Page 13 - ELG1601 Mar Issue 434
P. 13
ELcentres of excellence
March 2016 Page 13
Management
Resources and environment Getting to
Teaching and learning
Welfare and student services
the point of
7/14
our stars
International House Aberdeen
Mullberry School of English (formerly Ectarc)
University of Birmingham Melanie Butler explains how we
calculate the points on which we
University of Chichester base our new banding system,
and how it relates to the British
Council’s inspection reports
7/15
Activate Learning, Reading College
he raw data for the qual- requests that the information in
Brighton International Summer School ity star system is based the report is not published. In
Tentirely on British Coun- this case its website publishes
cil inspections as reported in the name of the centre, noting it
Canterbury Christ Church University their summary statements. This needs re-inspection, but does not
information is in the public publish any of its scores.
domain. Since 2013 the sum- Stars are awarded in percen-
Centre of English Studies Oxford mary statements have appeared tile bands based on the quality
at the foot of the first page of a score that centres obtain. The
full report (or on the final page breakdown of the bands and the
Churchill House Summer Centres of spot-check reports), and all relevant percentiles are given
the reports are published on below:
www.britishcouncil.org/educa- Total number of British Coun-
City of Glasgow College
tion/accreditation/centres. cil accredited schools: 549*
A document containing a One star: Awarded to cen-
complete alphabetical list of tres which receive a score of
Devon School of English
all the current summary state- between -3 and 0. Number: 140
ments since 2010 by centre (25% of total**)
can be found on the British Two stars: Awarded to centres
EC London
Council website. It is updated which receive a score of between
regularly but the latest itera- 0.5 and 2.5. Number: 100 (18%
EF International Language School Cambridge tion can be found here: www. of total)
britishcouncil.org/sites/default/ Three stars: Awarded to cen-
files/a-z_feb_2016v3.pdf. tres which receive scores of
EF International Language School Bournemouth Each summary statement con- between 3 and 4.5. Number: 98
firms that the centre has met (18% of total)
the standards of the scheme. Four stars: Awarded to centres
Fettes Centre for Language & Culture In addition the British Council who receive scores of between
can award a point in an “area of 5 and 7.5. Number: 104 (19%
strength” in each of the follow- total)
Globe English Centre ing fourteen areas: Five stars: Awarded to centres
• staff management; student who receive scores of between 8
administration; quality assur- and 15. Number 107 (20% total)
Kaplan International Colleges Cambridge
ance; publicity (under the
Management criteria) * Does not include three
• premises and facilities; learn- centres which don’t permit the
Kaplan International Colleges Salisbury
ing resources (Resources and British Council to publish their
Environment) summary statements. The Brit-
• academic staff profile; academic ish Council withdrew this option
Keele University – the English Language Unit
management; course design; in 2012. We are approaching the
learner management; teaching British Council on how to repre-
Language in London (Teaching and Learning) sent these schools.
• care of students; accommo- ** Includes twenty centres
dation; leisure opportunities which have failed an element of
Language Studies International, London Central (Welfare and Student Services) inspection. The British Council
Centres taking under-18s does not permit the publication
can also be awarded a point of of their results until it has re-
Live Language strength in an extra (15th) area: inspected them. These centres
care of under-18s.* appear without their results and do
Inspectors can also note a not receive a star on our website.
Loughborough College “need for improvement” in up to
three of those fourteen or fifteen
areas (more than three needs for
Moreton Hall International Study Centre
improvement generally leads to
a failure at inspection).
The star system is based on
New School of English
a quality score. To calculate a
quality score for each school
inspected we simply count the
University of Salford School of Languages
number of strengths printed
in the summary statement and
Scarborough International School subtract any needs for improve-
ment. The average number of
strengths scored nationally is
SKOLA Newland College 3.75. Since all centres listed
meet the standards of the scheme
no additional points are given for
St Giles Highgate this. We add an extra half point
to centres which do not take
under-18s to differentiate them
TTI School of English positively from schools with the
same inspection score but with a
higher maximum-possible score.
University of Leeds Language Centre
If the British Council finds
serious cause for concern in
one or more of the main crite-
University of Sheffield ELTC
ria, the summary statement is
withdrawn until the centre is re-
inspected. The British Council
