Page 22 - ELG2202 Feb Issue 479

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SUMMER SCHOOLS

Boar ding schools come up trumps
Boarding schools come up trumps

These institutions attract the best because they know what they’re

doing, says Melanie Butler

he British Council accredited boarding So, what gives boarding schools their
schools have survived the pandemic advantage? Put simply, it’s because looking
better than any other sector, judged after children 24 hours a day and giving them
Ton the number who have chosen, or an excellent education is what they do, all year
have been forced, to leave the accreditation round. Indeed, it’s what many, like St Edmund’s PHOTO WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
scheme. Just one, King’s College, St Ware and Harrow School, have been doing for
Michael’s, which catered exclusively to hundreds of years. But even the ‘newer ones’,
international students, closed its doors early like Concord College, a mere 70 years old,
in the first lockdown. But another, Kilgraston, and the King’s Education Group, consistently
in Scotland, has joined the scheme, although outscore the private language schools. Only a
its accreditation remains provisional while it few young-learner specialists give them a run
awaits its full inspection, scheduled to take for their money.
place, Covid permitting, this summer. It’s perfectly true that boarding-school-run
By contrast, the universities, with which the summer courses are not typically managed
boarding schools compete head to head for top by their year-round staff, though many,
performing sector in our ranking, have seen like Millfield, employ their summer-school Vaughan Library, Harrow School
seven of them opt out of EFL accreditation, management team year-round and attract staff
nearly 20% of the pre-pandemic total. back year after year. wild and invade the local pub. “Where were
The boarding schools have seen their And they do tend to attract better trained the teachers?” he fumed.
overall scores on the EL Gazette ranking drop and more experienced staff because, as we Probably asleep, I replied, since they were on
slightly to 7.5 strengths, putting them neck explain on page 23, they pay them better and duty 72 hours a week.
and neck with the universities and a standard work them fewer hours. “They don’t know what they’re doing!” he
deviation ahead of the private language sector Some years ago a furious boarding school thundered. “We’ve been looking after children
on average (although it should be noted that headteacher phoned the Gazette to complain since 1552 and we know they won’t be safe
the three top summer schools are not in the that the organisation to whom he had let his when their teachers are too tired to take care
boarding sector). school to for the summer had let the kids run of them.” Just so.

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*According to EL Gazette rankings based on British Council Inspectors’ publishable statements.
22 February 2022