Page 9 - ELG1601 Mar Issue 434

ELcentres of excellence
March 2016 Page 9

Multilingual and online:

excellence is evolving

Melanie Butler explains how the EL Gazette’s Centres of Excellence
listings have reached a milestone with a new consumer-based website

his issue of the Gazette
marks two significant
Tevents in the life of our
rankings. For the first time the
results will be available in four
languages online on our new
consumer website www.el-go.
com. It is also the last time that
some results will appear using
the format of the old British
Council inspections scheme by
which schools were awarded
points of excellence rather than
areas of strength. The last three
Centres of Excellence under the
old system appear alongside this
article in a blue box. The Centres
of Excellence inspected under
the new system appear below
and on the following four pages
in pink boxes.
A number of differences have Courtesy valcker
emerged with the introduction of
the new system. For example,
under the old system 40 per cent QUALITY EXPERIENCE Three of our four fastest-rising Centres of Excellence are based in Brighton
of schools received no points of
excellence, of which around 10 new entrants to our Centres of family group Centre of English Ten, the Gazette’s top associa-
per cent were listed as having Excellence reveals more chain Studies making its debut. With tion, are now featured.
points for improvement. Nowa- schools doing well, with EC, EF, Torquay International and the Congratulations to everybody
days only 11 per cent are ‘plain British Study Centres, Stafford Eastbourne School of English here, and check out their entries
vanilla’ schools given no areas House and Kings all recording both becoming Centres of Excel- on www.el-go.com. n
of strength and no needs for new entrants, and Irish-based lence, all the member schools of
improvement. If we include cen-
tres which score zero or below
once their weaknesses have Old inspection system
been deducted, the figure rises
to just below 25 per cent, includ- Language Specialists International, Portsmouth
ing approximately 4 per cent of 8 points of excellence: aspects of general management;
centres whose accreditation is premises; academic resources; self-access facilities; academic
currently under review. management; course design; pastoral care; accommodation
The good news is that more
schools are awarded an area of Embassy English Brighton
strength in the present system 5 points of excellence: aspects of management; premises; academic
and more schools are gaining resources; aspects of academic management; aspects of welfare
more strengths. As a rule of
thumb, an excellence in the UCL Centre for Languages in International Education
old system is equivalent to 1.5 5 points of excellence: general management; self-access
strengths. However, where there facilities; academic management; teaching; course design
were only 13 per cent of centres
with five points or more under
the old system there are over 20
per cent under the new. Fastest risers (new system)
One reason is that the new
system is much easier to under- NILE
stand – if you are awarded a University of Brighton
strength in the majority of sub- ELC Brighton
criteria in any area you will get St Giles Brighton
an area of strength. This system
is far more user-friendly than the
old, under which you could be New Centres of Excellence
awarded aspects of criteria.
Another reason for the
improvement in scores may 12/15 points of strength
simply be that they are being EF International Oxford
published. The Gazette has Sherborne International Vacation Courses
been publishing the results of 11/15
the publishable statements, or British Study Centres Brighton
summary statements as they are Stafford House Canterbury
10/14
now known, for at least seven
years. The British Council has London School of English Canterbury
10/15
been putting full reports into
the public domain since 2013. EF International Roupell Street London
According to the economist Milton Keynes College
Tim Harford, research shows Torquay International
9/14
that putting results in the public
domain always tends to improve University of Central Lancashire
9/15
them. It is pressure from clients
and competitors which forces English Experience Norwich
standards up. 8/15
Brighton grabs most of the Anglolang
glory in our fastest risers, with Eastbourne School of English
the English Language Centres, EC Manchester
St Giles and the University all Exsportise Limited
steaming up the rankings – but King’s London
pipped at the post by Nile in Lewis school of English Junior Centres
Norwich, which is now in joint Studio Cambridge
second position nationally with University of Chichester
14 points out of 15. 7/15
Meanwhile an analysis of the Centre for English Studies Oxford