Language courses for au pairs

[Millarkie]

How much help do you give an au pair in finding an english language course?
'Favorite au pair applicant' has (in my opinion) good english (have spoken to her on the phone ok) but wants to improve her grammar since she needs to pass an exam (she failed the exam this year).
There are a lot of language schools in a near(ish)by town with a range of courses (and enormous expense -cheapest is £150 per week for 15 hours tuition). Should I ring round the schools and see what they recommend or just email some links to au pair and let her do the leg-work. And is this normal for course fees - does anyone pay towards the courses?
Thank you.

My aupair gets free language courses courtesy of our local adult education service.

Are the free courses at any particular level? Do I ring the adult education people to get a list or something??

(I had heard that they existed but not sure where they would be in this area - I only moved here a year ago and am still finding out where things are).

You are my au pair guru you know!

OK, think I've found some free courses, will give them a ring and find out if au pair qualifies..
Thanks

Millarkie... my Ap's used to get free courses (we're in Kent) but now get subsidised instead. It costs about £150 for the term, (6 hours a week over 2 mornings) Go to County Adult Education, skills for life department or EFL
However,..
I got a new AP this week and I can't get her on a course until Sept!

Thanks Ingles - this ap will be starting the end of August - if she doesn't turn us down in the meantime... and so would be ideal for a september start - if I can identify the right course for her. I've googled 2 out of 3 county education services (we are right on the border of 3 countys) and have found a couple of cheap courses..but so far they all have awkward times (either 9-3pm or 6-9pm) which don't allow for her to be in the house at school home-time (which is the only reason we want an ap!).
The private courses have much better timing, but eye-wateringly expensive.

This ap can only stay til Jan/Feb so I'm even more worried about trying to recruit the next one and get them on a course...trying to tell myself that the benefits will outweigh the hassle and trying hard not to be swayed by the recent horrid ap threads

Millarkie,.. you don't have to pay for English courses btw, that's AP's responsibility. Usually the council runs an evening course 7-9 or weekend as well.
Harrass the college I've found that most are not at all helpful. Also ask for the registration forms for your AP now. If you leave it until Aug/Sept she wont get a course until Jan at the earliest

Thanks Ingles - I emailed the ap last night with the different options (thinking that since she'll be paying she can make a choice - I just feel sorry for her since I'm not paying her vast amounts (can't bring myself to offer more than £65 since I really only need 5 hours of child watching per week and no cleaning etc - will pay for some extras of course).
We are in a village so we have to add on the travel time for her to get to the course (ie. 7pm start would be ok but 6.30 not possible)
Dh is getting daft, he said that we could put the kids in afterschool club so ap could do the 9-3pm course...the whole reason we want an ap is so that the kids don't have to go to afterschool club.

I just googled the third local county 'adult education services' and got an advert for an escort agency !!

My ap goes to classes at a private language school. The free or subsidised classes all start in September here, and as she only started with us in October, they were all full. However, the school does a special rate for ap's of £4 per hour. They have 9-12 classes, or 6-8pm. So, it might be worth a ring round to those types of school?

Can you reserve a place on a course without knowing the ap's details? Would prob vary from place to place I suppose anyway.

Thanks Laura - I am waiting to for ap number 1 to decide whether she wants to come to us or another family - will wait for her decision before I ring round I think.
Have started negotiations with another now though