Our Story...

Back in 2005, Tim and his wife Elle were expecting a baby. With his wife on maternity, playing the guitar, writing songs and teaching English part-time just wasn’t up to paying the bills. They needed a radical plan! As luck would have it, Tim’s parents were looking to retire from their job running a boutique college, the London Centre for Fashion Studies in Islington. One sunny day in August, the Islington Centre for English was born in two rooms of his parents’ school with one student. Her name was, and still is, Hiroko.

It wasn’t long before one student turned into two, two to four and by the end of the first year, ICE almost looked like an English school. Our USP was flexibility and European, part-time English language students came from shops, cafes & bars in N1 as the courses fit around their busy work rotas. After British Council accreditation in 2005, our reputation grew, the world opened up and students arrived from every country to study English full-time & intensively in our new premises in central London. They also took Cambridge Exam courses and IELTS for university entry.

Over the years, we have empowered over 30,000 students to speak better English yet we still retain the boutique, family feel of Tim’s parents’ college 20 years ago.

The secret of our success is an independent, boutique feel, an unfailing commitment to educational standards set a superb central London location. Add to this combination some of the lowest-priced language courses in London such as £3999 for 44 weeks PLUS! English courses and £2500 for 24 weeks afternoon full-time English courses are provided by a small team of dedicated English language enthusiasts. At ICE, you are an individual, not a number!!