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UK Work Advice for Romanian and Bulgarian Students

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Nationals of Bulgaria and Romania have the right of free travel in the UK for up to three months. However, there are still restrictions on the right to work in the UK, which will continue until the end of 2013.

For general advice on UK employment, please visit our ‘Finding Work’ page.


If you wish to work in the UK while studying, you must obtain a registration certificate called a Yellow Card. Employers will ask to see this berfore they will offer you a job. To apply for the Yellow Card:

  1. Download and complete the UKBA Application Form BR1.
  2. Include: 2 passport photos.
  3. Add:
    • Your passport.
    • A student status letter – available from the College Reception.
    • Support funds available – to prove you will not be working for more than the allowed time.
    • CSI – Comprehensive Sickness Insurance.
  4. Send the application, pictures, passport and student status letter to the address on the form

Your Rights as a Student:

  • You are entitled to work part time for a maximum of 20 hours per week during term time and full time during the holidays.
  • When you have been working part time for at least 12 continuous months, you will no longer be restricted and will be able to apply for a Blue Card for residence and full rights to work (no restriction on the number of hours or employer).
  • Your spouse or other family member is allowed to work without any restrictions for as long as you are a student – he/she will need to apply for a Blue Card using a BR1 application form. After working for 12 months with this status, the family member can apply for exemption from work authorisation in his/her own right (unrelated to your status). For this however, he/she will need to have worked for the 12 months as an employee not as a self-employed person.

Notes:

  1. if your student status changes (i.e. you stop attending the course), your legal work status changes as well and your right to work is withdrawn, even if you have already obtained a Yellow Card and a National Insurance Number.
  2. The UKBA only considers applications for a yellow card for stu¬dent registra¬tion certificates if you are already in the UK.

Once you have obtained the Yellow Card, you can start working.
Further advice for Romainian and Bulgarian students is available in this UKBA pdf.

Why You Need IELTS

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IELTS Logo

KKCL is offering combined General/Academic IELTS Exam Preparation courses in the morning from 9am-12pm (every weekday) and in the evening from 6pm-9pm (Monday, Wednesday and Friday).

IELTS stands for ‘International English Language Testing System.’

Why should you study an IELTS preparation course?

We believe IELTS preparation is the best choice for students who wish to study towards a recognised English qualification, or students completing the Upper Intermediate level who are looking to improve and refine their English across the full range of skills.

The exam tests English proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing. It is run by Cambridge ESOL, IDP Education Australia and the British Council and carries international weight as an important and often essential English language qualification for both academic study and career development.

The IELTS website states that “IELTS is the world’s leading test of English for higher education, immigration and employment.”

Candidates can usually prepare for IELTS at two different levels:

General IELTS

The General Training test is for those who want to do work experience or training programs, secondary school, further education or migrate to an English-speaking country.

Academic IELTS

The Academic test is for those who want to study at a tertiary level in an English-speaking country but also a requirement for certain professions such as various medical workers.

Who Recognises IELTS?

IELTS is internationally recognised as an entry requirement by British, Australian, New Zealand, United States and Canadian universities. Your IELTS score reflects your ability to participate in academic seminars and write papers, so the higher the score, the better your chance of academic success.

IELTS is so well known as an ‘academic English’ qualification that people may forget it is useful in many other situations. IELTS is also accepted by more than 6000 organisations worldwide. These include immigration departments, government agencies, professional bodies and multinational companies.

To search for a recognising institution, please use the IELTS Global Recognition System.

The IELTS courses at KKCL will ensure that you are thoroughly prepared for the IELTS exam. You general English understanding will also improve considerably. You can take the IELTS exam every month at one of many London exam centres.

Download the KKCL English Courses Pricelist

Visit Our IELTS Pages:

IELTS Exam Preparation Course

About the IELTS Exam

Successful Renewal Of British Council Accreditation

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British Council Logo

We are delighted to announce that Katherine & King’s College of London has been granted a renewal of its British Council accreditation under the Accreditation UK scheme. The college has also achieved a number of points of excellence.

The accreditation, awarded on the 7th December 2011, followed a thorough inspection in October, which provided both the British Council and ourselves with an up-to-date and detailed picture of English language teaching at our Harrow-based college.

The British Council noted points of excellence both in our teacher support programme and in the design and implementation of our English language courses, which guide students through a clear and structured syllabus.

We will be working hard in 2012 to build upon this success.

Taking ACCA Exams This December?

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The exam season is still with us, and many students are still doing their ACCA exams. Don’t forget there are many useful resources and tips in the “how to pass“ section of the ACCA website to assist you with your ACCA exam preparation:

  • Past papers and study guides – a number of online resources to help you with your studies, including study guides, past papers, examiner reports, technical articles and recommended reading lists.
  • Exam techniques vodcast – an Exams Tips and Techniques vodcast produced by ACCA UK takes you through revision planning and exam day techniques in 3 video presentations.
  • Exam support information – non-technical information on ACCA exam procedures, along with practical tips on getting to your exam centre in good time.

Good luck from all of us here at KKCL!

ACCA CBE Centre

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Are You Looking for a Reliable ACCA Computer Based Exam Centre in West London?

Katherine and King’s College of London has recently received positive feedback as an “impressive” CBE centre, following an official inspection by ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) in November.

As an approved ACCA CBE centre, we have dedicated and reliable IT facilities. All the computers in our examination room run Windows 7 and far exceed the minimum hardware requirements, so you don’t need to worry about crashes or technical problems during your exam. We have CCTV in addition to a responsible invigilator, who will be in the room at all times in accordance with ACCA regulations.

If you live near Harrow or Wembley and would like to take the ACCA CBE, please contact us.

We currently hold exams every other Friday from 10am-12pm. The CBE booking fee is £70. Exams can be arranged at other times of the week at an additional charge.

Student Emergency Support Fund (SESF) for English Language Students

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English Language students from British Council Accredited Colleges who find themselves stranded after unexpected college closures can make use of the Student Emergency Support Fund (SESF) to help them continue their studies at another accredited institution. The support fund has been set up by English UK, an association of accredited language schools in the United Kingdom. Students are advised to be patient with the relocation process, which aims to place them at schools in their local area. Anyone in this situation may find it useful to read this letter from the fund regarding a recent closure.

Tier 4 students must apply for a new visa in order to start at a different college. Under UKBA rules, Tier 4 students have 60 days to find another education provider before they must leave the country.

The current closures are a result of tighter immigration control on international students. These measures continue to be opposed by educational institutions in both public and private sectors, including many of the UK’s major language schools. The restrictions on temporary student immigration have the potential to seriously damage a sector which was originally marked for growth as a service industry and is uniquely placed to take advantage of the UK’s status as the home of the English language.

If you wish to discuss how the SESF can help you to continue your study at KKCL, please contact our admission officers.

Olympic Torch Relay Route Revealed

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On Tuesday 8th November 2011, the London 2012 Olympic Games revealed the 1,018 cities, towns and villages on the route of the Olympic Torch Relay. The Olympic Flame will be travelling across the UK between 18th May and 27th July.

KKCL will be paying special attention on the 24th and 25th of July when the torch will travel from Ealing to Harrow and will hopefully pass very close to our college. The nearest Olympic torch evening celebration will be at Ealing on the 24th July.

Follow the Flame

The Olympic Torch Relay map will give you a good idea of how close the torch will pass to places near you.

Watch this animated video to get an idea of the Olympic torch relay route past various UK landmarks… well, this is maybe not exactly how the torch will travel when the time comes!

Private Colleges Close Under New Visa Rules

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The Home Office has published new information about changes to the student Visa system, including the news that nearly 500 education providers will no longer be able to sponsor international students.

The measures are part of the government’s continuing drive to tackle abuses of the immigration system by a number of bogus colleges, but they have been challenged by much of the higher education sector.

The news follows a BBC report in October that Tasmac London School of Management was forced to close its doors suddenly, leaving 650 students stranded without a course.

The closure was a consequence of the University of Wales’ decision to withdraw all external degree validation following a BBC investigation into UoW accredited colleges.

Other notable colleges which recently faced closure include London School of Management, London College of Law and Management, Victoria College Nottingham, Fulham and Chelsea College, Gemini College, Boston College of London, London College Wimbledon and Anglian College London.

It is genuine students who are worst affected by the closures, as UKBA regulations mean that students have 60 days to find another UKBA-accredited course provider halfway through their study or face deportation.

English Club Website

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Here’s a website suggestion for English language students:

Think about those days when you want to read the newspaper but you feel too frustrated because the language is too difficult and you have to give up.

Or the times when you try watching the news on TV but you just can’t keep up with the stories you find interesting while the stories you can understand are putting you to sleep.

We found a website that has a combination of the two: interesting news you can listen to and language you can understand.

The English Club at http://www.englishclub.com/listening/news.htm features adapted news in simple English that you can listen to. Then you can practise and improve your English by answering comprehension questions on your chosen story.

Give it a go and let us know if it worked for you.

Happy Halloween!

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Wig-tastic!
Costume Battle
My hero?!
Who's this?
A Dr Who Monster?
Do the Funky Chicken!
Get Ready to Splat that Rat!
Mad Dash for Costumes
Halloween Party in the LRC
Halloween Party Twister
Bizarre Costumes
Halloween Party Twister 2
Frankenstein Doorman
Spooky Reception
Splat the Rat!
Halloween Party Twister 3
The Three Amigos
Student Fancy Dress Competition
Wraggghh!
Oli Limbers Up for Twister

Tonight is, of course, Halloween. The celebration of all things spooky has its roots in Ireland and the pagan harvest festival of Samhain, which later merged with the Catholic eve of ‘All Saint’s Day‘ (also known as ‘All Hallow’s Eve’, hence ‘Halloween’).

Check out the photos from Friday’s KKCL Halloween party above. We had twister, a Halloween quiz, a bizarre costume competition and Oli’s fantastic splat the rat game.

Many people believed (and still believe) that the spirits of the dead come alive and walk among the living during Halloween night. The festival is also associated with an air of magic and mystery, summed up in the catchy song ‘This is Halloween‘ from Tim Burton’s ever popular ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ (where the two festivals become mixed up).

In the UK people celebrate Halloween in many different ways, the most popular being fancy dress parties where guests are expected to dress in freaky costumes. A number of American traditions have also rooted themselves in the UK. Trick-or-treating is when children go around their neighbourhood  in fancy dress to collect sweets, shouting ‘trick or treat’ (the implication being that if you don’t give the kids any sweets they will play some kind of ‘trick’ on you). People also carve scary cartoon faces into Pumpkins, known as Jack-o’-Lanterns, although children in the UK have often used turnips or swedes instead.

Some people gather together to watch classic (and not-so-classic) horror movies such as ‘The Omen’ (1976), ‘The Exorcist’ (1973) and John Carpenter’s ‘Halloween’ (1978).

The UK was particularly spooked in 1992, when the BBC achieved notoriety on Halloween night by broadcasting ‘Ghostwatch‘. Although the show was a fictional drama, the BBC gave the impression that it was a real live investigation into paranormal activity, creating an Orson Wells ‘War of the Worlds‘ moment where many viewers thought the frightening events unfolding on screen were real and happening on live TV! After receiving record complaints, the BBC stopped Halloween specials on TV for several years after.

There are many Halloween events for kids and adults happening around London – visit the Time Out website to find the best things to do on October 31st… if you dare!