Page 11 - ELG1601 Jun Issue 437

June ELquality analysis Page iii

How good are the groups?

Melanie Butler shows how you can check the consistency of

school groups by using benchmarks based on the range of results

LARGE GROUPS: The consist- based on British Council inspec- SMALL GROUPS: The Euro- deviation. Language Studies Inter-
ency benchmark is The English tions, and their median score is 13. centres chain is the benchmark for national (LSI) is the closest to this
Network (TEN), which is not Kaplan has a profile closest to groups of five schools or fewer. benchmark and, with two of its
a chain or franchise group but the benchmark, with all ten of its Its astonishing consistency, four four schools due for re-inspection
an association of independently schools in an eight-point range, schools with a 13-point score this year (as shown by the circles),
owned schools. Its consistency a median score of 8.5 and half in and one just three points lower, it may improve its median average
is shown by the fact that all ten the top 20 per cent, making them is in part due to the fact that all score. St Giles currently has the
of the member schools fit within consistently good to excellent. the schools were inspected in highest median score, generally
a range of eight points, which is EF, nearly half of whose schools the same year following a major a good measure of consistency,
a normal distribution range. All are five-star, has a wider spread standardisation project. and with the outlier from its other
score between 8 and 15 points, of results. Both EC and Embassy To achieve consistency, a small high-scoring schools due for re-
putting them in the top 20 per cent have consistency of range but a group of schools should all score inspection its consistency range
of language centres in the country, lower median score. n within four points, or one standard should improve. n

ELgo star ranking
(adult provision only)
Large groups W -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Number of strengths in British Council inspection (W=withdrawn, negative=need for improvement)
Benchmark:
The English
Network (TEN)
(median = 13)

Kaplan (8.5)

EF (7)
EC (5.5)

Embassy (5)
OISE (1)

Small groups
Benchmark:
Eurocentres (13)

St Giles (8.5)
Language Studies Key
International (LSI) (6)
= single school
Experience = school due for
English (4) re-inspection

Strength in separate sectors

Melanie Butler compares state and private adult provision in UK ELT

he British Council inspec- much higher mode score than the in academic English open to all two top universities, Brighton
tion scheme is unique in private language schools. Indeed students, tend to charge no more and Leeds Beckett, are part of
Tthat it inspects English at four stars, between five and than the average cost per hour, the wave of new universities
language provision across a seven points of strength, they are according to research by ELgo. which concentrate on teaching,
wide range of institution types. one standard deviation above the There is no correlation between while the lowest scoring univer-
For those placing adult students, mode score in the private adult the overall ranking of the uni- sity language centre, Warwick,
there are two sectors which stand sector. The universities, many versity and the quality of its is a high-ranking Russell Group
out as having a stronger quality of which run year-long courses English language teaching – the member. n
profile: state further education
(FE) colleges, which concen- Distribution of BC-accredited language centres
trate on vocational education,
and university language centres. private sector University Language
There are just over fifty FE 20 Centres
colleges, specialising in voca- 100 19 FE Colleges
tional training for students aged 18
over sixteen, in the inspection 90 17
scheme. Compared with pri- 16
vate language centres, whose 80 15
profile (left) shows the most 14
common score in the ELgo 70 13
ranking is one star, meaning 12 Number of schools
they scored no strengths on 60
inspection, the colleges show Number of schools 11
a regular distribution curve, 50 10
with the largest number reach- 9
ing three stars, between three 40 8
and four strengths, and exactly 7
equal numbers above and below 30 6
this median point. The colleges, 5
which mostly offer courses of a 20 4
term or longer, are notable for 3
their low prices and generally 10 2
offer excellent value for money, 1
while the colleges at the top 0 0
of the quality range are hidden
gems of British ELT provision.
There are some fifty British
university language centres and,
as the graph shows, they have a

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