Report on the 20th Annual Trip to Bournemouth
Adam Love〈Keywords〉 homestay

language school

feedback

programme

Bournemouth

sightseeing

Introduction
As a school, we were delighted to be able to offer the Bournemouth programme forthe first time since 2019. This report will outline how the trip has changed since thecoronavirus pandemic. It will also explain how we had to amend the selection process dueto the large number of applicants. Student feedback administered through a Google Formwill be introduced and evaluated, followed by some advice that will benefit any student
attending next year’s programme. This report will then present an updated version of thetrip timeline and how we evaluate the student diaries, before focusing on some of the key
issues that need to be resolved before the next trip. This report will conclude with some
final thoughts reflecting on how the overall programme went during this year’s trip to
Bournemouth and Southbourne School of English (SSE).

How has the trip changed since the coronavirus pandemic?
The most noticeable difference on this year’s trip was that many of our students weresharing a room together. On previous trips we have paid extra money to ensure ourstudents had a private room, but since COVID, the language school industry appears tohave changed a great deal. There are notably fewer host families in the Bournemoutharea, as people are using travel sites like Airbnb to generate extra income. This has led tolanguage schools having to accept shared rooms to remain competitive.
However, any worries or reservations we may have had before the trip were mainly
alleviated by the feedback that we received from this year’s participants based on a Google
Form survey. The responses from our students showed they prefer being together as they
could help each other. There also didn’t seem to be an issue regarding staying with people ofother nationalities. This also seemed to receive more positive feedback. The one rule we didinsist upon is that no more than two of our students were placed with the same host family.
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Selection Process
As the restrictions on travelling outside of Japan were officially lifted in April 2023, we
did anticipate more interest in this year’s program, though it was still a pleasant surpriseto have so many applicants. A total of 74 students applied to join the Bournemouth trip,
though we could only offer 35 places.
We usually ask each candidate to complete a written application form that we hand out
during the introductory seminar (see below). However, in the interest of fairness andensuring that everyone had an equal chance to be selected, the International Committee
decided to conduct individual interviews that would be in both Japanese and English. Eachinterview was 7-minutes, and each student was asked questions from a pre-determined list.
The interviews were conducted from May 6th to May 10th. All interviews were recorded
to aid the selection process as much as possible. It was very difficult to separate some of
the candidates, so in future it may be worthwhile to ask the homeroom teachers to share
any thoughts they have regarding a particular student and how they think they would
approach the Bournemouth trip.

この研修に応募しようと思った理由は何ですか？
（Why did you decide to apply for this training?）
この研修に参加して、具体的にどんなことをしてみたいですか？
（What specific things would you like to do after attending this training?）
あなたのことが伝わるような具体的エピソードを入れた自己 PR をしてください。
Please include a personal statement with specific episodes that convey who you are.

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Student Feedback
The overall feedback was extremely positive. The activities were varied enough to ensurethat each day was exciting.
One minor complaint was received during the first few days. Some of our students feltthat their class wasn’t mixed with enough students from other countries, and as a result
it felt like a ‘Chufu’ lesson. This was slightly problematic as we do advertise this trip as
giving our students the chance to speak to people of many different nationalities.
However, when we approached Alison, the Assistant Director of Studies, she was morethan willing to assist us and combine that class with a slightly higher-level class containing
more students of other nationalities.

As previously mentioned, this was the first trip where students were being placed in
the same host family, so we were anxious to see if there would be any issues. The datasuggests everyone enjoyed themselves and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive,
with only one respondent scoring their host family with what could be classed as anegative response. The reason they gave was their host family went to bed too early,
which is quite difficult to criticize – especially as the student who gave this score was
generally out until the 21:00 curfew time most evenings.

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Other than the one slightly negative comment, the rest of the feedback was generally very
positive:
I was able to spend time with a very friendly host father, a kind host mother, children around the sameage, and a cute dog. Their friends came to their house every weekend, and when they had barbecues
I was able to talk to them. When I got lost on the way home, the sun was setting, and they couldn't use
their cell phones, they were worried and waited for me near their house. The only difficult thing wasthat their house was far from the school and shopping district.
My host family was super kind, and hostmother was good at cooking. Also, my host father was funnyand handsome! However, we didn't so much time to spend much time together. So, I wanted to spend
more time together more.
I could share the same house with my friend. The house and our room was large and clean and ourhost family was very kind. But they often left us alone (with their good intentions).
My host mother works at the school cafeteria so she made us very delicious food everyday. They took
us to the beach every weekend and that was so fun.
As a member of a host family, I was able to experience life abroad and practice authentic English
conversation.
Our host family was very nice and kind for us. Especially, the meals were delicious!
The food she made was delicious, and she took care of me when I caught a cold.
They cooked with vegetables from their house every day and the food was very tasty. I also learned
a lot from her stories about various trips and the history of England. She also corrected my strange
English pronunciation.
Because they were very kind to me, it felt like another real family.
My host family is very kind, so every morning and night we talked a lot. It was a very fun time.

It is worth highlighting the cultural differences regarding host families. Whereas many
Europeans view a homestay as a place they can eat and sleep, many Japanese view thehomestay as a chance to experience the ‘UK way of life’. I have mentioned this to the SSE
Managing Director, Paul Gallina, in the hope that he can place our students with more
‘hands-on’ host families.
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As previously mentioned, as a school we were wondering how our students would react tobeing placed with the same homestay. It was the most notable change from the previous
trip in 2018. However, based on the feedback received, sharing a room with a fellow
student was generally considered positively. Being paired together meant that they had
someone to talk to on the way to and from school and had the chance to help each otherdaily. Some of the pairs obviously got along better than others, but it is difficult for us torecommend pairs to SSE as allergies and dietary requirements are an important factor for
SSE when placing students into homestays.

In July, at the final seminar before the trip, many parents asked how much money theirchild would need for this programme. However, it should never be the responsibility of theschool to tell the parents how much money their child should being as everyone’s financial
situation is different, thus it wouldn’t be fair.

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Based on the questionnaire responses, the average amount each student took on thisyear’s program was between ¥62,000－¥72,000. This was close to the amount thestudents recommended next years participants bring (see figure below). We will share thisinformation with the parents as a reference to how much money their child should take onnext year’s trip.
At the time of the 2023 UK trip (with an exchange rate of £1= ¥181) that would equate toroughly £360－£415.

Throughout the trip, the atmosphere at SSE was always fun. The varied activities andlessons meant there was always something new for our students to experience. Many
students enjoyed the content of their lessons (debating / discussions / board games),though the most common response was having the opportunity to speak English withother foreign students. Playing table tennis during lunch was also a natural way for our― 46 ―

students to feel at ease and speak freely. As previously mentioned, the only minor negative
point was there were some classes with mostly Japanese students so we will be discussing
this with Paul Gallina (Managing Director) and Alison (the Assistant Director of Studies) to
see if there is a way to create a better mix of students.
My teacher gave me a lot of things such as pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar and kindly taught
me so I became (to) like English! In addition, I could meet many international students. It's very happy
and important for my future.
There were students from many different countries attending the language school, so I was able to
make friends from all over the world.
My classmate was sooo nice and the teacher was kind. When I was in trouble, my pair always helped
and taught me.
The teachers at the school were very good, but there were many Japanese students and I had many
opportunities to speak a lot of Japanese.
My teacher gave me a lot of things such as pronunciation,vocabulary and grammar and kindly taught
me so I became like English!In addition, I could meet many international students. It's very happy andimportant for the future.
There were students from many different countries attending the language school, so I was able to
make friends from all over the world.

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The data regarding the most popular two activities shows there is something for everyone
on this trip. Although Christchurch was the most popular, the fact that each activity
received some votes means the activities were both varied and fun. The activities also
provide the students with a chance to speak to the other international students outside of
the classroom in a more natural setting. Experiences like crabbing at Mudeford or relaxing
in the grounds of Upton Country Park are part of the charm of this trip.
Aside from the daily activities, we also had two full-day excursions on both Saturdays in
Oxford and London. Both of the excursions went fairly smoothly, although there were acouple of issues we had to deal with. In Oxford, Christchurch, the most popular tourist
attraction for students who love the Harry Potter films, was fully booked. A few students
were disappointed, though we were able to visit a couple of other Harry Potter film
locations. I have already made a reservation for next year’s trip as it is always fully bookedmonths in advance.
On the London trip, we needed to stop the bus for one of our students due to travel
sickness, resulting in us ordering a taxi for them back to their homestay. This was slightly
problematic as our tour guide, Yuko Kitayama, had to take our student back. This left
Ms. Miura and I to take care of the remaining 34-students. We didn’t have too much timein London, but Ms. Miura planned a route that meant we could visit and enjoy many of the
major tourist spots. We even had enough time to shop at the famous Fortnum & Mason
department store.

What advice would you give to students taking the trip next year?
The answers to this question will help the International Committee when preparing
next year’s programme. The most popular answer focused on talking to the international
students without fear, though this is a lot easier said than done. There was one particularquote that went into great detail:When you go to the school, you may want to be with Japanese students. I think that is fine at first
because you are probably not used to living in the U.K. However, you should start to talk with theother students. I recommend you that you are try in the students lounge or the cafe area. This isbecause you can come up with topics with ease there. I talked many students while playing table
tennis. Also, if there are students from foreign countries at your homestay, it is good for you to invite(them) to hang out. For example, you (can) spend (a) relaxing time in Costa Coffee with the students.

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Overall most of the comments were positive and it seems like the trip was enjoyed by all:
You should talk to a lot people. Please enjoy!
You should make lots of friends without fear.
Talking a lot in English is best to improve your English skill.
It's important to try anything without fear of failure.
You should speak to everyone!! Don’t be shy!!
Use English. have fun.
Enjoy everything!
Just enjoy it!
Don't be afraid of mistake and communicating various people.
You will definitely make happy memories!
To assist the planning of next year’s programme it would be useful to create a timeline tohelp things run as smoothly as possible.

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Trip Planning – Timeline
ActionDate

Request a quote from tour companies

Responsibility

Jan / Feb

Chufu School Office

MarchInternational Committee& Chufu School Office

Ask SSE for an itinerary

March /
early April

Tour Operator

Bournemouth Seminar ① ( ＊ reserve the auditorium
due to large numbers)
Prepare the application forms（英国短期語学研修
応募書類）

Last Saturdayin AprilInternational Committee&
Tour Operator

Selection process: Conduct interviews

Early MayInternational Committee＊

Announce the successful candidates
Advise any student without a current valid passport toapply for one

Early May

Collect passport information & waivers

Early May

Tour Operator

Collect passport information for teachers attending

Early May

Chufu

Early May

Tour Operator

Student Group Presentations – Introduction (Prepare groups beforehand)
Each group will study one of the following topics:
Food, Entertainment, Sports, History, Bournemouth,
London & Oxford

End of May

International Committee

Student Group Presentations – Each group needs
to report to their teacher during a fixed three-weekperiod.

Start~MidJune

International Committee

Bournemouth seminar ②
With tour operator, students, and their parents.

Early June

Chufu & Tour Operator

Criminal background check（犯罪 経歴 証明書）

Mid-June

Chufu

Student Group Presentations＊
A good time to administer the placement tests for SSE.

End of June
(LL Room)

Chufu

Create a website/blog for the trip

End of June

International Committee

Bournemouth Seminar ③
With tour operator, students, and their parents.
Share host family information

Early July

International Committee& Tour Operator

July

Chufu School Office

Administer the ‘Student Feedback Questionnaire’

End of Trip

International Committee

Culture Festival Preparation

Early SeptemInternational Committee
ber

Decide which tour operator to use

Complete SSE Enrolment forms (Excel spreadsheet)＊

Complete ASAP as they contain the information onallergies, which will help SSE to assist us with any dietaryneeds.

Decide who is eligible for grants from the Tokyo
Metropolitan Government（国際文化交流促進費補助金）― 50 ―

Student Diaries
The diaries are a fixture of the Bournemouth program. The reason for implementing
the diaries is two-fold. Firstly, it gives our students direct access to us, their teachers,
and gives them the chance to speak to us if they have any issues or concerns during the
programme. The diaries are also an excellent way of documenting their journey and act asa permanent reminder of their time in the UK.
On previous trips to our former school, Richard Language School (RLC), most of the
day was spent reading the diaries, correcting them, and giving individual feedback andcomments. However, as SSE separates our students based on age into the junior and adultcourses, it places a lot more demands on the teachers running the programme as we arealways required to be in different places. Thus, due to time constraints, we only had time
to read the diaries, offering comments when necessary. This serves us better as it means
we are more available to offer our support and can speak directly to any student who has
written anything that we feel needs a follow-up discussion.

Key issues before the next trip
By far the most difficult aspect of this trip was the steady stream of ill students – 11
different students in 11 days. This spread our resources thin. In the event of a student
becoming ill, legally speaking, if a student is 16 or over then they are allowed to be left
alone in a house in the UK. This means that technically the host families are not expected– or obliged – to take care of any ill student under their care.
SSE do have an employee who can check on any student absent because of illness, but wepersonally felt that our students would appreciate seeing a familiar face. It also meant that
we were able to give their parents an honest assessment of how their child was doing andhelped us to keep on top of the situation. However, with only two teachers and one tour
guide, it did stretch our resources thin as one of us had to deliver lunch. This meant thatthe two of us remaining were responsible for taking care of the rest of the group, whowere already split between the junior and senior programmes. In many ways, we were
lucky that it was only ever one student who was ill at any point during the trip.
The consensus in the UK was that if you have a fever you should take a paracetamol andwould probably be fine within 24-hours. As an English person myself, I would often take a― 51 ―

paracetamol if I felt ill. It is an over-the-counter medicine, which means you can purchaseit in many supermarkets and convenience stores. However, it is slightly stronger than the
medicine you can buy in Japan, and by law, host families (under the duty of care law) are
not permitted to administer any medicine to their students under any circumstances. We
believe that we need to mention this during the final seminar for next year’s trip and ask
the parents to sign a letter giving us permission to give their child some paracetamol iftheir child falls ill during the trip.
In terms of numbers, 35 students is the maximum we can take to the UK. There were times
during this programme that it felt like this may have been too many students. From finding
host families to the number of our students in the same classroom (reducing the number ofinternational of students in a class), there are enough reasons that warrant a discussion on
how many we take next year. A short discussion in February 2024 with Mr. Noguchi, thehead co-ordinator from the tour agency, JTB, mentioned that precuring that many tickets
for next year’s trip may be slightly difficult. If that is the case, then it may mean we have totake fewer participants on next year’s programme, which might make it more manageable
in the event of any students falling ill.

Website/ Blog:Website / Blog:

The website / blog is a great way to document the trip and share the events of each daywith any family or friends who have access to the link (due to security reasons this is
not made public). Before we created the website, we issued a consent form to ensure theparents were happy with us uploading pictures of their children.
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However, there is some pressure with the blog, mainly in making sure that we havea balanced number of photos of each student. It can also be quite difficult to find time(especially in the event of an illness) to update the website at the end of each day. The
QR code will take you to last year’s blog. Please feel free to take a look as it will give you
insight into the daily routine of our students during the Bournemouth programme.

Final Thoughts
There are a few things to discuss before next year’s trip, mainly regarding the number ofparticipants. As this was the first trip we could offer since the coronavirus pandemic, we
wanted to make it available to as many students as possible. However, due to the various
illnesses, our resources were spread thin. Taking less students would certainly make thetrip more manageable and would be easier for SSE to place our students in host families. It
would also reduce the number of Japanese students at SSE, which would hopefully create
more internationally mixed classes.
Rising fuel surcharge costs, the weak Japanese yen, and the Olympics being held in Paris
this summer are all factors to consider as we try to keep the cost of this programme as
low as possible. One potential solution could be to fly indirect instead of direct. This could
significantly reduce the cost of the programme, though it would also increase the amountof time required for travelling.
A parent consent form allowing us to administer their child paracetamol would be theideal solution to dealing with any student who falls ill, though even students bringing theirown medicine would be a welcome compromise.

Special Thanks
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the head of the International Committee
at Chufu, Mamiko Miura, and our JTB tour guide, Yuko Kitayama, who assisted us on― 53 ―

this last trip. Their enthusiasm, energy, and willingness to go above and beyond to assist
our students ensured the trip was a rewarding experience for all involved. I would also
like to thank all the staff at SSE – especially the Managing Director, Paul Gallina, and theAcademic Principal, Kathryn Newman. On many occasions they went out of their way toensure we had an unforgettable trip.

Eating ice cream in Poole

Sightseeing in London

Shopping in Fortnum & Mason

Relaxing in Christchurch

Exploring Oxford

Away from the shopping in Oxford

Playing table tennis

Moors Valley Country Park

Enjoying a nice walkEnjoying Oxford

Outside the language school

Mudeford― 54 ―

Southbourne Beach

OxfordSightseeing in Bournemouth

Christchurch

Sightseeing in Oxford

Outside the British Museum― 55 ―