In a competitive market, wise customers consider the charms of the town or city they study in, and Mr Webb offers up Glasgow’s galleries “It’s a lively city, so much better,” he says. For those unfamiliar with the Edinburgh-Glasgow divide, that means as “so much better than Edinburgh”.The Courtauld Institute of Art in London also has architectural attractions; it is part of the magnificent Somerset House, on the Thames. Though the Courtauld’s overseas market is growing, most of its summer students are from Britain. This year, for the first time, the Courtauld offers study weekends in Bruges, Rome, Venice and Paris.For summer students who stay put at the institute, says the organiser Cecily Hennessy, the Courtauld offers site visits outside London as well as the experience of studying at an academic institution with a gallery attached. Eighteen courses cover everything from ancient to modern art.By far the greatest summer-school attraction for foreign children is the language school. Bell Educational Trust runs English courses for overseas children and adults in residential colleges and schools across the south of England.

Children, from age seven, are taught the language through a blend of formal learning and activity.Dr Diane Phillips, the head of academic management, is hoping for an easier year than 2001, when foot-and-mouth, the strong pound and BSE made things difficult. As she points out, the English-language summer school has to ensure its participants’ safety. Bell, whose courses are accredited by the British Council, has worked to correct misconceptions and dispel parental fears about their children’s safety in Britain. It aims to make sure that children go home happy to associate school and summer.. Next month will herald the start of a stressful summer for 16-year-old Anna Dobbie and thousands of sixth-formers like her. Anna is due to sit her AS-level exams, the controversial new qualification now in its second year.

However, she was horrified to discover that she must sit all but one of her papers in just over a week, and that they fall before the half-term traditionally used for revision “It is very worrying and disheartening,” says Anna. “My exams are so crammed together that there will be very little time to revise in between. The school is having to work very hard to get us through the syllabus in time.”Her classmates at Colchester County High School in Essex who are studying all three sciences have three papers scheduled for alternate days in the same week.Anna’s father, Will, a telecoms consultant, believes science students are being penalised. “Some schools may take a macho stance and assume their students can deal with anything,” he says.

“But why should the science students have a harder task than others?”I actually believe the introduction of the AS-levels is a good thing. The Government has, however, shown considerable weakness in the face of adverse comments about the first year of the exams.”Anna and her family are not alone in their concerns. Head teachers have warned that students have had their preparation time cut to worrying levels. Schools fear that many teachers will struggle to cover all the course material.