Inspection report. Inspection date January 2015

Transcription

1 Inspection report Organisation name Capital School of English, Cardiff Inspection date January 2015 Section standard Met Not met Management: The management of the provision will operate to the benefit of its students, in accordance with its publicity and in accordance with the Declaration of legal and regulatory compliance. Resources and environment: The learning resources and environment will support and enhance the studies of students enrolled with the provider, and will offer an appropriate professional environment for staff. Teaching and learning: Teachers will have appropriate qualifications and will be given sufficient support to ensure that their teaching meets the needs of their students. Programmes of learning will be managed for the benefit of students. The teaching observed will meet the requirements of the Scheme. Welfare and student services: The needs of students for security, pastoral care, information and leisure activities will be met; any accommodation provided will be suitable; the management of the accommodation systems will work to the benefit of students. Care of under 18s section Met Not met There will be appropriate provision for the safeguarding of students under the age of 18 within the organisation and in any leisure activities or accommodation provided. Recommendation We recommend accreditation with a spot check in the first 18 months. Summary statement The British Council inspected and accredited Capital School of English, Cardiff, in January The Accreditation Scheme assesses the standards of management, resources and premises, teaching, welfare and care of under 18s and accredits organisations which meet the overall standard in each area inspected (see for details). This small private language school offers courses in general English for adults (16+) and for closed groups of under 18s. Strengths were noted in the areas of academic management and leisure opportunities. The inspection report stated that the organisation met the standards of the Scheme. Report expires 31March 2019

2 Organisation profile Inspection history Dates/details First inspection January 2015 Last full inspection Subsequent spot check (if applicable) Subsequent supplementary check (if applicable) Subsequent interim visit (if applicable) Current accreditation status Other related non-accredited activities (in brief) at this centre Other related accredited schools / centres /affiliates Not accredited None None Other related non-accredited schools / centres /affiliates None Private Sector Date of foundation October 2013 Ownership Other accreditation/inspection Limited company Premises profile Address of main site Details of any additional sites in use at the time of the inspection Details of any additional sites not in use at the time of the inspection Profile of sites visited 63 Cowbridge Road East, Cardiff CF11 9AE The school is located near the city centre and is close to local amenities and major public transportation routes. There is a large park close to the school. The school premises were previously leased by a British Council accredited school in Cardiff and comprise the ground, first and second floors of a three-storey building which is leased on a three-year rolling contract. The large reception office, with a seating area for visitors, is on the ground floor. The staff room is located at the end of the ground floor corridor, with an adjoining kitchen and staff toilet. There is a student common room, toilets and two classrooms on the second floor and two further classrooms on the third floor. Student profile At inspection In peak week August (organisation s estimate) Of all international students, approximate percentage on ELT/ESOL courses 100% 100% ELT/ESOL Students (eligible courses) At inspection In peak week Full-time ELT (15+ hours per week) 18 years and over Full-time ELT (15+ hours per week) aged years 1 5 Full-time ELT (15+ hours per week) aged under Part-time ELT aged 18 years and over 2 5 Part-time ELT aged years 0 0 Part-time ELT aged under 16 years 0 0 Overall total ELT/ESOL students shown above Minimum age (including closed group or vacation) Typical age range Typical length of stay 12 weeks 2-3 weeks Predominant nationalities Spanish, Qatari Spanish, Italian Number on PBS Tier 4 General student visas 0 0 Number on PBS Tier 4 child visas 0 0 Number on student visitor visas 4 7

3 Number on child visitor visas 0 13 Staff profile At inspection In peak week (organisation s estimate) Total number of teachers on eligible ELT courses 4 5 Number teaching ELT under 10 hours/week 1 Number teaching ELT hours/week 1 Number teaching ELT 20 hours and over/week 2 Total number of administrative/ancillary staff 4 Academic staff qualifications to teach ELT/TESOL Profile in week of inspection Professional qualifications Total number of teachers Diploma-level ELT/TESOL qualification (TEFLQ) 2 Certificate-level ELT/TESOL qualification (TEFLI) 2 Holding specialist qualifications only (specify) YL initiated Qualified teacher status only (QTS) Rationale(s) required for teachers without appropriate ELT/TESOL qualifications Total 4 These figures include the academic manager The academic director was teaching a one-to-one class at the time of the inspection. Course profile Eligible activities Year round Vacation Other - General ELT for adults (18+) General ELT for juniors (under 18) English for academic purposes (excludes IELTS preparation) English for specific purposes (includes English for Executives) Teacher development (excludes award-bearing courses) ESOL skills for life/for citizenship Other Run n Run n Run n Students aged 16 and 17 are integrated on courses with students aged 18+. Students follow a morning or afternoon programme of 16 hours per week. The majority of students follow a general English programme, but at the time of the inspection one IELTS morning class was being run for a closed group of Qatari students. Students who choose a 20 or 24 hour programme can supplement the morning or afternoon programme with two or four early afternoon sessions per week. Occasionally (as at the time of the inspection) a student may enrol for one-to-one lessons. In 2014 the age range for junior courses in August was as the school accepted a closed group of Chinese students, accompanied by a group leader, for two weeks; this was a one-off arrangement with a local college.

4 Accommodation profile Number of students in each at the time of inspection (all ELT/ESOL students) Types of accommodation Adults Under 18s Arranged by provider/agency Homestay 3 1 Private home Home tuition Residential Hotel/guesthouse Independent self-catering e.g. flats, bedsits, student houses Arranged by student/family/guardian Staying with own family Student s own arrangements 11 Overall totals adults / under 18s 14 1 Overall total adults + under 18s 15 Introduction Capital School of English is a family-run school which was founded in October The first course was run in January 2014 with one student and student numbers have steadily increased since then. The school is owned and run by three directors who had all previously worked at another British Council accredited school in Cardiff for many years. The school offers 16, 20 and 24 hour courses and in 2014 accepted one closed junior group for two weeks. The majority of the students live and work in the Cardiff area and are self-funded. A small proportion of students who work in the hotel industry study for two or three mornings per week. This inspection lasted one and a half days. During this time the inspectors, together or individually, met the operations director, the welfare director, the academic director, the head teacher and the intern. Meetings were held with a group of students and with the teachers. One inspector visited three homestays. Management Legal and statutory regulations Criteria M1 Declaration of compliance M1 The items sampled were satisfactory. Staff management M2 Management structure M3 Duties specified M4 Communication channels M5 Human resources policies M6 Qualifications verified M7 Induction procedures

5 M8 Monitoring staff performance M9 Professional development

6 M2 The management structure within the school is clear. Day-to-day operations are handled by the operations director, the academic director, and the welfare director. M4 Communication throughout the school is very good indeed. There are regular, minuted meetings and informal daily contact promotes sharing of information and opinion. M5 There are comprehensive and transparent human resources policies in place, which are set out in an accessible staff handbook. Teachers commented that they feel valued and well supported. M7 Teachers at the focus group confirmed that their induction had been very thorough. There is a checklist of areas to be covered during induction and teachers are required to teach two probationary lessons before their appointment. M8 There is an annual appraisal system in place which incorporates teachers observations and feedback. The administrative intern is to receive an appraisal when he leaves in March M9 The school s continual professional development (CPD) policy currently comprises internal developmental activity. Academic staff have regular in-house professional development opportunities. The operations director and two teachers have attended first aid training courses. Student administration M10 Administrative staff and resources M11 Information on course choice M12 Enrolment procedures M13 Student records M14 Student attendance policy M15 Conditions and procedures M10 The operations director and welfare director are based in reception and offer an efficient and welcoming service. The intern assists with administrative tasks. M14 Attendance record keeping is satisfactory but would benefit from a unified system to avoid duplication of information. Quality assurance M16 Action plan M17 Continuing improvement M18 Student feedback and action M19 Staff feedback and action M20 Complaints M17 The school has an ethos of self-assessment and benefits from regular, minuted staff meetings. M18 A book in the student lounge elicits students views on their coursebook and supplementary materials. Student feedback is collected initially, mid and end of a course. A summary of student feedback is collated by the academic director and disseminated to staff every six months. M19 Feedback from teachers is collected by the academic director in staff meetings and INSET meetings and actions taken are recorded. M20 Students are told of the complaints procedure at induction and it is set out in the student handbook. No formal complaints had been received and there was consequently no record of action taken. Publicity M21 Accessible accurate language

7 M22 Realistic expectations M23 Course description M24 Course information M25 Cost M26 Accommodation M27 Leisure programme M28 Staff qualifications M29 Accreditation Publicity consists of a website, a flyer, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. No translations are available. Students are currently all local; they are made aware of the school s services through friends, from flyers distributed in the community and from the internet.m21 The layout of the website is clear and the text is written in accessible language. Photos of the surrounding area had not been captioned at the time of the inspection but captions have now been added. M24 The times of classes are not stated. The minimum enrolment age is incorrectly stated as 18+. The maximum class size is not stated in publicity. The terms and conditions are only available in the student handbook and state: we will always try to respect the stated maximum class size, we reserve the right to exceed it. All these points were satisfactorily addressed soon after the inspection. M25 The cost of any social activities that incur a charge is not stated. This point was addressed soon after the inspection. Management summary The provision meets the section standard. The management of the school operates to the benefit of its students. Student administration is effective and there are good quality assurance measures. The weaknesses in publicity were addressed soon after the inspection. Resources and environment Premises and facilities R1 Adequate space R2 Condition of premises R3 Classrooms and learning areas R4 Student relaxation facilities R5 Signage and display R6 Staff room(s) R2 The school premises are in an excellent state of repair, cleanliness and decoration throughout. All areas are spotlessly clean. R3 There are four classrooms, two of which comfortably accommodate 12 students. Two smaller classrooms accommodate ten students. R4 Students have the use of a good-sized, well-furnished student lounge. Free tea, coffee and biscuits are offered and the local area is well provided with a range of food outlets. R6 The staff room provides a base for all the staff currently employed. The academic director has a desk and computer in this room. There is an adjoining staff kitchen with facilities for making drinks and storage is available for personal possessions.

8 Learning resources R7 Learning materials R8 Resources for teachers R9 Educational technology R10 Self-access facilities R11 Library/self-access guidance R12 Review and development R7 The course book is the basis for the syllabus and supplementary photocopies of other materials are provided. Students are given their own course book for the first term and buy any subsequent course books as needed. R8 Staff have shared access to the computer. Teaching resources are stored in the staff room. The stock of materials and resources available for teachers is adequate for the current scope of operations. There is a file listing useful websites on the academic director s computer and teachers are encouraged to add to this file any material they find useful. R9 Educational technology is confined to audio equipment. Teachers and students own tablets and smartphones are also used in class when appropriate. R11 The school does not have a self-access centre but students are directed to the excellent facilities available at the city library and a list of useful websites for self-access work is displayed on noticeboards. R12 Regular informal review of materials takes place in teachers meetings. The academic director provides a summary of teacher feedback twice a year, with on action taken. Resources and environment summary The provision meets the section standard. The premises provide a professional environment for language teaching; there are sufficient learning resources and equipment for the current scope of the school s operations. Teaching and learning Academic staff profile T1 General education (and rationales) T2 ELT/TESOL teacher qualifications T3 Rationales for teachers T4 Profile of academic manager(s) T5 Rationale for academic manager(s) T4 The academic director is TEFL-qualified and has over 35 years experience in the ELT industry. She has held posts ranging from teaching to academic management and ran her own British Council accredited school for many years before re-locating to Cardiff. Academic management T6 Deployment of teachers T7 Timetabling T8 Cover for absent teachers T9 Continuous enrolment T10 Support for teachers

9 T11 Observation and monitoring T6 Students have the same teacher all week which is school policy to ensure continuity for short-stay students in the summer and the small number of students who attend two or three days per week. T8 There are good cover arrangements in place. The academic director has a list of suitably qualified teachers who are available at short notice. T10 The academic director was warmly praised by teachers for the support and guidance offered. Peer observation is encouraged and supported. Teachers are actively involved in CPD sessions as facilitators. T11 The academic director carries out scheduled evaluative observations twice a year and detailed observation records are kept. Teachers reported appreciation of the observation process and the feedback they received. This has been used in the annual appraisal of the head teacher and will be embedded in future staff appraisals. Course design and implementation T12 Principled course structure T13 Review of course design T14 Course outlines T15 Study and learning strategies T16 Linguistic benefit from UK T12 A comprehensive set of syllabuses for all levels has been produced by the academic director, assisted by the head teacher. The syllabuses include the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) can do statements in all skills. The general English and exam courses have a coursebook as foundation and teachers are encouraged to supplement the coursebook with materials that meet their students needs. Teachers develop class profiles and a skeleton weekly plan; daily records of work are completed at the end of each lesson. T14 Weekly outlines are available to students but have not yet been posted in classrooms. T15 Students are encouraged to make use of the excellent facilities offered by the city library and this provides students with opportunities to further independent learning. T16 Free, weekly conversation classes in a nearby coffee shop are well subscribed. They are facilitated by a staff member and offer an additional opportunity for students to develop their language skills outside the classroom. Learner management T17 Placement and level T18 Monitoring students progress T19 Examination guidance T20 Assessment criteria T21 Academic reports T22 Information on UK education T17 The placement test is designed for students who are elementary level and above in written skills. Students at CEFR A1/A2 level are assessed by interview and a short written test if appropriate. A speaking test is administered for all students. T18 Students progress is carefully monitored and they receive monthly academic reports which are meticulously filed in individual portfolios of work. A needs analysis form for each student is completed by their teacher by the end of the first week. Students are offered the opportunity to attend an individual tutorial, Grammar Clinic, with the academic director if they are experiencing difficulty with a particular grammatical area. T21 Teachers register students CEFR level when assessing their skills at the end of their course. A summary of the CEFR levels is printed on the reverse of the end of course certificates.

10 Classroom observation record Number of teachers seen 4 Number of observations 8 Parts of programme(s) observed General English; exam preparation; one-to-one. None. Classroom observation T23 Linguistic systems of English T24 Appropriate language T25 Planning content T26 Coherent and relevant activities T27 Classroom management T28 Teaching techniques T29 Student engagement T30 Sensitivity and learning atmosphere T23 Teachers provided clear models of appropriately graded spoken English. There were very clear grammar explanations of rules and usage. In the lesson segments observed no stress marks were provided for vocabulary modelled on the whiteboard and no use was made of phonemic transcription. However, some lesson plans showed evidence of planning for work on pronunciation and word stress. T24 Teachers had a clear understanding of students different learning needs and how to meet them. T25 Lessons were effectively planned, with appropriate and well-expressed aims as well as comprehensive and useful class profiles. In two lesson segments a mixed ability class was skilfully managed and enabled students to progress at their own pace. T26 Most lessons consisted of a coherent sequence of purposeful activities. In a few lesson segments there was no evidence that learning aims were shared with students. T27 The large white boards in all classrooms were used effectively, with separate sections for grammar and vocabulary. In one lesson the teacher made good use of a tablet and laptop for a listening activity. T28 Vocabulary teaching techniques were appropriate but sometimes there was a tendency to focus on word level without sufficient contextualisation. There were some good questioning techniques but no peer correction and no teaching of pronunciation was observed. T29 A limited range of activities and interactions was observed and lessons were largely static in the lesson segments observed. However, lesson plans showed evidence of planning for pair and group work. T30 Students were very well known as individuals to their teachers. Students were fully engaged in their lessons and excellent rapport was evident in all classes. Students in the focus group expressed their appreciation of their teachers. Classroom observation summary The provision met the requirements of the Scheme. Teachers were able to plan and deliver engaging lessons with clear aims which were relevant to the needs and interests of the students. There was a positive learning atmosphere with excellent rapport in all classes. More attention was needed to integrating all aspects of pronunciation and to increasing the range of interactions in lessons. Teaching and learning summary The provision meets the section standard. Teachers have appropriate qualifications and the academic management is in very good hands, with appropriately designed programmes of learning well managed to the benefit of students. Teachers are well supported and are offered good guidance, with a strong system of observation and feedback. Academic management is an area of strength. The teaching observed met the requirements of the Scheme.

11 Welfare and student services Care of students W1 Safety and security onsite W2 Pastoral care W3 Personal problems W4 Dealing with abusive behaviour W5 Emergency contact number W6 Transport and transfers W7 Advice W8 Medical and dental treatment W1 Good health and safety procedures are in place including thorough risk assessments throughout the building and regular fire drills and training. The entrance hall is clearly visible from the reception area, which is staffed at all times. W2 The caring attitude of all staff is very evident and very much recognised and appreciated by the students. There is an understanding of the needs of individual students and staff do their best to meet these needs. Students are placed carefully with homestays, who are given very good advice about caring for their students and on-going support from the accommodation officer. W3 The experienced welfare officer is very well known to students, who feel very comfortable approaching her with any personal problems and confident that they would be dealt with sensitively. W4 Although there is a comprehensive abusive behaviour policy in the staff handbook, this is not known to students. W7 Students are given appropriate advice both in the student handbook and also on an ongoing basis from staff. Accommodation profile on the accommodation seen by the inspectors Three homestays were visited, one of which was hosting the student aged under 18. All three homes offered a very welcoming and warm atmosphere and a comfortable environment for their students. Accommodation: all types W9 Services and facilities W10 Accommodation inspected first W11 Accommodation re-inspected W12 Accommodation registers W13 Information W14 Student feedback W15 Meals in homestay/residences W9 The homes visited were clean and well presented and offered appropriate facilities and services. W10 During the initial visit to potential homestays, in addition to checking general suitability, the accommodation officer carries out comprehensive health and safety checks, including checking that fire risk assessments have been carried out. W11 The school has only been running for one year and therefore revisits have not yet been formally made, although it was clear that the accommodation officer visits many of the homestays on an on-going basis. W12 Information about the homestays is largely paper based and the record keeping procedures are satisfactory for the current small numbers of homestays.

12 W13 Information forwarded during the booking process is generally sufficient. However, no information is given about the cost of travel between homestay and school. W14 Students are asked about their accommodation within the first couple of days and action is taken in response to problems. Records are kept of any actions taken. Accommodation: homestay W16 No more than four students W17 Rules, terms and conditions W18 Shared bedrooms W19 Students first language W20 Language of communication W21 Adult to welcome W17 Homestay hosts receive useful and comprehensive notes about their responsibilities and duties as well as the terms and conditions. Accommodation: residential W22 Cleaning W23 Health None. Accommodation: other W24 Information and support W25 Other accommodation W24 Students receive verbal advice and support regarding living in their own accommodation. As the majority of the students live independently in their own accommodation it would be helpful to have some written information available for them. W25 A few guest houses and hotels are recommended. These are well known to the school and regularly visited by them. The school does not handle these bookings. Leisure opportunities W26 Events and activities W27 Leisure programmes W28 Health and safety W29 Responsible person W26 Students are given very full information about local events and activities and they are actively encouraged to participate where possible. Students appreciate the opportunity to join social groups organised by the city library and to participate in the many local events in the city. Staff often accompany the students to these events. W27 The leisure programme is arranged to suit the interests, requests and needs of the students. There is very good attendance and students expressed their enjoyment and appreciation of the programme.

13 W28 There are both generic and specific risk assessments and very comprehensive guidelines for staff which include procedures to follow in an emergency. Welfare and student services summary The provision meets the section standard. The needs of students for security and pastoral care are well met both in the school and in the accommodation. Students are given useful and relevant information and enjoy participating in a well organised leisure programme which is suited to their interests. The accommodation provided is suitable and the systems managed effectively. Leisure opportunities is an area of strength. Care of under 18s C1 Safeguarding policy C2 Guidance and training C3 Publicity C4 Recruitment materials C5 Suitability checks C6 Safety and supervision C7 Accommodation C8 Contact arrangements At the time of the inspection there was one student aged under 18. Since the school opened, there have been a total of five students under 18, each aged 17, booked onto the adult courses and one closed group of 10 students aged between 11 and 17. C1 The policy outlines child protection procedures, and a further document outlined specific safeguarding procedures for the closed group. However, despite evidence of safeguarding procedures for 16 and 17 year olds enrolled on the adult courses, these are not stated in the policy. C2 The safeguarding policy is in the staff handbook. Both staff and homestay hosts receive guidance on safeguarding and written codes of conduct. All staff have completed basic safeguarding training. C3 Information is given during the initial enquiry stages, but no information about the level of care and support given to under 18s is available in publicity. This was addressed soon after the inspection. C5 All staff have appropriate suitability checks. However, the student aged 17 at the time of the inspection was accommodated in a homestay where the main carer, although well known to the school, had not yet provided evidence of a current suitability check. The placement had been carefully risk assessed and discussed with the student's sponsor. Procedures to ensure that enough homestay hosts are checked and available have recently been put in place. C6 Under 18s enrolled on the adult courses join the school's leisure programme which is suitable for them and adequately supervised. Under 18s are given an individual induction when they arrive in the school and additional attention and support throughout their stay. Under 18s are identified to staff. Both students and leaders in closed groups receive specific inductions and rules. Students are given advice about their personal safety. C7 The arrangements for accommodation are suitable and the homestay hosts are aware of their responsibilities. However, the curfew time for under 18s on adult courses is stated as a recommendation rather than a rule. Care of under 18s summary The provision meets the section standard. There is appropriate provision for the safeguarding of students under the age of 18 within the organisation and in the leisure activities and accommodation provided. Although the main carer in the homestay hosting a student aged under 18 did not have a current suitability check, the decision to place the student there was taken after careful consideration.

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