English as a Foreign Language
10% of students at Battle Abbey School study English as a Foreign Language. They take Cambridge ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) examinations KET and PET (Key/Preliminary English Test) FCE and CAE (First Certificate English and Certificate in Advanced English) and in the Sixth Form IELTS, (International English Language Testing System) which is required for university entry.
English as a Foreign Language pupils should be at the following levels at the start of each school year:

Pupils not at these levels will be considered depending on which year they wish to enter and the subjects they wish to study.
Overseas pupils applying to Battle Abbey School take a Placement Test, which if they are not visiting the school can be done online, with a short telephone interview if necessary, to assess their speaking level.
The EFL department has two teachers, and they aim to raise students’ levels by at least one IELTS level each year, so that students starting at Battle Abbey School in years 7-9 with low levels of English are able to achieve the necessary level of language to start GCSEs in years 10-11, A Levels in the sixth form, and for university entry.
Lessons are individual or shared, normally just two students. Following a Placement Test the number of weekly lessons required by each student is fixed for the year and the fees invoiced at the end of each term. For four shared or two individual lessons weekly this is £440.00.
This year the boarding community includes students from Hong Kong and mainland China, Russia, Germany and France. In the last two years all the EFL students leaving the school at the end of Year 13 went to the universities of their choice, to study, for example, Medicine, Architecture and Computer Science in Hong Kong, London and Cambridge.
EFL students also take GCSE and A Level Chinese, Russian, and Spanish. Lessons are taught by Cantonese/ Mandarin, Russian and Spanish teachers.