: Teams tackle unexpected scenarios on stage. The improv challenge requires fast thinking, bold performance and teamwork under pressure!
Case Study: Students are asked to analyse a real world problem and present a creative and structured solution to a judging panel.
Speakers’ Challenge: Teams pre-prepare content for this challenge in their home countries. Each year the school receive a theme to work on, ready to present on stage post arrival.
Debate Challenge: School teams go head to head in the debate challenge, putting forward their views to a topic provided during the competition helping to reinforce their active listening skills as well as their structured use of language.
Teach Challenge: Against a timed brief, students demonstrate innovative and digital thinking skills to solve a specific issue!

Signature Activities

Alongside the competition, the British English Olympics includes several signature evening activities which encourage creativity and collaboration, two of the World Economic Forum’s 4 critical skills for young people. Earlier on in the programme all schools present their home countries’ cultures and traditions in our fun international night. Teams also participate in both a talent show and a Global Spotlight Challenge!

Intercultural Activities

While the BEO programme focuses on teams competing within the schools they travelled with we have several events that support intercultural mixing, helping to widen students’ global outlook.

Our World Economic Forum 4 C’s day focusses on Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Creativity and Communication with several challenges being set across the day in mixed nationality teams. Our Mystery Challenge is also in mixed teams and for those staying for the full two weeks we offer a traditional British style ‘school sports day’ with medals and prizes to be won, again in your international teams!

Fun & Games

With fabulous facilities at all of our schools we provide a perfect environment for students to take part in a wide range of onsite activities. These may include:

Sports such as football, basketball, athletics, badminton, table tennis and volleyball. We also have our fun traditional sports day!
Explorer activities such as our fun scavenger hunts, quiz nights and of course our much-loved Great Egg Drop!

Excursions

School teams staying for the 9 night programme will have the opportunity to take part in two half day trips to somewhere close to their boarding school location, for example Brighton. In addition all schools travel to London for an extended full day trip on the day of the Award Ceremony.

School teams staying for the 14 night programme will have 3 full day trips, one extended full day trip to London on the day of the Award Ceremony as well as two half day trips.

We also offer optional trips to those staying for 14 nights, as well as to teams who do not make it the finals and wish to go on an excursion instead.

Opening & Closing Ceremonies and the Award Ceremony!

Several of the highlights of this fabulous programme are the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the grand Award Ceremony in central London. The opening and closing ceremonies take place on campus. Typically the opening ceremony entails students wearing their school uniforms and is an opportunity to formally welcome everyone and mark the start of the official competition. The closing ceremony is where all participants receive their medals, certificate, and any smaller team prizes that their have won during their time on campus. The larger, campus wide, awards are given out in London.

WEEK 1	DAY 1	DAY 2	DAY 3	DAY 4	DAY 5	DAY 6	DAY 7
MORNING	Arrivals and registrations	Full day excursion to the university city by coach	Opening Ceremony	Extended full day excursion to London with Westminster Photo Tour	The Great Debate Tournament – Briefing and Round 1	Extended full day excursion to London with professional walking tour	Workshops
AFTERNOON		Professional walking tour and city exploration	Workshops	Ride on the London Eye	The Great Debate Tournament	Explore and shop Oxford Street, Regent Street and Piccadilly Circus	The Speaker’s Challenge Presentations
EVENING		Welcome Disco	Mixed Team Mystery Challenge	West End Musical	International Night	Extended full day excursion to London (depart London at 8.00pm)	The Great Debate Tournament – Leisure Night

WEEK 2	DAY 8	DAY 9	DAY 10	DAY 11	DAY 12	DAY 13	DAY 14	DAY 15
MORNING	The Great Debate Tournament – Case Study	The Great Debate Tournament – Final	Tech Challenge Prep	Onsite Activities – Semi Final	Excursion to emblematic city by coach	Grand Final / Optional Excursion	Award Ceremony in central London location	Departures
AFTERNOON	Case Study	Improv Challenge	Tech Challenge Presentation	Onsite Activities – Semi Final	City Exploration	Grand Final / Optional Excursion	Extended full day excursion to London
EVENING	Global Spotlight	Movie Night	Themed Disco	BEO’s Got Talent	Onsite Activities	Closing Ceremony	Extended full day excursion to London (depart London at 8.00pm)

Student Welfare

Embassy Summer places the highest priority on care and supervision of all students taking part in our programmes around the world, so you can rest assured that your teams will be well looked after during their stay with us.. Members of our team are available 24 hours a day to support students with anything and everything and to ensure that they are happy and healthy and we work closely with accompanying teachers to support student wellbeing.

Medical Information

We have doctors on each of our campuses who can manage basic first aid requirements but where a student may require further medical attention an Embassy Summer staff member will help to make appointments to see a doctor or visit the hospital if needed.

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