Nearly 20 UK language centres will not re-open until next year, according to information on the British Council website, including 12 summer school operations. The websites of some of the named schools, however, do not include this information.
Nor is the information included in the summary statements listing. Instead it appears on the A-Z website of accredited centres which houses the full published inspection reports (https://www.britishcouncil.org/education/accreditation/centres) which simply carries the message [Currently closed, re-opening 2023].
Relatively few summer providers have closed permanently since 2020, with Absolutely English, Thames Valley and EJO among the best known. Research on Companies House suggests that most were trading very profitably before the pandemic, although many had few fixed assets – as low as £14 in one case – and little or no money listed under reserves. So far only two boarding school-run summer schools, Windermere and Stonar, appear to have left the market – or at least the accreditation scheme.
The following summer operations are currently closed until 2023, according to the British Council. Those marked * still seem to be open, according to their websites: Cambridge Academy of English Summer Courses for Young Learners*, Cambridge Centre for Languages*, Echo Language School, Etherton Education, Manor Courses, ICS, MLI UK*, Oxford Summer*, Summers Abroad, UK 2 Learn and Weymouth English Centre.
In addition, the Christian English Language School is running its summer schools in conjunction with Bournemouth Schools of English. According to the school’s website, the decision has been taken to close the year-round operation permanently. Another Christian school, Olivet in Brighton, is no longer listed by the British Council as accredited, although it still appears to be trading.
The year-round centres noted by the British Council as re-opening in 2023 are: Imperial English, Intensive School of English Brighton*, London Language Foundation*, Mayfair School of English (no website available), Nottingham College English courses for International students*, Purley School of English* and University of Greenwich Language Centre.
