English language schools and courses in London

Compare in-person English courses in London by location, level and timetable. See the schools around Covent Garden and Bloomsbury for general and intensive English, and the adult ESOL options for people who live in London.

Compare courses View map

English language schools in London 2026

Each school or college is listed separately with its address, course types and timetable, the price or funding rules where they are published, and its Google rating with the spread of reviews.

Top pick

LSI London Central

Bloomsbury

19-21 Ridgmount Street, London WC1E 7AH

Ages 16+ · general, intensive, exam and business English; mini groups for 19+

Price on request

Pros

General 20, Intensive 24 and Intensive 30 courses with 50-minute lessons.
Cambridge FCE, CAE and CPE (30 lessons), IELTS 20 and business English afternoons.
Mini groups of up to 5 for learners aged 19+, starting every Monday.

Limitations

London prices are not published on the school page.
16 of 234 Google reviews are 1-2 stars (about 7%).

9.0

Positive (4-5★): 207
Neutral (3★): 11
Negative (1-2★): 16

General EnglishIntensiveCambridgeBusiness English

View Google reviews View map

Visit website

No. 2

Positively Languages London (formerly Kaplan)

Bloomsbury

5 Bloomsbury Place, London WC1A 2QP

Ages 16+ · general, semi-intensive, intensive, IELTS, Cambridge and business English

Price on request

Pros

Semi-intensive (27 lessons) and intensive (35 lessons) courses in Bloomsbury.
IELTS and Cambridge exam preparation plus business English.
Over 1,100 Google reviews, only 59 of them 1-2 stars (about 5%).

Limitations

Classes average 12 students and can reach 17.
Weekly prices are not shown on the school page.

8.9

Positive (4-5★): 1021
Neutral (3★): 77
Negative (1-2★): 59

General EnglishIntensiveIELTSCambridge

View Google reviews View map

Visit website

No. 3

City Lit – Keeley Street

Covent Garden

1-10 Keeley Street, London WC2B 4BA

Adult ESOL (Entry 1 to Level 2) · weekday, weekend, daytime and evening classes

ESOL from £195 (concession £137); free for eligible learners

Pros

Free if you are on a low wage or unemployed and claiming certain benefits.
Most ESOL classes are in person at Keeley Street, with evening and weekend options.
General ESOL, workplace English, pronunciation and a conversation club.

Limitations

You need a short test before joining, and full fees apply if you are not eligible.
Google reviews cover every course at the college, not only ESOL.

8.9

Positive (4-5★): 426
Neutral (3★): 14
Negative (1-2★): 51

ESOLPublicEveningWeekend

View Google reviews View map

Visit website

No. 4

St Giles London Central

Bloomsbury

154 Southampton Row, London WC1B 5JX

Ages 16+ (mainly adults 18+) · standard, intensive and exam courses

Price on request

Pros

Standard 15 and 20 courses, Intensive 28 and IELTS or Cambridge exam preparation.
Classes of up to 12; Platinum classes of up to 5 for learners aged 21+.
A few minutes from Russell Square, the British Museum and Covent Garden.

Limitations

Prices are only in a downloadable price list, not on the school page.
16 of 122 Google reviews are 1-2 stars (about 13%).

8.7

Positive (4-5★): 99
Neutral (3★): 7
Negative (1-2★): 16

General EnglishIntensiveIELTSCambridge

View Google reviews View map

Visit website

No. 5

International House London – Covent Garden

Covent Garden

Haycraft House, 16 Stukeley Street, London WC2B 5LQ

Adults (A2-C1) · daytime courses from any Monday, evening classes 18:30-20:30

Learn English 20: £445/week · Evening: £111 for 4 weeks

Pros

Full price list online: Learn English 20 at £445 a week, cheaper per week from 6 weeks.
Part-time (15), standard (20) and intensive (25) daytime courses, starting any Monday.
Evening classes for Londoners: 4 weeks for £111, plus IELTS and Cambridge evening prep.

Limitations

Daytime group courses add a £98 non-refundable registration fee.
78 of 418 Google reviews are 1-2 stars (about 19%).

8.2

Positive (4-5★): 326
Neutral (3★): 14
Negative (1-2★): 78

General EnglishIntensiveEveningIELTSCambridge

View Google reviews View map

Visit website

No. 6

Morley College – Waterloo Centre

Waterloo

61 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7HT

Adult ESOL · Greater London residents, priority for Lambeth on community courses

Free if you earn under the London Living Wage or get means-tested benefits

Pros

ESOL is free below the London Living Wage (£25,300.60 a year) or on means-tested benefits.
Free community ESOL from Entry level to Level 1 at Waterloo and Stockwell.
Start with an online assessment through the Essential Skills form.

Limitations

You must keep at least 90% attendance; check current start dates with the college.
Google reviews cover every course at the college, not only ESOL.

8.2

Positive (4-5★): 152
Neutral (3★): 2
Negative (1-2★): 36

ESOLPublicFree for eligible

View Google reviews View map

Visit website

No. 7

City of London ESOL – Guildhall West Wing

City of London

Guildhall West Wing, London EC2V 7HH

Adult ESOL Entry 1 to Level 2 · Level 2 evening class Mon & Wed 17:00-19:30

Fully funded for eligible learners

Pros

Fully funded for eligible learners, with accredited courses from Entry 1 to Level 2.
Daytime and evening groups at Guildhall, plus Golden Lane and Portsoken community centres.

Limitations

You must be a UK national or an EEA national with settled or pre-settled status, resident for 3 years.
Full fees apply if you earn the London Living Wage or more; courses follow fixed terms.

—

Score
under review

ESOLPublicEveningFully funded

View Google reviews View map

Visit website

Map of English schools in London

Find the language schools in Covent Garden and Bloomsbury, City Lit in Covent Garden, the City of London ESOL classes at Guildhall and Morley College in Waterloo, and compare how far they are from home or work.

Covent Garden Bloomsbury Holborn City of London Waterloo

District links are general map searches and do not point to a specific school.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I take in-person English classes in Central London?

International House London and City Lit are in Covent Garden, while St Giles London Central, LSI London Central and Positively Languages (formerly Kaplan) are a short walk away in Bloomsbury. For adult ESOL there are also classes at Guildhall in the City of London and at Morley College in Waterloo.

Which London schools offer intensive English?

International House London runs Learn English 25 from any Monday (Learn English 20 costs £445 a week), St Giles has Intensive Course 28, LSI offers Intensive 24 and 30, and Positively Languages has a 35-lesson intensive course. These courses are aimed at international students aged 16 and over.

How do I apply for an adult ESOL course in London?

ESOL is for adults who live in London. You usually take a short test or assessment first, and the course can be free if you earn under the London Living Wage or claim certain benefits. City Lit, Morley College and the City of London each publish their own eligibility rules, so check residency and income conditions before you enrol.

How do we rank the schools?

Proposed criteria: teaching model 25%, programme transparency 20%, quality and recency of reviews 20%, location and access 15%, clear prices and enrolment terms 10%, flexibility 10%. The final order is set after editorial review.

Last updated: pending. The Google rating is shown separately from the editorial score, and schools with a commercial agreement are labelled "Ad" on their card.

Prefer to learn from home? Compare English learning apps as well.