Smartaupairs

First Aid Courses in Kent

Kent Adult Education Services provides a range of first aid courses  - for more information on the courses/dates:Download KAES First Aid Course Schedule

Kindly book directly with the provider with the following form: Download First Aid Request form

Please return the form to: businesssupport2@kent.gov.uk - KAES will check schedule and book a preliminary place on the course for the customer. The customer will then receive a confirmation e mail with full details.
 

Country Profile: United Kingdom

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Culture

The UK has been at the forefront of youth culture since the heyday of the Beatles and Rolling Stones in the 1960s.

It has a rich literary heritage encompassing the works of English writers such as William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens, Scot Robert Burns, Welshman Dylan Thomas and Northern Irishman Seamus Heaney." BBC

Follow the link below to continue reading about United Kingdom in general.

BBC UK Country Profile

New Program Manager at Smartaupairs & Program Development

It is with great pleasure that I announce Tuuli’s promotion to Au Pair Program Manager. Tuuli started with Smartaupairs in summer 2008 on a work placement/intern program from Lancaster University, where she was in her 3rd year of a degree in Business Management.

Tuuli is originally from Estonia and grew up in Finland, giving her a head-start in cross cultural understanding. Lancaster University added to the multi-cultural experience as their student community is made up of almost 100 different nationalities.

She was keen to find a work placement in a small yet ambitious company and when we interviewed her for the role we were impressed by her both her skills and her drive to succeed. From the very beginning, she showed a positive and innovative approach and her results driven capabilities have much contributed to the success of Smartaupairs.

As we have many more plans for success and growth for Smartaupairs, we were very keen to offer Tuuli this promotion. She will be fully responsible for the daily placement process, i.e. liaison with host families, au pairs and agencies abroad to ensure we offer consistently high service levels to all stakeholders.  In addition to this, we will work together on developing new ideas, different services and communication campaigns.

With Tuuli in place, we can focus on further strategic development for Smartaupairs. Our Tutor program and the introduction of Native Speakers have seen phenomenal demand from host families requiring with ‘just a little bit more’. My focus will be of bringing host families more options in the ‘gold quality’ bracket and above. I am already talking with agencies in Australia and New Zealand to bring us more native speaking au pairs.

We are also in the final stages of a new agreement with a European Agency network who has traditionally only sent au pairs to the USA and are used to screening for ‘the very best’. We are looking forward to placing their top calibre candidates, who will have significantly better than average language skills due to their national education system and their level of prior education. Many will be skilled drivers and have at least 100 hours of childcare experience and be committed to the au pair program for an academic year. Their au pairs will come predominantly from Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands.

And finally, we are working closely with one of our partners in The Netherlands to attract Childcare trainees. These will be young people who will have completed the first part of learning to be a professional child carer with Dutch SPW qualifications similar to the UK NVQ2/BTEC2 level. We want to enable these applicants to continue their learning in the UK during their stay with a host family, allowing them to complete level 3 during their stay with the host family. Their formal training will be limited to one Saturday each month whilst their informal learning will be ongoing with your children!

Feedback from a Host Family

I am writing to let you know how much we all love our au pair.
She is super sweet and really fantastic with the boys.
She seems to be settling in very well and has already met some other local aupairs she is becoming
friends with and enrolled at an english school.
I am grateful to find her at short notice, so thank you.

(Host family,  Middlesex)

Thames River Cruise – Exclusive for Au Pairs!

All day excursion just £13 per person*

Sunday the 7th June 2009

Please reserve your place before Friday the 29th May 2009 - BOOK EARLY AS PLACES ARE LIMITED!

Download the flyer providing more information on the programme/booking: Download BAPAA Boat Trip Flyer 2009

Tuuli & Tiina from the office will be attending the boat trip! If you live in Kent, feel free to contact us on info@smartaupairs.com so we can arrange a convenient travel time to London together.

English Courses at London Eurocentres - Plus £20 Discount Voucher!

Part-time Courses at Eurocentres: next term 21st April  2009 (remember students can start at any time) 

Locations

Eurocentres London Central (Victoria) - 56 Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1PH (phone = 020 7834 4155)

Eurocentres Lee Green (near Blackheath) - 21 Meadowcourt Road, London SE3 9EU (phone = 020 8318 5633)

All information can also be found on our website - http://www.eurocentres.com/en/language_courses/Part-time_Courses,c278.html

Only £260 per 10 week term.  BUT WITH THE ATTACHED VOUCHER YOUR AU PAIRS PAY £240

• Students can start at any time
• 3 day a week (1.5 hours a day Tuesday -  Thursday)
• Lessons either at 10:30 - 12:00 or 12:30 - 14:00   
• 2 London schools - London Central in Victoria and London Lee Green (near Blackheath)
• Cambridge Exam Preparation, IELTS Preparation (both schools are IELTS testing centres) and General English
• Students have free access to our Learning Centre - computer network with online study material, library, language laboratory etc
• 60 years of English language teaching experience and one of the most recognised names in the EFL industry
• Enrolment fee of £40 - one off booking fee for new students

£20 Discount Voucher

Download Eurocentres Lee Green

Download Eurocentres London Central

Download Eurocentres Part-time Courses Spring 2009

Download How to get to Eurocentres - guide for au pairs who are new to London 

Smartaupairs Au Pair Welcome Pack

Smartaupairs is dedicated in offering the best service for both host families and au pairs.

Upon arrival to the UK host family, each au pair receives the newly improved welcome pack in a handy, re-useable folder.

 

The welcome pack includes plenty of useful and fun information for the au pair stay:

•    “The Au Pair Handbook” - A handy guide for the au pair stay. It provides plenty of practical information from au pair duties to free time and travel
•    O2 Sim Card - allows to convert the mobile phone onto a UK network instantly.
•    Smartaupairs Lanyard – A convenient and stylish way of keeping the home keys/other little gadgets in one place.
•    Stickers & Balloons  - Great ‘ice-breakers’ for children, they love to get a sticker if they do something well and many parents prefer these kind of rewards to giving sweet treats.
•    ‘Get Kids on the Go’ – leaflet - Ideal for early days, when language skills may not be so strong yet. Sport and play is an ideal way to get to know each other, without the need for much language.
•    Stay Safe! – leaflet & personal alarm order form -  The leaflet provides the au pair with useful tips to keep oneself & one's belongings safe. In addition, the au pair may order an affordable personal alarm, which is small enough to attach to your keyholder.
•    Access to the exclusive aupair2aupair.com website.

And, if your placement in the UK is arranged by Smartaupairs, you will also automatically receive e-mails from us to inform you of au pair excursions, discounts on language classes and other benefits!

Family Feedback From Recent Survey

We were delighted for all the support and feedback we received as part of our recent survey.

Please see below for some of the testimonials:

"I am extremely impressed both with the service offered and with my au pair. Not only is she fantastic with my children, she is also lots of fun to have around. It feels as if she has always been part of our family. I will miss her when she has to return home." Clare, Surrey

"
I want to say a big thank you to both of you for finding me good aupairs and supporting me throughout. My experience with both of my aupairs has been great. My current au-pair Gesa is leaving in early April and we are really going to miss her. " Seema, Longfield                                                                                               

"The smart au pair service has been great throughout. I know four families who have used smart au pairs and none of us have been disappointed!" Name Withheld                                                                                                             

"Smartaupairs is a very professional and reliable agency that made me feel secure and confident about taking on an au pair for the first time. I would highly recommend their services to anyone." Victoria, London
                                                                                                              
"The service I have received from Smartaupairs has been excellent. The well thought out information and attention to detail has made smartaupairs stand head and shoulders above any other au pair agency I have ever dealt with." Jenny, Surrey
                                                                                                                

"We've had au pairs for a number of years but this was the first year I'd used Smart Au Pairs, having been let down by my previous agency. We're delighted with our au pair and I found Smart Au Pairs very efficient and helpful with a broad range of potential au pairs to choose from - I will be using you again. " Wendy, East Finchley                                                                                                            

"I've had a lot of au pairs before but this is the first time I've used smart aupairs and Alex, our au pair is one of the best au pairs we have had."  Kate, Salisbury

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All of our customers rated our website and written information excellent or good. Our verbal communications were rated excellent or good by 97% of our customers.

94% of our customers are highly likely to use our service again & recommend us to their friends.*

                    *The survey is based on 33 responses from a random selection of our host families.

Au Pair, Recommend Us to New Host Families - Earn £20 Amazon Voucher!

We believe that recommendations are the best way to find good new host families for future au pairs.

Do you know a really nice potential host family who you can recommend to use Smartaupairs? Do you meet parents at the nursery or at the school gate who ask you about a reputable au pair agency?

Why not spread the word?!

As soon as the family agree to host an au pair through our agency, we will send you a an e-voucher to spend on product(s) of your choice from Amazon.co.uk

And to make it even better, we want to give you a double bonus to get you started -

Any families confirmed with us by the end of April will be rewarded with a £20 voucher, after this time, we give you £10 per family.

NEW Excursions for Au Pairs - January - June 2009

This is the new excursion program covering January to June 2009.

In collaboration with International Friends and BAPAA we offer an extensive excursion program. You can choose from a range of itineraries for people visiting the UK and dedicated Aupair trips.

Au pairs can also book for a friend going with them at the discounted rate.

For most weekend day trips, pick-ups in London are from International Students House, Great Portland Street; pick-up points are available elsewhere for some trips.

BAPAA au pairs still receive a £10 discount on a variety of weekend day trips (BAPAA Specials), details of which are in the leaflet.

NB! BAPAA codes must be quoted to receive the discount (see details on the leaflet).

Download the excursion programme from here: Download BAPAA_Intl_Friends_Leaflet_January-June09

Weekend Day Trips For Au Pairs

7 February Wales & Wye Valley £39

28 February Cotswolds £39

14 March Oxford £39

29 March Salisbury & Stonehenge £39

4 April Canterbury £39

25 April Cambridge £39

9 May Winchester £39

31 May Leeds Castle & Rochester

Dickens Summer Festival £39

6 June Brighton £39

27 June Salisbury & Stonehenge £39

My time in England as an AU PAIR in a bilingual family!

My name is Franka and I am 21 years old.                

I decided to go to England, to improve my English skills. Like everyone normally does.
At first I wanted to do a practical training. But that was quite complicated, because most of the time, it is unpaid.
So I decided to become an au pair. In this way, you can be sure that you have a home, something to eat, and above all you get paid.
In school I chose French as my third language, but it wasn’t as good as my English was.

In the end I chose a bilingual host family. The children and the host parents were speaking French and English. My thought was, I can learn English in priority, and just listening in I will improve my French.
In the end of my 6 month stay, I think I can say I improved it.
I wasn’t speaking at all, but nevertheless I really improved my understanding skills.

For people who are thinking about becoming an au pair in a bilingual family I can say you won’t regret it. Though, you need some basic knowledge about the second language.

All in all it was an interesting experience, because you get to know two different cultures. You learn about the life in England, and traditional habits of the French.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.
Email: frankalaudahn@googlemail.com

Go to Smartaupairs: http://www.smartaupairs.com/aupair/

FREE Language Classes in Kent

Kent County Council provides a range of FREE English classes in the Kent area.

These "skills plus" courses will develop your skills by using materials and activities (including the use of IT) that most closely match your needs.

Most learning is in small groups but there is the opportunity to have extra individual support.

You can join at any time throughout the year for morning, afternoon or evening courses.

Skills Plus courses are provided in the following locations:

•    Gravesend Adult Education Centre
•    Tonbridge Adult Education Centre
•    St Faith's Street, Maidstone
•    Swanscombe Discovery Centre
•    Margate Adult Education Centre
•    The Forum, Sittingbourne
•    Swanley Library
•    The Ray Allen Centre - Stanhope, Ashford
•    High Street - Sheerness
•    Gateway Centre - Ashford
•    Dartford Adult Education Centre
•    Dover Discovery Centre

More information about FREE English language classes in

www.kentadulteducation.co.uk

Paediatric First Aid course (one day) for £90 - London

The course is specifically aimed at: parent, nanny, au-pair, baby sitter or a child minder.

You can book by visiting the web-page www.safetyteach.co.uk or by calling 020 8785 3117. Ask for Cameron to book a place.

Courses are taken at the new training centre opening in Wandsworth SW18 from February 09.

Lovely Au Pair Story from Maria (19)

Hello !

I started my adventure in England in September 2008. On the begining everything was new for me; my first travel by plane, first visit in England and first time so long abroad. I wasn't sure about my English although I've learnt this language for 8 years in Poland.
My family welcomed me very heartily; the first day I was very exited because we went to spanish restaurant together. I remember this day until today !
Day by day I got to know something new and now I'm really suprised I did so big step in my knowledge of English. My language course very helped me, I'm glad the teachers was so tolerant for all students (our various accents was really difficult to understand !).
After 5 months in England I know much more about this country, I've visited many cities very well known around the world. It was amazing to meet people from each part the world: China, Saudi Arabia, Panama, Columbia, South African Republic, USA, Australia ...
For about 2 months I'm coming back to Poland but I feel I don't want to leave my host family. I would like to get to know more about England, learn English better and make more friends. ...maybe I'll come England again ? :-) I'll see in the future.

Maria, 19

PS. I'm very happy that au-pair agency helped me in so many ways ! Thank you !

Give Us Your Story or Tip for Au Pairs

Dear Au Pair,

we would really like to hear your story or your tip(s) so that we can share them with other au pairs. Please post below as a comment and to be featured on our au pair blog.
(we reserve the right to edit and will remove all personal details in line with data protection)

Both families and au pairs always enjoy reading testimonials, case studies and stories from recent experiences.

English Courses at London Eurocentres - £25 discount voucher attached!

Eurocentres has successfully launched part time English courses specifically aimed at au pairs in two of their London Schools. 

Please find attachments with more information and a £25 discount voucher!

Part-time Courses at Eurocentres: next term 13th January 2009  

Only £299 per 12 week term plus a £40 enrolment fee (same prices as 2008!)

1. Next term starts 13th January 2009!
2. Students can start at any time
3. 3 day a week (1.5 hours a day Tuesday -  Thursday)
4. Lessons either at 10:30 - 12:00 or 12:30 - 14:00   
5. 2 London schools - London Central in Victoria and London Lee Green (near Blackheath)
6. Cambridge Exam Preparation, IELTS Preparation (both schools are IELTS testing centres) and General English
7. Students have free access to our Learning Centre - computer network with online study material, library, language laboratory etc
8. 60 years of English language teaching experience and one of the most recognised names in the EFL industry

Download £25 DISCOUNT VOUCHER

Download Eurocentres part-time timetable and fees 2009

Download JAN09 Eurocentres London schools - Victoria and Lee Green

Download Eurocentres part-time course discount voucher- January 2009

Download How to get to Eurocentres - guide for au pairs who are new to London

All information can also be found on the Eurocentres website – http://www.eurocentres.com/en/language_courses/Part-time_Courses,c278.html

Feedback

We received this lovely feedback from Jacqueline, about her male au pair Chris.

I am glad to say we are definitely NOT looking for a replacement au pair, Chris is simply fantastic.  He is without doubt the best au pair we have ever had.
 
I have no idea how we are going to replace him in April 09, not really looking forward to him going at all, nor are the children!
 
However, we will trust in you to find a suitable replacement when the time comes..

Jacqueline

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Feedback from host mum Samantha

Thank you for the folders which I received yesterday for both myself and Kate. I have to say the professionalism with which this has been dealt is fantastic and I want to thank you all for your hard work and commitment to ensuring that this au pair placement goes well.

Kind Regards

Samantha

Useful Web-pages for Online Learning

Improve your English as an au pair – Register with Smartaupairs: www.smartaupairs.com

BBC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/

Okey-Dokey

www.okey-dokey.co.uk

Connects you to almost every form of English learning you can imagine; grammar, audio, jokes, puzzles, exam tests, vocabulary and more.

English Club

www.englishclub.com

English club is one of the biggest ESL websites on the internet. Lots of grammar, listening, speaking, writing and vocabulary exercises and quizzes.

A nicely laid out site. The English teachers section has a comprehensive list of printable and online resources as well as level testing.

ESL-lounge

www.esl-lounge.com

Free ESL Lesson Materials for TEFL and TESOL teachers. Grammar, reading comprehension, worksheets, song lyrics, board games, pronunciation, flashcards, surveys, role plays and more.

Dave's ESL Cafe

www.daveseslcafe.com

Possibly the most famous ESL site. It has an active web board and info and materials for teachers but again, probably the biggest attraction is the busy job board.

ESL Teachers Board

www.eslteachersboard.com

Another international job board where teachers can post their resumes. It also has teaching materials and information on international travel.

General ESL websites:

Job boards, discussion boards, teaching materials, thousands of links to other sites.

Teaching & Learning Materials:

Sites specialising in providing materials for teachers & students.

ESL Printables

www.eslprintables.com

Thousands of ESL teachers sharing worksheets, lesson plans and other printables. Subscribe for free, send your contributions and start downloading. There are over 40000 printable resources to choose!

Timesavers For Teachers

www.timesaversforteachers.com

Printable teacher forms, checklists, worksheets, award certificates, passes, report card comments and lots of time-saving ideas.

ESL handouts

eslhandouts.com

Free printable and mp3 audio material . All materials are donated by teachers. The website is run by young teachers who are very open and responsive to your suggestions so do visit!

ESL Podcards

www.eslpodcards.com

A variety of audio and text material with mp3 and PDF files to download. The interactive crosswords are a particularly interesting feature. Take a look!

Jason-ism

www.jason-ism.com

ESL resource for role-plays, discussions and other activities. ESL job classifieds with photos of the schools and cities.

5 Minute English

www.5minuteenglish.com

Find hundreds of short, self-study English lessons and study tips for ESL learners.

Free Lesson Plans at Simplyesl

www.simplyesl.com

Specialising in Young learners, you're bound to find an ESL lesson plan for your next lesson at simplyesl.com! We have heaps of games and activities as well as lesson plans series. We also have downloadable PDF versions of our lesson plans.

Teaching ESL to Adults

An ESL tutor's website with resources for teaching adults ESL, including lesson plans, grammar tips, cloze exercises, English pronunciation tips, and ESL textbook evaluations.

 

Go to www.smartaupairs.com

Proud to help Demelza House Children’s Hospice

Smartaupairs is proud to help raise money and find volunteers to assist with events.

Last Sunday, six of our au pairs from Kent helped out at the Demelza Run at Leeds Castle. It was a very nice day and they were able to guide and encourage runners to ‘stay on track’. After the run, they were able to meet up and visit the beautiful Leeds Castle.

My own family contributed by running the race. My husband was brave enough to do the 10km whereas I opted for the 5km together with the children. It was a tough course, uphill and muddy in places but we had fun doing it and run almost all of the way.

Crossing the finish line was the best bit, the children were very proud of their medals and their oversized t-shirts. The atmosphere was great and many people were there for very personal reasons. We were delighted to help make a positive contribution!

 

Happy Host Family, Male Au Pair

Thought I would send you a little note about Christian.
Thank you for your help finding him.  He is the most wonderful Au Pair, he is genuine and honest and really wants to be a part of my family and he joins in with every aspect of our little world.  He is keen with his responsibilities and I often have to tell him to stop working as I don't want him doing as much as he is.
My children completely adore him already, he plays with them so well and is very mature when he he caring for them.
May I also say that by far your agency is the most professional I have dealt with over the years.
So, thank you again, and at last I can relax a little.

Best wishes
Kind regards
Jacqueline