Page 17 - ELG2003 Mar Issue 469

El•Gazette 469.qxp_El•Gazette 469 25/02/2020 21:50 Page 17

UK LANGUAGE CENTRES

An unexpected bonus? Contents

To help differentiate our very top centres SPLIT DECISION
we’ve been diving deep in the data, as ELT now has two markets,
Melanie Butler explains 18 so we have two rankings

ore language centres have received more areas of
strength from the British Council Inspectors than ever CHAIN CHALLENGE
before. But now, so many centres have the same How consistently good
Mnumber of areas of strengths, that it has been difficult 19 are school group results?
to differentiate them. One way is to split the rankings. But how to
split them?
With under-16s making up nearly half of all language students UNDER-16s RANKINGS
coming to the UK, we have decided to give them a ranking of their
own. After all, that is the norm in educational rankings. The EL Adding value with welfare
Gazette ranking has been the only one which combines centres that 20 and safeguarding
teach English to children with universities!
So, we now offer two rankings. The first for young-learner
specialists (though some offer adult courses as well) and the other JUDGING JUNIORS
for centres catering for adult learners. Analysis of under-16s results,
To further differentiate providers, we looked for added value. For 22 boarding school bonus
young-learner specialists the choice was obvious: welfare and
safeguarding, a paramount concern when it comes to children who
will be living away from their families. And it is also an area in
which, due in part to the British Council Inspection rules, where the
UK probably leads the ELT world.

If you’re signing up for a course
at anything claiming to be a ‘school’
you are probably expecting to learn
something.

We have given bonus points for five areas, using the detailed data
in the inspection reports. To see what we’ve done and how we’ve
done it turn to page 20.
We have placed providers with the same score based on the
summary statement areas of strength in the same percentile band. But
rather than arbitrarily following alphabetical order, we have listed tied 22
centres according to the number of bonus points they’ve obtained.
The differences are slight, and a difference of less than 0.20 on
the bonus point total is unlikely to be statistically significant, but it
still highlights differences between one provider and another when
it comes to caring for children. TOP SUMMER TIPS
But how do you measure added value in courses for over-16s? The Mark Greenow on keeping
stock industry reply is to look at the ‘learner experience’, which is 23 key stakeholders onside
fine if you think the main aim is for the students to have a good time.
Our position, however, is if you’re signing up for a course at
anything claiming to be a ‘school’ you are probably expecting to OVER-16s RANKINGS
learn something. So, the learning experience is what we have Top schools score more for
focussed on. 24 Teaching and Learning
As you will see on page 25, we have used the data in the category
of teaching and learning. And, for the first time, we have made one
adjustment to the British Council system: the inspectors do not DEGREE OF DIFFERENCE
award a strength to centres where all teachers meet the criteria that Do graduate teachers improve
they should be educated to degree level or have an EFL diploma at 25 student outcomes?
postgraduate level.
We have awarded an extra strength to the roughly 50 centres who
have met this requirement in full. In this area, the UK doesn’t lead
the world. In fact, it lags behind the US, Australia, Canada and ADULT ANALYSIS
Ireland. We are not saying all teachers should be graduates, but Who does best with
those that aren’t should complete a diploma. 27 over-16s?
Before you send us an e-mail asking what evidence we have for
gainsaying the British Council, please read the article about the
impact of graduate teachers on student outcomes on page 25. CASE STUDY
Concord College celebrates
MELANIE BUTLER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
28 40 years of summer schools
editorial@elgazette.com 17