Frequently Asked Questions

Application process


Living in London

Your main costs as a student will be living expenses, including accommodation, travel, entertainment, food and clothing.

Estimates vary as to how much students should budget for, and London, like other destinations, can be as expensive as personal taste dictates. A total of around £250 per week is considered to be a reasonable average.

As a guide the biggest items are (per week):

  • £120-£180 for accommodation
  • £30-£50 for housekeeping (food, toiletries etc)
  • £15-£30 for travel

In terms of entertainment, the following are average prices in London:

  • £8-£12 for cinema tickets
  • £20 for a three course meal in an average restaurant
  • £4 for a pint of beer

To open a UK bank account you must have a passport with a visa that is valid for at least 6 months and usually two documents proving your address and your status as a student. One of these must be a letter from WLES, and the other is normally a utility bill(phone, gas, electricity etc.). If you would like help with opening a bank account, please speak to reception.

Currently Santander are opening bank accounts for students at WLES, speak to Sagar Patel @ 114 Broadway, London, W13 0SY or call 0845 765 4321.

The National Health Service (NHS) provides free healthcare for people living in the UK. Please see reception if you would like advice on registering with a doctor or dentist. Students should register with a doctor near their home. See www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk or call 0845 4647 for a list of local doctors (GPs). Dentists can also be NHS registered, but expect to pay a contribution towards your treatment. You will also pay a prescription charge for any medicine you need.

In an emergency, go to the accident and emergency (A&E) department of the nearest hospital (Ealing Hospital is on the Uxbridge road towards Southall) or call 999 and ask for an ambulance. Students can also access NHS Walk-In Centres. Walk-In Centres are NHS surgeries where students can ask for help without having a pre-booked appointment or being registered. Please do not confuse these with the Accident & Emergency departments at hospitals which should only be used in extreme urgency.
Please see below for a list of the NHS Walk-In Centres closest to the school:

1. Wembley Centre For Health and Care (4.1km)
116 Chaplin Road
Wembley
Middlesex
HA0 4UZ

2. Hammersmith Centre for Health (5km)
Hammersmith Hospital
Du Cane Road
London
W12 0HS

3. St Charles Hospital (6.4km)
Exmoor Street
London
W10 6DZ

4. Heart of Hounslow Centre for Health (6.6km)
92 Bath Road
Hounslow
Middlesex
TW3 3LN

5. Fulham Centre for Health (6.8km)
Charing Cross Hospital
Fulham Palace Road, London, W6 8RF

If you would like to apply for national insurance number, you must have the right to work or study in the UK.

You must call JobcentrePlus directly to apply for a National Insurance number.

After this the Jobcentre will contact you and tell you when you need to come to an interview and what you will need to bring.

For more information about obtaining National Insurance number click here.

Students can have 30% discount on travel on London Transport with an Oyster Card. You must be enrolled for at least 14 weeks to apply for a student travel card. Applications should be submitted electronically through Transport for London website at www.tfl.gov.uk. Applications cost £10 payable to Transport Trading Limited.


General FAQ’s

Students should aim to attend all lessons. Where possible, students are requested to notify

reception or the teacher in advance if they are going to be absent.

If they are absent for more than three consecutive days, they will be contacted for welfare reasons

by the Office Manager, who will check registers on a daily basis.

If a student misses more than ten days of their course during a term, they will be required to meet

with the Director of Studies to discuss the reasons for their absence.

If you want to take a holiday, you must tell reception in advance. Depending on the length of your course, we will usually be able to extend it by the same number of days so you do not have to pay for missed classes.

If you are not feeling well on the day of a class or cannot attend for any other reason, please contact the college and explain your absence to us and when you expect to return.

Students are reminded that this option should be used in exceptional circumstances and that all absence should be pre-booked, where possible.

You can only work in UK if you are from EU or have an appropriate visa for employment.

If you have a student visitor visa, you need to provide the college with copies of flight tickets and get a holiday letter.