Page 20 - ELG2003 Mar Issue 469

El•Gazette 469.qxp_El•Gazette 469 25/02/2020 21:51 Page 20

UK TOP SCHOOLS 2020 .

Top for under-16s

Melanie Butler explains the ranking of MILLFIELD ENTERPRISES
language centres for young learners

anguage centres for young learners are the fastest-growing sector
in UK EFL, now accounting for 30 per cent of all accredited
Lprovision.
By language centres for young learners we do not, of course, mean
that all of them only teach under-16s. Four of the top centres for
under-16s are also EL Gazette Centres of Excellence for adults:
Sidmouth International School, St Giles Highgate, St Clare’s Oxford
and IH London. The main area in which provision for under-16s differs from that of
An increasing number of adult language schools also offer courses adults is the level of Safeguarding of Under 18s; the three areas under
to under-16s. However, in this ranking we only include centres which Welfare and Student Services are also key for this age group. We have
had a majority, or significant minority, of under-16s enrolled at the also looked at the area of Premises and Facilities, which also impacts on
time of their last inspection. student well-being.
Thirty-three accredited language centres which focus on under-16s So, we have weighted the scores by assigning a maximum of six
now receive an area of strength in more than half of the 15 areas bonus points for the criteria covered under these headings.
under which they are inspected. That means that the top 25 per cent Differences in bonus points are used to show slight differences
of YL centres are squashed into just six bands. So how can we tell under these categories and do not affect the overall ranking score
them apart? of each centre.
The bonus points are based on the number of individual criteria
marked as a strength on the British Council report in the areas we
.&.#&3
have put under the spotlight, as well as one bonus point for getting
strengths in each of these areas in the summary statement.
A strength is deducted for any criterion in a given area which is
judged as Not met. The British Council place particular emphasis on
the importance of meeting every criteria, and one judgement of Not
met means an area of strength will not be awarded by the inspectors in
the summary statement.
If any of the individual criteria in one area are not applicable to the
3&4*%&/5*"- school in question, the school would have a lower possible maximum.
&/(-*4) -"/(6"(& $0634&4 The number of criteria in a given area can also vary from year to year.
For example, in 2017, centres could be awarded strengths in just two
'PS BHFT BU )VSTU $PMMFHF OFBS #SJHIUPO &OHMBOE of the five criteria in the area of Academic Staff Profile. Since 2018,
three out of four criteria can be marked as strong.
To iron out statistical differences, we calculated all results as a
percentage of available criteria for each area reported across the same
base number. This does not entirely eliminate the statistical
discrepancy and so differences of less than 0.2 are unlikely to be
significant.

)VSTU $PMMFHF JT B TBGF DPNGPSUBCMF BOE GSJFOEMZ FOWJSPONFOU
Reading the reports
*.1307&
ZPVS &OHMJTI You can see how the system works by looking at the extract below
MBOHVBHF from a 2017 report. There are eight criteria in this area but two are
TLJMMT marked N/A under Strength, which means a strength cannot be
marked.
In this example, a strength is marked for three out of the six
applicable areas, which is fifty per cent. This means it is eligible to
%*4$07&3 be awarded an area of strength in the summary statement.
&OHMBOEhT However, one criteria is marked Not met, so a point is deducted
UPVSJTU from the strengths in this area, giving a net of 2 out of 6.
EFTUJOBUJPOT

&/+0: TQPSU
BSU EBODF BOE
NVTJD BDUJWJUJFT

www.manorcourses.co.uk

20 March 2020