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The Essential English CentreManchester, England UK

4.4

Rating: 4.4/5.0

16 students - overall rating
109 Portland Street - M1 6DN Manchester - see on map
Pay less than booking at the school
What we like about the school
  • The first and only Quality English licensed school in Manchester.
  • Free assistance in applying to college/university programmes by a qualified consultant.
What we dislike about the school
  • Lessons are 45 minutes long, which is shorter than in other schools.

Location:
The school is located in the city centre, just 2 minutes walk from all popular attractions. Students can expect a vibrant, professional and friendly school with excellent teaching standards and small class sizes to ensure that students progress quickly towards their goals. The school offers a personal service to all of the students, who enjoy the warm atmosphere of the school. Students feel at home, and the staff provide excellent service both in teaching and all other aspects of their stay.

English Courses

Show details of all courses
Typical content of a language course
General Language
General CoursePopular English course
This course tends to sell out quickly!
20 lessons per week | 14 students (max)
Starts weekly (every Monday)
45 min/lesson
Minimum level: Elementary (A2) or higher
Offer!from
240£228£ / week
Course Details
Intensive CourseRecommended English courseMost Popular English course
In high demand!
30 lessons per week | 14 students (max)
Starts weekly (every Monday)
45 min/lesson
Minimum level: Elementary (A2) or higher
Offer!from
320£304£ / week
Course Details
Academic Year Program
This course tends to sell out quickly!
30 lessons per week | 14 students (max)
Starts weekly (every Monday)
45 min/lesson
Minimum level: Elementary (A2) or higher
Offer!from
320£304£ / week
Course Details
Business
General English + Workplace English
30 lessons per week | 14 students (max)
Starts weekly (every Monday)
45 min/lesson
Suitable for all levels with the exception of Beginner (A1)
Offer!from
320£304£ / week
Course Details
Exam PreparationWhy exam preparation courses are excellent for optimum progress
General English + FCE Exam PreparationRecommended English course
30 lessons per week | 14 students (max)
Starts weekly (every Monday)
45 min/lesson
Minimum level: Upper intermediate (B2) or higher
Offer!from
320£304£ / week
Course Details
General English + CAE Exam PreparationRecommended English course
30 lessons per week | 14 students (max)
Starts weekly (every Monday)
45 min/lesson
Minimum level: Upper intermediate (B2) or higher
Offer!from
320£304£ / week
Course Details
General Course + IELTS Exam PreparationRecommended English course
30 lessons per week | 14 students (max)
Starts weekly (every Monday)
45 min/lesson
Suitable for all levels with the exception of Beginner (A1)
Offer!from
320£304£ / week
Course Details

Our prices for The Essential English Centre include

  • INCLUDED Organized activities
  • INCLUDED Internet access and use of school computers
  • INCLUDED Free certificate of course attendance
  • INCLUDED Language level placement test at first day of classes
  • INCLUDED For adult courses: a minimum of one free organized leisure activity per week
  • INCLUDED Free consultation about suitable college/university programs by a qualified consultant
  • INCLUDED Free assistance in applying to college/university programs by a qualified consultant

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  • Traditional phone box
    Traditional phone box16/20
  • Street sign
    Street sign17/20
  • Teacher
    Teacher18/20
  • Student
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  • School Building
    School Building20/20

Student opinions about The Essential English Centre, Manchester

4.4

Rating: 4.4/5.0

Overall school rating of
The Essential English Centre, Manchester
16 authentic ratings from students who reserved with us
School
Location of the school
4.7 

Rating: 4.7/5.0

Facilities
4.1 

Rating: 4.1/5.0

Social activities
3.5 

Rating: 3.5/5.0

Organisation
4.0 

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Course
Quality of teaching
4.3 

Rating: 4.3/5.0

Value for money
3.9 

Rating: 3.9/5.0

Accommodation
Homestay
3.6 

Rating: 3.6/5.0

Shared Flat (apartment)
5.0 

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Other
5.0 

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Overall school rating by student age group
Students < 18 years (5 ratings)
4.6 

Rating: 4.6/5.0

Students 18-30 years (8 ratings)
4.4 

Rating: 4.4/5.0

Students 31-49 years (2 ratings)
3.5 

Rating: 3.5/5.0

Students 50+ years (1 rating)
5.0 

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Verified reviews only, uncensored. All student opinions from students who booked a course at the school with LanguageCourse.net.
26 years
Overall rating
5.0

Rating: 5/5.0

Liked
“Hello, I’m Kawá from the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. I highly recommend the Essential English Language Centre where I studied for five weeks. As it was my first time outside of the rainforest, I was quite nervous about studying English, especially in England, but from the moment I stepped through the door, the kind welcome from the staff and teachers melted away my fear. The teachers at the EELC are committed to building confidence in their students and providing them with the skills to flow in the English language. I am extremely grateful to the EELC team, especially, the directors of the school, Jo and Bairb, for the support and encouragement they extend to all their students. Thank you - it’s a five star language centre!”
Insider tip: “Don't be shy, you're in safe space at EELC.”
Details of the review
Other comments Hello, I’m Kawá from the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. I highly recommend the the Essential English Language Centre where I studied for five weeks. As it was my first time outside of the rainforest, I was quite nervous about studying English, especially in England, but from the moment I stepped through the door, the kind welcome from the staff and teachers melted away my fear. The teachers at the EELC are committed to building confidence in their students and providing them with the skills to flow in the English language. I am extremely grateful to the EELC team, especially, the directors of the school, Jo and Bairb, for the support and encouragement they extend to all their students. Thank you - it’s a five star language centre!
Course: Intensive Course  - 2 weeks
Review date: 1. Feb. 2019 by Noel Domingos Sales Kaxinawa
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
17 years
Overall rating
5.0

Rating: 5/5.0

Liked
“Teachers were very helpful and friendly. They cared about all students and did their best to teach us something new. The school supervisor Gaelle helped me a lot with everything I needed.”
Details of the review
Course: General English 25 hours - 3 weeks
Review date: 11. Sep. 2017 by Johana Edlmanová
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
20 years
Overall rating
5.0

Rating: 5/5.0

Liked
“My calls, the teachers and the supportive staff. I also liked the table tennis and football as it strengthened the relationship between students.”
Details of the review
Course: General English 25 hours [English] - 12 weeks
Review date: 7. Jan. 2019 by Jasmin Al-Zoubi
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
24 years
Overall rating
4.0

Rating: 4/5.0

Liked
“The teachers, specially Billie and Vikki.”
Disliked
“IELTS lessons could be more productive.”
Details of the review
Quality of teaching / language progress: They should take more care of the accommodation.
Course: General Course + IELTS Exam Preparation [English] - 8 weeks
Review date: 28. Nov. 2022 by Isabel Galán Cordero
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
16 years
Overall rating
4.0

Rating: 4/5.0

Liked
“The courses are not linear or repetitive”
Disliked
“Activities often designed for adults”
Details of the review
Course: General Course - 4 weeks
Review date: 30. Aug. 2023 by tim-long CHENG
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
18 years
Overall rating
4.0

Rating: 4/5.0

Liked
“Teachers, staff”
Disliked
“Everything was nice!”
Insider tip: “Don't miss the class”
Details of the review
Quality of teaching / language progress: Good
Other comments Very good school
Course: General Course - 4 weeks
Review date: 30. Aug. 2023 by raphaël hong lin Cheng Freitas
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
20 years
Overall rating
5.0

Rating: 5/5.0

Liked
“The integration”
Details of the review
Course: General English 15 hours - 2 weeks
Review date: 4. Sep. 2018 by Emilia Pistis
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
24 years
Overall rating
1.0

Rating: 1/5.0

Liked
“Nice staff”
Disliked
“Teaching method is just so bad, more than 70% of the students are Arabic speakers”
Details of the review
Course: Academic Year Program - 24 weeks
Review date: 27. Sep. 2023 by Faisal Alaskar
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
46 years
Overall rating
3.0

Rating: 3/5.0

Liked
“Location”
Details of the review
Course: General English 25 hours - 4 weeks
Review date: 5. Jun. 2017 by Abdulmajed Al-hujayli
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.

Ratings of The Essential English Centre compared to ratings of all schools in England UK

 The Essential English Centre ManchesterAverage of all other schools in England UK
Overall school rating4.4

Rating: 4.4/5.0

4.2

Rating: 4.2/5.0

Location of the school4.7

Rating: 4.7/5.0

4.6

Rating: 4.6/5.0

Facilities4.1

Rating: 4.1/5.0

3.9

Rating: 3.9/5.0

Social activities3.5

Rating: 3.5/5.0

3.8

Rating: 3.8/5.0

Organisation4.0

Rating: 4.0/5.0

4.2

Rating: 4.2/5.0

Quality of teaching4.3

Rating: 4.3/5.0

4.3

Rating: 4.3/5.0

Value for money3.9

Rating: 3.9/5.0

3.9

Rating: 3.9/5.0

Homestay4.0

Rating: 4.0/5.0

4.1

Rating: 4.1/5.0

Shared flat4.0

Rating: 4.0/5.0

4.0

Rating: 4.0/5.0

The Essential English Centre

Accreditations and Quality seals
British councilEnglish UKQEPreferential Terms in Case of Visa Refusal
English teacher qualifications
100% hold a university degree
100% hold a recognised language teaching qualification
Languages spoken by school staff (cannot be guaranteed by school)
Student gender mix
50% male / 50% female
Offer for returning students
You will be refunded/waived the school's administration fee if you already attended previously a course at The Essential English Centre and you book here.
Year of school foundation
2012

General school facilities

  • Microwave for student use

  • Fridge for student use

  • Drink vending machine

  • Kitchen for student use

  • Free after-class access to language learning software

  • Movie room

  • Games room

  • Lounge

  • Student support desk

  • Printer for student use

  • Table soccer / football

  • Table tennis

  • Video game console

  • Copy machine

  • Free water dispenser

  • Free WIFI

  • Smoking zones (outdoors)

  • Tourist information

  • Assistance with entrance ticket purchases

  • Assistance with reservations for restaurants, bars, clubs

  • Assistance with organizing transportation

  • Career guidance service (free)

  • Internship placement guidance service (free)

  • Job placement guidance service (free)

  • Facilities for islamic students

    • Available area to pray at the school

    • Arabic homestays available

    • Homestay option for female islamic students where no men are living in household and that prepare halal food

    • Homestay option that can prepare halal food

    • Halal food offered at the school

    • Facilities to wash feet before praying

  • Classroom equipment

    • TV in all classrooms

    • Heating in all classrooms

    • Ample natural light in all classrooms

    • Number of classrooms: 9
    • Number of public PC workstations: 4

Student Age / Nationality

Top student nationalities
Student Nationality Percentage of students
Spain 20%
Saudi Arabia 14%
Italy 11%
Turkey 7%
Switzerland 5%
Japan 4%
France 4%
Venezuela 3%
Thailand 3%
Netherlands 3%
Korea 3%
Brazil 2%
Germany 2%
Other nationalities 19%
Age of students
  Percentage of students
1-18 years 14.851485148515%
18-24 years 64.356435643564%
25-34 years 14.851485148515%
35-50 years 4.950495049505%
>50 years 0.99009900990099%
The average age outside summer is 5 years higher than in summer.
Average number of students
Adult courses - In summer: 120
Adult courses - Throughout the year: 80
Junior courses - In summer: 10
Junior courses - Throughout the year: 5
Minimum age of students
16 years
16 years for specific Junior courses
Average number of levels
Adult courses In summer: 5
Adult courses Throughout the year: 5
Junior courses In summer: 5
Junior courses Throughout the year: 5
Average age of students
In summer: 20 years
Throughout the year: 25 years
Read our recommendations for students in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s.

Information for all courses offered by The Essential English Centre

Lesson duration
45 minutes
School's administrative fee
45.00 £
Course material
Generally course material has to be purchased by the student. The costs of course material will be approximately 35 £ per course level.
Comments about courses

One-to-One tuition:

  • 1-20 lessons: GBP 42 (per hour).
  • 21+ lessons: GBP 38 (per hour).

    Student insurance: GBP 10 (per week)
Individual classes
Single individual lessons of tuition can be reserved at 42 £. The combination of group and individual lessons is highly recommended. Individual lessons will encourage you to actively speak the foreign language and will offer you the opportunity to discuss individual problems and weaknesses.
Days without class
In 2025 (including national and regional bank holidays):
01 Jan 2025, 18 Apr 2025, 21 Apr 2025, 05 May 2025, 26 May 2025, 25 Aug 2025, 25 Dec 2025, 26 Dec 2025.
If a bank holiday falls on a weekday there is no refund nor are missed lessons recuperated. This is the case for the majority of language schools.
Level test
A test to assess your exact language level takes place at the school on the first day of the course.
Lessons needed per English language level
Level (CEFR) LESSONS needed per level WEEKS needed
(20 lessons per week)
A1 Beginner A1 to A2 80 4
A2 Elementary A2 to B1 160 8
B1 Intermediate B1 to B2 180 9
B2 Higher Intermediate B2 to C1 200 10
C1 Advanced C1 to C2 220 11
C2 Proficiency
Data above gives some guidance. For more details consult our page How long does it take to learn a language or reach a specific level.

Airport transfer

Manchester Airport:
65 £ one way
110 £ return (both ways)
More details about airports near Manchester and how to travel independently from the airport to the city on our Manchester page. For flight comparisons to Manchester, we recommend using skyscanner.com.

Leisure activities

Leisure programme for adults (sample):
Social Calendar
Social Calendar
View

Examples of leisure activities organized by the school

Adults - Free activities

Conversation club, international food parties, table quizzes, walking tours, museum and art gallery trips.

Adults - Paid activities

Bowling GBP 8
ice skating GBP 10
trampolining GBP 10
football GBP 6
activity possibledistance from school
Dancing1 km
Diving-100 km
Football (soccer)4 km
Golf8 km
Horse riding8 km
Ice Hockey4 km
Mountainbiking20 km
Music1 km
Rugby4 km
Sailing-
Skiing8 km
Squash4 km
Swimming2 km
Table Tennis1 km
Tennis8 km
Yoga1 km

Accommodation

Show details of all accommodations
Tip: Type of accommodation. What is best for you?
Homestay (18+) Most Popular Accommodation
In high demand!
3.7

Rating: 3.7/5.0
7 ratings
Single room, Breakfast & 1 meal
Shared bathroom
Minimum age: 18
Extra nights possible
WiFi free
Heating
Air conditioning
Towels provided
Bedding/Linen provided
from
200 £/ week
Homestay (18+)
3.7

Rating: 3.7/5.0
7 ratings
Twin room, Breakfast & 1 meal
Shared bathroom
Minimum age: 18
Extra nights possible
WiFi free
Heating
Air conditioning
Towels provided
Bedding/Linen provided
from
180 £/ week
Homestay (Under 18)
Single room, Breakfast & 1 meal
Shared bathroom
Minimum age: 16
WiFi free
Heating
Air conditioning
Towels provided
Bedding/Linen provided
from
230 £/ week
Homestay Private Bathroom (18+)
Only limited places left for the summer months!
Reserve as early as possible to get the best available homestay!
3.0

Rating: 3.0/5.0
1 rating
Single room, Breakfast & 1 meal
Private bathroom
Minimum age: 16
Extra nights possible
WiFi free
Heating
Air conditioning
Towels provided
Bedding/Linen provided
from
260 £/ week
Homestay Private Bathroom (Under 18)
Single room, Breakfast & 1 meal
Private bathroom
Minimum age: 16
Extra nights possible
WiFi free
Heating
Air conditioning
Towels provided
Bedding/Linen provided
from
290 £/ week
Student Residence
This accommodation tends to sell out quickly!
5.0

Rating: 5.0/5.0
1 rating
Single room, No meals
Private bathroom
Minimum age: 18
WiFi free
Heating
Air conditioning
Towels provided
Bedding/Linen provided
from
260 £/ week

Map  

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Other language schools in Manchester offering English courses: 

Questions and answers about The Essential English Centre

  • “Group courses have a fixed timetable and cannot be adapted to individual needs. If you cannot attend group lessons due to working hours, the best option would be to book private lessons. Private courses are tailored to the individual needs of the student.”
    Gosia Mazur, LanguageCourse.Net - Apr 21, 2023

FAQ about The Essential English Centre, Manchester

  • “From the airport there are a lot of public buses that students can take. You can pay by contactless cards directly on the bus. All buses leave from the Airport bus station.”
    Madly Simba, Language Travel Consultant from LanguageCourse.Net - May 08, 2024
  • The accommodation Homestay (18+) is the most popular among all our clients of Essential English Centre
  • Yes. The school offers pickup from Manchester Airport (65 £)
  • The highest Nationality percentage at The Essential English Centre comes from Spain with a 20% representation, followed by students from Saudi Arabia (14%) and Italy (11%).
  • The Essential English Centre offers courses from 16 years to 99. Average age is 20 during the summer and 25 for the rest of the year.

Terms of The Essential English Centre

First day of course
Written and oral level test is performed. Students should arrive at 9:30
Payment methods accepted for payments made directly to the school
Visa - logoMastercard - logoBank Transfer - logo
Legal name/parent company
The Essential English Centre Ltd | Tax registration ID: 8515835

Visa Documents

Nationals from Turkey require a visa to enter and study in England UK.
Check visa requirements for nationals from other countries.
Nationals from countries that require a visa will receive documents from the school, related to booking confirmation, which is required for the visa application.
Full payment of all fees required before school dispatches documents required for visa application
No
Express shipment fee (via courier)
60 £
Preferential cancellation terms in case of visa refusal
School agreed that students booking online on this site will benefit from preferential cancellation fees in case of visa refusal, and in this case will never exceed EUR 180.
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Manchester
Manchester city attractiveness rated by our students:
4.2 

Rating: 4.2/5.0

More information about Manchester including climate data and events on our Manchester page with a list of all 16 English schools in Manchester.
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