To uniform teaching standards and conditions in language schools the accreditation of the British Council and ARELS has been introduced.

1) British Council Accreditation

British Council inspects and recommends these language schools that match its teaching standards. The schools have to meet many high expectations to be awarded with the British Council symbol on their promotional materials.

British Council pays attention to:

- Highly qualified teachers

- Sufficient set ot teaching materials

- Correct teaching programme

- School management

- School building meeting safety protocols

- well equiped classrooms

- up-to-date brochures and pamphlets about available courses

- adequate sanitary facilities

- space designed for the rest during breaks - common room, lunchroom etc.

2) ARELS Accreditation

ARELS Programme has been created to ensure that the expactations of the students coming to study in England are satisfied. Schools belonging to ARELS offer language courses have to meet very high standards. The schools are inspected several times a year to ensure these standards are followed. Here are the main standards:

- management: 43 criteria to ensure that the school is run professionally and reliably

- Teaching materials and conditions: 24 criteria ensuring suitable standards of teaching materials

- Teaching: 49 criteria ensuring adequate teaching methods and qualified teachers.

- Social programme: 32 criteria ensuring proper accommodation and additonal activites outside lesson hours 

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To find out more check: www.britishcouncil.org/english/handbook.htm

The schools recognized by the British council and ARELS are undoubtely worth  recommending. First of all such accreditation ensures the students that the school they want to enrol for is of high standards, and they will not loose their money.  Secondly, in case of problems or doubts you can help them for help.

Accredited schools are usually much more expensive than the others. The prices may be 3 times as high as in not accredited schools. But it doesn't mean that those cheaper schools cannot provide good teaching standards. The cheaper schools usually are very good, too. The main difference is not the quality of teaching but for example number of students in the class (instead of 12 there may be more than 20 students). There are also schools called "Visa Factories" - they main purpose is obtaining student visa , but not studying. They are usually very cheap - even  200-300 pound/year. Avoid them - these schools are usually on black lists at immigration Office, and you may be not allowed to enter the UK, if you enrol at one of such schools. Our company aims at your satisfaction and advises you to choose your school carefully, whether it is recognized by BC and ARELS or not. Reliable source of information may save your time, money or dissappointment. But you should check which criteria are important for your sourece of information.

Click hereto find out about our criteria.