Page 16 - ELG2309 Sep Issue 486

SPECIAL FEATURE .

Working out the rankings

Read on to see what we use to calculate the top UK language centres.

ur yearly rankings are based on all the British Council To calculate each centre’s score, the Gazette uses the information
reports as of 12 September 2023. given in the full inspection, or – in the case of a compliance inspection
British Council Inspections cover up to fifteen areas. In – the compliance report and the previous full inspection, and take the
O our rankings, each area is shown at the top of the table. For following steps:
each area, the inspectors award one of three judgements: 1. Take the total ‘areas of strength’ awarded on the last full report
 it is an area of strength (marked ‘1’). published.
 it has a need for improvement (marked ‘−1’). 2. Deduct the number of ‘needs for improvement’ on the full report.
 it meets the standard (blank). 3. Deduct any further ‘needs for improvement’ noted on a compliance
inspection.
To calculate a centre’s ranking score, the Gazette uses the most 4. Add four to the result in order to account for the full range of
recent full report published by the inspectors and checks the summary scores accepted for accreditation, which include 0 to −3.
statement on the first page. Each area is marked under a set number of 5. Divide the sum by the number of areas inspected, typically 15.
criteria ranging in number between 4 and 8. Each criterion is given one 6. Report the score as a number out of 10.
of three judgements: ‘not met’, ‘met’, or ‘strong’.
 An ‘area of strength’ is given where at least 50% of the criteria are For more on full versus compliance inspections, turn to page 21.
marked ‘strong’ and no single criterion is marked ‘not met’.
 A ‘need for improvement’ is given where 50% of criteria is marked
‘not met’.

Following COVID, two types of inspection are offered: a full
inspection and a compliance inspection. Compliance is different
from full in that inspectors only look at whether each criteria is ‘met’
or ‘not met’, and does not cover strengths. ‘Need for improvement’
in an area can be given, but they cannot receive a new ‘area of
strength’. That being said, an ‘area of strength’ awarded at the
previous inspection can be used.

English Language
BRISTOL

Centre Bristol

P AR T OF THE
CLIFT ON C OLLEGE
EDUCA TION GROUP

Experienced Teachers I High quality accommodation I Exciting social programme
General English I IELTS I Cambridge First I Cambridge Advanced I Cambridge Proficiency

16 September 2023