This has been really bugging me - I knew the term but couldn't think of it.

This is what we would say in the UK. It's very often used when people brush up their skills before going to art school for example.

I remember when people did this before going to medical school, it was referred to as pre-med.

Reading and the University
Reading is a town of about 140,000 inhabitants which is situated on the River Thames about 40 miles west of London and 30 miles from Oxford. It has excellent road and rail connections with other parts of Britain and is in easy reach of London's airports. It is close to the beautiful countryside of the Thames Valley, the Chiltern Hills and the Berkshire Downs.

The University of Reading was founded in 1892 and received its Charter to award its own degrees in 1926. It occupies a beautiful site less than two miles from the town centre. It is medium-sized by the standards of British universities, having about 12,000 students. A large proportion of students live in the university halls of residence on or close to the campus.

What sort of programme is the International Foundation Programme?
The International Foundation Programme is a one year access programme. It offers an opportunity to international students who do not possess British Advanced level qualifications or the equivalent, to gain admission to a degree course at the University of Reading, and, in some cases, at other British universities. The programme prepares you for undergraduate study in three ways:

it provides you with academic training.
it improves your English language abilities.
it prepares you for studying in the way that is necessary at a British university by helping you develop study skills, e.g. note-taking, essay-writing, use of library and other resources, working independently.