History of St Giles

History of St Giles

St Giles International was founded in 1955 by Paul Lindsay and his wife Diana. Paul trained to be a teacher and started his career teaching English and French to native English speakers at a north London polytechnic.

Wanting to earn some more money for his upcoming marriage, he took a summer job at an English language school on Oxford Street. The school was bursting at its seams with foreign students and he was excited by the demand for learning English. So he saved up £100 and rented a small room in a back street of Soho, London, and launched a school of English.

Since then, St Giles has grown into an international organisation with 6 year-round centres in the UK and Canada, as well as Junior Summer Courses in the UK.

Paul Lindsay, the founder of St Giles, said “We were established a long time ago, but I am very pleased that all of the St Giles centres are today up-to-date and young in outlook, with vigorous lively teachers and administrative staff. Although we have all the latest electronic equipment, interactive whiteboards in the classrooms, self-access centres, new digital Language Labs, we haven’t overlooked the importance of good teaching. Our teachers are constantly updating their commitment to learner-centred learning and therefore the top priority of putting the student’s needs first.

We have every right to be proud of our high standards and our reputation. It is to the great credit of Mark Lindsay and all our wonderful staff that St Giles is celebrating its 65th anniversary. We look forward to many more anniversaries!”

1955

Founded

First St Giles School of Languages opens in Soho, London

1969

Brighton School

St Giles opens second centre in Brighton

1975

London Highgate

St Giles Highgate opens in North London

1978

Eastbourne

St Giles Eastbourne is founded

1982

San Francisco

First overseas branch opens in San Francisco, USA

1987

Central London

St Giles London Central is opened

2001

Brazil

St Giles opens its first centre in Brazil

2005

Junior Summer

Junior Summer operations opens

2006

Vancouver

St Giles acquires a centre in Vancouver

2011

New York City

New Your City year - round centre opens on Fifth Avenue 

2015

Queen’s Award

St Giles International receives the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade

2018

Cambridge

St Giles opens in Cambridge

2024

Easter Junior Camp

St Giles launches its first Easter Junior camp