Page 21 - ELG2109 Sep Issue 477

Top 100 UK Language Centres

PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK

Has Covid
Has Covid

weakened the

weakened the

chain school links?
chain school links?

Melanie Butler examines the results of the chains for strengths

and consistency

alculating the rankings for chain schools has become more both of which still have more than six or more branded UK schools.
difficult during the time of Covid. In fact, 43% of schools which Eurocentres, which has seen two changes of ownership, also scores 10,
are no longer on the British Council list belonged to chains: with all four schools within four points of each other.
C two chains are now left with only two year-round schools and
no longer qualify for our grid, while one has, as we understand it, had its
accreditation suspended pending review. Name 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 WD
We also have three chain owners and two school mergers where
each remaining school now has two different sets of inspection results. Bell ** **
Despite the fact that there have been no new fill inspections since CES * ** * *
early 2020, our chain rankings have changed. EC * *** *
As you can see from the grid, we have made some changes to who EF * * ** **
we include under a chain. To avoid confusion, we only include schools **
with the same brand name, so schools branded OISE not Regent, for ELC * * *
example. And we use the inspection report for the school with that Eur* ** * M
brand name in the case of a merger. Kap * * ** *** ** *
With chain rankings, most focus not only on the average score but also Kings * *** *
on the consistency of their outcomes. The standard deviation across all
schools is three net strengths on inspection, so TEG, for example, which LSI ** **
aims at the value end of the market, does just as well on consistency as St G *** * **
our top chain overall, the not-for-profit The English Language Centre Staff ** ** *
Group. Both operate only in the UK and, in UK hotel terms, TEG is the Ox * * ** *
ever-popular Premier Inn while the three schools in the ELC group are Int
the equivalent of Claridge’s, The Connaught and The Berkely. Previously OHI * * *
independent, they are now owned by the Maybourne Group. OISE M* * *
Of the international chains, the best performer, in terms of both TEG* * * *
average score on inspection and consistency, is EC. The Maltese-owned
chain stands with five schools scoring an average of 11 net strengths Key
and all within a three point band. Bell hits the same average score, but *Under new ownership / *Year-round centre / *Junior operation /
has a five point gap between its top two schools and the others. M merger of two schools / WD Results withdrawn, accreditation under
Our other star is EF, with eight schools scoring an average of 10.05, review / ELC The English Language Centre Group / EUR Eurocentres /
all in a four point range, which puts it ahead of the two other brands, Kap Kaplan / LSI Language Studies International (does not include LSI
Portsmouth) / OHI Oxford House International / Ox Int: Oxford International.
editorial@elgazette.com 21