Page 7 - ELG1601 Aug-Sep Issue 439

Elrankings 2016

An EL Gazette supplement
The evolving face

of ELT in the UK

Only 52 per cent of British- ers are said to be interested in
Council-inspected language CESC and its separately accred-
centres are traditional lan- ited summer school operation.
guage schools, Gazette analysis Overall, though, the stand-
reveals (see page ix), and over alone language school scores less
half of such are now members well on average than the aver-
of chains. The classic language- age chain school, though they
school model, privately owned are likely to be both cheaper and
or run by an educational char- more prone to collapse, with at
ity, offers courses for over-16s least three gone this year. But
all year round and runs junior even among the chains it is well-
programmes in the summer and, established schools that dominate
increasingly, for closed groups the rankings: Eurocentres, Bell,
year-round. This has come under St Giles, EF and Kaplan – the lat-
increasing pressure in recent ter being a relative newcomer in
years, as UK enrolments have the UK although it has long been Courtesy Mulberry School of English
fallen and the proportion of a major player in the US. One
over-16s choosing to study in the of the newer contenders, British
country has fallen to around 50 Study Centres, has recently been
per cent of the market. sold to the Irish-based venture
Despite the increasing market capitalists behind the Real Expe-
share taken by summer school rience Group, and will be merged Mulberry on the march as Wales sees ELT boost
specialists and state-sector play- with the newish chain of language
ers in the further and higher schools made up of old favourites The highest-ranking language centre in Wales (see page v in this supplement), the Mulberry School of English,
education sector, long-estab- like Hampstead School of Eng- celebrated its rebranding with town crier Austin Chemenais, guest Sysan Elan Jones MP and Huan Japes, deputy
lished language schools still lish, which it recently acquired chief executive of English UK, the trade association of UK English language teaching. Students and guests then
dominate the EL Gazette rank- from travel giant Tui. Only three joined in the International Eisteddford parade. Wales was the only region of Britain to see growth in ELT
ings published here, coming of the schools in the nine-strong enrolments in 2015 and, following the success of its football team in the European Championships, is looking to
in just below boarding schools group are currently EL Gazette see its market share grow. ‘Wales is having a moment,’ Mulberry’s Vincent Iannucci told the Gazette.
as the top-scoring sector based Centres of Excellence, and one,
on British Council inspection British Study Centres Summer
reports, but the failure of Col- Schools, has never been accred- fee income according to some
chester English Study Centre ited by the British Council. industry insiders. This can result
(CESC), a historic name which Some chains have responded in falling quality standards
went into administration this to adverse market conditions as money available for hiring
summer, shows they are not by increasing their commission teachers and securing facilities
immune from market woes. Buy- to agents, up to 50 per cent of is hit. n

Catch a rising star

THE EL Gazette has been pub- their inspection reports, and all use a need for improvement. It does
lishing its rankings for the last different reporting systems. Only not note a simple pass with no
seven years. Many things have the British Council inspection needs for improvements. Eighty
changed in this time: the British system, however, covers all the per cent of accredited schools
Council has changed the way it sectors, and while not all English achieve at least one strength,
records the results of its inspec- language course providers choose while only 20 per cent currently
tions, full reports are published this accreditation, it remains the receive a need for improvement.
on all schools and the average largest accreditation system for To calculate a centre’s
score of centres has increased language courses in the world. score we deduct any needs for
dramatically. This means the Currently Britain is the only improvement from its total num-
number of EL Gazette Centres country in the English-speaking ber of strengths. To rank it we
of Excellence has increased – world to publish all its inspec- calculate what percentage of
all of the current award winners tion reports for language courses. available strengths it receives of
are listed on pages v–viii. Since Since 2013 the British Council the total for which it was eligi-
the beginning of this year the has published the entire report, but ble, fourteen or fifteen. We rank
rankings of all 500+ accredited the EL Gazette system remains them according to these scores.
centres can be found on our sister based on the summary statement So far only one centre, Wim-
website www.el-go.com. from these reports because it is bledon School of English, has
One thing has not changed the only information which is received a perfect score, and
however – the EL Gazette available for all language centres only a handful have received
Centres of Excellence award which have passed their most twelve points or more. However
remains the only ranking sys- recent inspection. Accredited cen- an increasing number of centres
tem of British language centres tres which have failed their last have made it into our Centres
based on the results of British inspection have their summary of Excellence listing – over 8
Council inspections. statement withdrawn and must per cent of all language schools,
The main reason we use the be re-inspected. A full list of all for example, now score seven
British Council inspection reports summary statements is published points.
is that this system, which comes in pdf format on the British Coun- Over 35 per cent of centres
under the Accreditation UK cil website www.britishcouncil. now score seven points or more,
scheme, covers the complete org/education/accreditation/ while over 50 per cent score
range of language centres – from information-students-agents/ four or lower. Where there is
private language schools to state- accreditation-inspections. a shortage is among those that
sector colleges and universities, The summary statements pub- come just below the Centres of
from summer school specialists lish the results in fifteen areas, Excellence, making five or six
to boarding schools. There are one of which, care of under- points. This is the most common
six other government-recognised 18s, only covers schools which score for centres which are on an
inspection schemes for language teach this age group. The state- upward trajectory and also offers
schools in the UK and another ment notes every area in which many of the best-value schools
eight systems of educational a centre has been awarded a based on price. We call these our
inspection which cover schools strength. It also notes every area rising stars, and for the first time
and colleges offering English lan- in which the centre has not met this month we are listing them in
guage courses. They all publish the expected level and is given our annual ranking. n

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