Page 26 - ELG2011 Nov Issue 473

YOUNG LEARNERS SPECIAL . SPECIAL FEATURE

Summing up summer schools

Under-16 specialists are the safest bet, says Melanie Butler

hen it comes to UK summer ISCA
school operations, it pays to
check the British Council
Wreports: 70 per cent of summer
schools are awarded fewer areas of strength
than the industry average, and just 30 per
cent score the industry average or above, all
of them on the ranking opposite.
The mixed results continue when it comes
to the welfare areas we use to give bonus
points for young learner operations. The two
highest performers in our young learner
rankings, with 5.5 out of a possible 6 bonus Family-run Isca specialises in teaching teenagers
points, are both summer schools: Discovery
Summer and Wimbledon School of English Four stand-alone language schools appear ranking are the family-run summer schools,
Juniors. On average, summer schools score in our listing, or five if we count Bell, which perhaps unsurprising since, in British
lower on welfare than boarding schools (page is really a mini-chain. In fact, Bell is the only education, private junior schools, known as
29), but higher than the year-round organisation which has a ranking year-round prep schools, have traditionally been run by
providers. young learners’ school as well as a summer members of the same family for many years.
Summer schools run by under-16s school. But then, their founder, Frank Bell, At least two summer operations, Manor
specialists tend to do best. Summer Boarding, always put as much emphasis on under-16s as Courses and Cambridge Language and
which has a perfect score, is one of five adults. Indeed, he also owned Concord Activity Centres, are run by the second
multi-centre operators in our ranking, but College, one of our best-ranking boarding generation, while the principal of our top-
when it comes to the big chains, only two schools, though that is now a charitable trust ranking family school, Isca in Devon, is the
make it in: BSC and Oxford International’s with no connection to the language schools. founders’ granddaughter (see Case Study
Bucksmore. However, the best performing group in this opposite).

Learn English at the top

family-run school in the UK*

2021: We are celebrating our 55th year

teaching English at our school in Exeter!

Summer English Courses for Teenagers
3 week FCE Summer Courses
School and College Groups

Our English learners:
• study in small classes with our qualified, experienced
teachers
• become confident English learners Case Study: Isca School of English, Devon
• develop global and leadership skills ISCA
• live with our friendly host families for a truly immersive
experience arah Tomlinson, principal of Isca, unerring memory for every student. “Many of
• enjoy our exciting excursions, activities and sports grew up next door to the family school them come back to visit. The minute they
• make new international friends for life she now runs. “I remember as a child walk in, he remembers their name.”
Swatching my grandmother making Like her Dad, Sarah is a born teacher and
bread. She did all the cooking for students.” linguist. “Teaching EFL in Spain and then
Please get in touch with us for more information: In 1979, her father Richard, a French French and Spanish in British secondary
Isca School of English +44 1392 255342 teacher, took over as principal, while her schools, I always loved teaching teenagers,”
4 Mount Radford Crescent study@iscaschool.com mother Jo ran welfare. “I remember her even before her father asked her to come
Exeter EX2 4EN www.iscaschool.com interviewing host families, asking herself, back and, eventually, take over at Isca. Her
‘Would I be happy for my children to live Spanish husband, Javier Diez, runs the office, Sarah, Jo and Richard Tomlinson
here?’” her siblings help out.
*EL Gazette Rankings based on British Council inspection report Her father, “the soul of the school,” had a The school will be 55 years-old next year. study. “Their grandmother had studied here
passion for language teaching and an Recently, some German twins arrived to and then their mother!” It’s all about family.

26 November 2020 editorial@elgazette.com 27