1
Day 1 · Departure
Ezeiza → Madrid → Heathrow
Group flight with Karina, stopover in Barajas and connection to London. Arrival on Day 2.
Saint Mary Immersions · UK
Learn English by living English.
February from Buenos Aires · July from London or BA
Two to four weeks in Kent, United Kingdom. Homestay with a British family, classes at accredited schools and three closing days in London. Not an English course with sightseeing: a whole new life for as long as the immersion lasts.
14
Years taking students
+180
Students who travelled
2
Editions per year
Kent · United Kingdom
Kent, the heart of the immersion
── The full journey
Three legs, one experience.
Every immersion is a journey organised in three chapters: the international flight with a Madrid stopover, the bus circuit through England, and the 3 days in London before flying home.
2
4 weeks
Immersion in Kent
Full programme at the home base with a British family, classes and excursions.
3
Closing
Heathrow → Madrid → Ezeiza
Same route in reverse with Karina and the Group Leads. Back to Buenos Aires.
── The immersion, no fine print
Same programme, you choose how and when to live it.
The programme in Kent is always the same: same partner school, same British family, same excursions. What you choose are three things: where you depart from, which time of year and how many weeks you stay.
01 · Meeting point
Buenos Aires or London.
Join the group at one of the two airports. Karina and the Group Leads will be waiting there.
Ezeiza Airport
Buenos Aires (EZE) · group flight coordinated by Saint Mary
Heathrow Airport
London (LHR) · for students arriving on their own
Who's at the airport
Karina Reyes and at least one Group Lead receive the group at each meeting point.
02 · When
February or July.
Two editions per year, each timed to the Argentine and European school calendars.
February — AR summer
Coincides with Argentine school holidays. Next: February 2027.
July — EU summer
European school holidays and AR winter break. Next: July 2028.
UK high season in July
+20% over February prices (does not apply to flights).
03 · Duration
2 or 4 weeks.
Full one-month immersion or condensed version for Argentine winter break.
4 weeks — full
15h/wk of lessons + 4 full-day excursions + 3 half-day + 3 days in London.
2 weeks — July only
Short version for AR winter break. Same format, half the time.
In February
Only the 4-week format. Classic edition since 2012.
About the flight
The flight is always paid by the student. But we negotiate group rates to make it more affordable.
Especially for groups departing from Buenos Aires, Saint Mary works with the airline to secure the best possible price via group quotation. Tickets are never included in the programme package.
How the group is assembled
Every trip has mentorship structure.
Saint Mary doesn't send students to England on their own. Every immersion is led by Karina — or by a senior team member with equivalent responsibility — and there is roughly one group lead per ~8 students. Group leads travel with the group, live at or near the college, and are the direct contact for anything that comes up.
The structure of every trip
Group director
Karina Reyes, or an equivalent senior Saint Mary team member. Fully responsible for the trip.
Group leads (1 per ~8 students)
Saint Mary team members accompanying the group. They take part in excursions and are the daily link with the students in Kent.
Permanent contact with families
WhatsApp group with parents throughout the whole trip. Weekly reports and availability for anything, in Argentina or wherever the family is based.
Partner UK team
Churchill House (Ramsgate) and Hilderstone College also have their own welcome staff, teachers and activity leads. The group is doubly supported.
Real example · February 2026
How the last group was assembled
KR
Karina Reyes
Group director · CEO Saint Mary
L
Lautaro
Group Lead
C
Carol
Group Lead
17
17 students
Ages 13–20
1 : 5,7
Adult · student ratio
3 Saint Mary adults accompanying 17 students during the full 4 weeks in Kent, plus the partner UK team.
Why an immersion?
Not a study trip: it's living the language.
There's a huge difference between taking English classes in London for two weeks and doing a real immersion. The first can be fun, but won't change how you speak English. An immersion will.
Course + tourism
- ◇Accommodation in a residence or hotel with Spanish-speakers
- ◇People switch to Spanish between classes and within the group
- ◇Fragmented classes, no real follow-up
- ◇Superficial excursions
- ◇You come home with phrases, not real progress
Living like a British student
- ◆A British family that doesn't speak a word of Spanish
- ◆English 24/7, from breakfast to dinner
- ◆Classes at an accredited school with native teachers
- ◆Small groups (12–16 students maximum)
- ◆Karina or designated coordinator escorts the group
- ◆You come home thinking in English, not translating
Institutional backing
Two accredited British institutions behind us.
Every immersion is run in partnership with institutions that meet British Council and English UK standards.
CH
Churchill House
Ramsgate · Kent
Karina completed her Master's in English Language here. Academic partner of our yearly trip since Saint Mary's very beginnings. Over 60 years training international students.
Accreditations
- British Council
- English UK
- 60+ years of track record
HC
Hilderstone College
Broadstairs · Kent
Saint Mary is Hilderstone's official representative in LATAM since April 2026. Endorsed by British Council, English UK, Cambridge English and EL Gazette Centre of Excellence 2025-2026.
Accreditations
- British Council
- English UK
- Cambridge English Preparation Centre
- EL Gazette Centre of Excellence 2025-2026
Both institutions can host the yearly trip. In 2026, the host is Churchill House. Future editions may rotate to Hilderstone depending on availability and academic plan.
The programme
A rhythm designed to learn by living.
Not an English course with sightseeing. It's a whole new life for 28 days: breakfast with your family, bus to class, lunch in town, free afternoon or social club, dinner, and a new excursion every Saturday.
Accommodation
British family
Half board
Classes
15h / week
Mornings, grouped by level
Excursions
4 + 3
Full day + half day
Certification
Host college
Official, at the end
Your typical week
Monday to Sunday, every day adds up.
This is the base structure followed every week in Kent. Exact times may vary slightly depending on the year's partner school.
Monday to Friday
08:00
Breakfast with the family
09:00 – 12:15
English classes (with break)
12:15 – 13:30
Lunch
14:00 – 17:30
Optional social activity or free time
18:30
Dinner with the family
20:00 – 22:00
Evening Social Club (Mon/Tue/Thu)
Saturday
Full day
Full-day excursion (Oxford, Cambridge, Bath or Brighton)
Includes
Transport, guide, main entries
Sunday
Half day
Short excursion (Leeds Castle, Canterbury or Dover)
Rest
Free time with the British family
Included destinations
What you'll get to see (no extra charge).
These excursions are included in the programme: transport, guide, main entries and escorting by Karina or a group lead. Every year we rotate 4 full-day destinations, so repeat students discover different places.
Partner UK school excursions. The list below matches Churchill House's typical plan (2026 and 2027 host). Excursions may vary slightly depending on each year's partner school.
Full-day excursions
Oxford
University town, Bodleian library, Christ Church
Cambridge
King's College, punting on the river Cam
Bath & Stonehenge
UNESCO site, Roman baths, Georgian architecture
Brighton
Pier, Royal Pavilion, "London by the Sea"
Half-day excursions
Leeds Castle
900 years of history, gardens, maze
Canterbury
UNESCO cathedral, medieval pedestrian centre
White Cliffs of Dover
White cliffs, views over the Channel
All these outings are included in the programme price. They're not extras or paid add-ons. The student only pays personally for things they consume themselves (meals outside the included lunch, souvenirs, etc.).
Closing the trip
Three days in London, wrapping up the immersion.
After the 4 weeks in Kent, the group moves to London for a three-day closing before the flight back. It's the farewell to the trip: putting to use in the capital the English won during the immersion.
Post-immersion · 3 daysThe trip's finale, in the capital.
This is not just another weekend excursion: it's its own stage, with lodging in London, guided activities and just enough time for the group to cover the city's unmissable highlights.
- Westminster, Big Ben and London Eye — the political and tourist heart
- British Museum — guided visit to the main halls
- Thames and the City — Tower Bridge, Tower of London, St Paul's
- West End and Covent Garden — free afternoons with the group
- Central lodging for the three nights, with permanent accompaniment
Duration
3 days
When
Post-immersion
Price
Included
Optional extensions · outside the 4 weeks
Add a European city before or after?
On top of the Kent excursions, many families use the trip for the student to also visit another European city before the immersion or after it. These extensions are entirely optional, coordinated case by case, and not included in the programme's base price.
France
Paris
Eiffel Tower, Louvre, optional Disneyland extension.
Scotland
Edinburgh
Castle, Royal Mile, Holyrood, views from Arthur's Seat.
Netherlands
Amsterdam
Canals, museums, cycling, Anne Frank House.
Italy
Rome
Colosseum, Vatican, Trevi Fountain, imperial history.
Ireland
Dublin
Trinity College, Temple Bar, Guinness Storehouse.
Spain
Madrid
Prado, Retiro, food, family connection.
How do they work? These extensions are planned on an individual basis: the student or family coordinates dates, extra flights and lodging with Karina. They don't have a closed price because it depends on each case (days, season, type of accommodation). The base programme price only covers Kent excursions and the 3 closing days in London. European extensions are quoted separately.
What's in the programme
Full transparency on the package.
Included
- ◆International flights (group flight with accompaniment in the February edition)
- ◆Heathrow ↔ Kent transfer coordinated with the group
- ◆Homestay with a British family · half board (breakfast and dinner)
- ◆15 hours of classes per week with native teachers, level-based groups
- ◆4 full-day and 3 half-day excursions in Kent and surroundings
- ◆3 days in London at the end of the immersion · central lodging
- ◆Permanent accompaniment by Karina or a Saint Mary group lead
- ◆International medical insurance covering the whole stay
- ◆Official certificate from the partner college at the end
- ◆WhatsApp group with parents throughout the trip
Not included
- ◇Optional European extensions (Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, etc.) — quoted separately
- ◇Visa processing if applicable (we help with documentation)
- ◇Student's personal expenses (souvenirs, meals outside the programme)
- ◇Recommended weekly pocket money for the student
- ◇Optional international exams (Cambridge, IELTS) if the student wants to take them
- ◇Alcoholic drinks for those of legal age
Frequently asked questions
What everyone usually asks.
From age 13. The group's typical range is 13-20, though we also welcome young adults. No upper age limit. Under 18s always travel with permanent accompaniment by the Saint Mary team and the partner school.
The next February 2027 edition has registrations open from October 2026. The new July 2028 edition from London opens for sale in October 2027. Exact dates and detailed prices are on the prices page.
No. The base programme only includes Kent-area school excursions (Oxford, Cambridge, Bath, Brighton, Canterbury, Leeds Castle, Dover) and the 3 closing days in London. European cities like Paris, Rome, Edinburgh, Amsterdam or Madrid are optional extensions arranged before or after the 4 weeks in Kent, quoted separately, and coordinated case by case with Karina based on dates, flights and accommodation.
The families are selected and vetted directly by the UK partner school (Churchill House or Hilderstone). They follow a rigorous process: references, periodic house inspections, training in student hosting. All families are 15-25 minutes walking or by bus from the school.
High proficiency isn't a requirement. The school's initial test groups students by actual level, so everyone sits with peers of similar level. The immersion works especially well with intermediate levels — they're the ones who make the biggest leap in 4 weeks with a British family.
Karina or a designated coordinator travels with the group from Ezeiza and comes back with it. During the 4 weeks in Kent there's at least one group lead per ~8 students, available 24/7. We open a WhatsApp group with parents before the trip and send weekly reports plus photos. For anything urgent, parents contact us directly.
Payment is typically split into a deposit (20% in October), two interim instalments (30% each in December and January) and a final balance (20% before the trip). We accept AR bank transfer, Western Union, and are evaluating additional methods. Full details on the prices page.
Want your child
to live this?
Get in touch and we'll send you the full info pack for the next edition: exact dates, detailed prices, testimonials from previous families and the step-by-step of the registration process.