University language centres consistently perform well, Melanie Butler reports

Universities love statistics, so they will be delighted to know that the inspection results for British Council accredited university language centres show a symmetric distribution pattern.

In plain English, this means their results group neatly together in a familiar bell curve, which indicates consistency. Their mean average result is eight net areas of strength, once areas needing improvement have been deducted. Eight is the most common score and half of all university language centres score eight or above.

By contrast, the distribution of scores for the industry as a whole are skewed by a group of under-performers. The industry mean average is four, but the most common result is three net strengths.

Only two accredited universities score below three and only six out of 41 score below the national mean average of five.

Universities make up less than one in twenty of accredited providers but there are two university language centres, Manchester and Liverpool, in the national top two per cent, with three more: Edge Hill, Brighton and King’s College London hard on their heels.