Report expires March 2018

Organisation name British Study Centres Oxford

Inspection date 3 - 4 April 2013

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.

Recommendation

We recommend continued accreditation. The next inspection should take place during the summer months when numbers are at peak and when the teacher development courses can be inspected.

Publishable statement

The British Council inspected and accredited British Study Centres Oxford in April 2013. The Accreditation Scheme assesses the standards of management, resources and premises, teaching and welfare and accredits organisations which meet the overall standard in each area inspected (see www.britishcouncil.org/accreditation for details). This private language school offers courses in general and professional English for adults (16+) and for closed groups of adults (16+). Strengths were noted in the areas of staff management, student administration, quality assurance, learning resources, academic management, learner management, care of students, leisure opportunities, and care of under-18s. The inspection report stated that the organisation met the standards of the Scheme.

Inspection report

Organisation profile

Inspection history Dates/details

First inspection 1998

Last full inspection 2009

Subsequent spot check (if applicable) N/a

Subsequent supplementary check (if applicable) June 2011

Subsequent interim visit (if applicable) N/a

Current accreditation status Accredited

Other related schools/affiliates Schools in London, Brighton and Bournemouth.

Other related non-accredited activities (in brief) CELTA and DELTA courses in Oxford; two BSC group vocational colleges; BSC junior courses in the UK and USA.

Private Sector

Date of foundation 1995

Ownership Limited company

Other accreditation/inspection ISI

Premises profile

Address of main site Other site(s) inspected Other site(s) used but not inspected

Oxenford House 13-15 Magdalen Street Oxford OX1 3AE

Suite 28 Westgate Galleries Oxford OX1 1NZ

Comments (including details of any additional sites used but not inspected)

The school is located in the centre of Oxford where it occupies the second, third and fourth floors above retail outlets. There is a separate entrance with a Digi-lock, stairs and a lift to all floors. On the second floor there is a spacious reception area, a large administration office, offices for the school director and academic director, a teachers’ room and a staff kitchen. There are two classrooms and a student common room. The group accounts department occupies an office on this floor. On the third floor there are eight classrooms, the computer room with 20 computers and a small room that can be used for welfare one-to-one meetings. On the fourth floor there are five classrooms, the quiet study area called ‘the Den’, a café counter and a small shop. A spacious roof terrace with outdoor furniture is located near the café. There are male and female toilets on each floor. The Westgate Galleries suite is on the first floor above a shopping centre and consists of an entrance/reception, offices, staffroom and six classrooms. There is a kitchen for staff/trainee use and a relaxation/preparation area for trainees. These premises are usually only used for the separate teacher training operation but at the time of the inspection a large closed group was having its classes there.

Student profile At inspection At peak (organisation’s estimate)

Of all international students, approximate percentage on ELT/ESOL courses

100% 100%

EFL/ESOL Students (eligible courses) At inspection At peak (organisation’s estimate)

Total EFL/ESOL student numbers (FT/PT) 143 321

Number on PBS Tier 4 General student visas 6 13

Number on PBS Tier 4 child visas 0 0

Number on student visitor visas 67 150

Number on child visitor visas 0 0

Full-time ELT (15+ hours per week) 18 years and over 130 289

Part-time ELT 18 years and over 7 16

Under 16 years 0 0

Aged 16-17 years 6 16

Minimum age 16 16

Typical age range 18-30 16-30

Typical length of stay 5 weeks 5 weeks

Predominant nationalities French, Korean, Thai French, Spanish, Russian

Staff profile At inspection At peak (organisation’s estimate)

Total number of teachers on eligible ELT courses 15 28

Number teaching ELT under 10 hours/week 5

Number teaching ELT 10-19 hours/week 4

Number teaching ELT 20 hours and over/week 6

Total number of additional support/ancillary staff 8 (plus interns)

Course profile

Eligible activities Year round Vacation Other - N/a

Run

Seen Run Seen Run Seen

General ELT for adults

General ELT for juniors

English for academic purposes

English for specific purposes (includes English for Executives)

Teacher development

ESOL for citizenship

Other

Comments

Students can take a combination of 50 minute classes to make up courses of between 16.6 and 25 hours per week. Most course options, including English with a business English option, and IELTS preparation, can be started any Monday. Classes to prepare for Cambridge FCE and CAE are run between set dates: 11-12 weeks throughout the academic year, and four weeks in the summer. All combinations of general English were taking place at the time of the inspection. Closed group courses are run throughout the year; at the time of the inspection there was a closed group of French students studying for TOEIC in a classroom in the Westfield Galleries suite. One-to-one classes are also offered throughout the year; two students had classes during the time of the inspection. During the summer, courses are run for overseas teachers. The main focus is on methodology, with language improvement integrated into the course.

Introduction

The Oxford school is part of the British Study Centres Group, which also has English language schools in London, Brighton and Bournemouth, and a vacation programme for juniors in residential premises in the UK and the USA, plus two business colleges, in West London and Hove. The group also offers an on-line course which can be taken by students not based at a school. Within the Oxford school there is a separate teacher training department which runs CELTA and DELTA courses and a programme of teacher development/refresher courses for overseas teachers. The inspection took place over two days. Meeting were held with the school director, the academic director, the, course manager, the head of student services, the welfare officer/social programme officer, and the accommodation officers. Focus group meetings were held with students and teachers. One inspector visited three homestays and a student house. Fourteen teachers were observed.

Management Legal and statutory regulations

Criteria See

comments

M1 Declaration of compliance

Comments

M1 The items sampled were satisfactory.

Staff management

Criteria Not met Met Strength See

comments N/a

M2 Management structure

M3 Duties specified N/a

M4 Communication

M5 Human resources policies

M6 Recruitment (under 18s) N/a

M7 Declarations (under 18s) N/a

M8 Induction procedures

M9 Monitoring staff performance

M10 Professional development

Comments

M2 No members of the management and administrative staff have been in post for longer than three years; there has been a complete turnover of non-teaching staff since the last full inspection. However, the structure of management is clear and a cohesive team is in place. Inspectors were informed that the head of student services was due to leave the following week. His replacement had been appointed and was undergoing induction; she attended some of the meetings held during the inspection. M4 There are effective channels of communication within the school and between the school and the wider organisation: informal and formal meetings both face-to-face and via email and Skype. Weekly management/admin meetings are held. Teachers have scheduled fortnightly meetings with academic managers, and also meet every two weeks as a teachers-only group. These meetings are held on Friday afternoon when there are no scheduled classes. School directors, academic managers, heads of student services and accommodation officers attend regular group-wide meetings with their counterparts from the other schools. M5 There are robust and appropriate human resources policies in place. Special attention is paid to the recruitment policies and procedures in relation to the school’s duty of care towards under-18s. M6 This criterion is met in full. M7 Signed declarations were on file, and evidence provided to demonstrate that all staff are asked to undergo a DBS(CRB) check. M9 There are robust procedures in place for monitoring all staff. Annual appraisals are held. In the past the procedures/templates for use in this process have been somewhat inconsistent, but following a recent review these have been standardised. The monitoring of teaching by lesson observation is conducted by members of the school’s teacher training team. Feedback is given to teachers, and to school managers who use the information to design an appropriate continuing professional development programme for teachers. M10 There are effective policies and procedures in place to ensure the continuing professional development of all staff in order to meet the requirements of the school. For example, a number of staff have recently received training in safeguarding, and in first aid. There is an appropriate INSET programme for teachers; members of the academic staff regularly attend external conferences and workshops, and teachers who wish to further their qualifications are given support.

Student administration

Criteria Not met Met Strength See

comments N/a

M11 Administrative staff and resources

M12 Information on course choice

M13 Enrolment procedures

M14 Student records

M15 Student attendance policy

M16 Conditions and procedures

Comments

M11 Overall, there are sufficient administrative staff and resources to handle the volume of work. The school deploys interns to assist with administrative tasks and additional staff are employed to cover the busier summer period. However, there was evidence that the accommodation team would benefit from some additional assistance in order to review and monitor the homestay accommodation provision and records.

M12 Student enrolment and registration is handled within the school, rather than centrally for the group. A personal and efficient service is given for both agent and direct bookings. The course information given in the publicity and via the website is very clearly set out and academic managers can be called upon to assist with particular enquiries as necessary. M13 Enrolment and fee collection procedures are efficiently and sensitively carried out by the school’s student services team. M14 Student records are kept electronically and are accessible remotely by those who hold the out-of-hours emergency phone. Students are able to up-date their information on-line and are reminded to do so in tutorials and via posters in the school. M15 The school has an appropriate student attendance policy, with particular attention paid to the attendance of any students aged under 18. There is a policy whereby the welfare officer is informed immediately about the absence of any under-18s by the class teacher. However, this is not a fool-proof system as it relies on the teachers remembering to follow up absences at the end of each lesson. M16 Conditions and procedure under which a student may be asked to leave the course are made clear to students and their parents both before and during the course via the ‘Terms and Conditions’ information, rules for under-18s attached to the parental consent form and, as appropriate, during induction, welfare meetings and tutorials.

Quality assurance

Criteria Not met Met Strength See

comments N/a

M17 Action plan N/a

M18 Continuing improvement

M19 Student feedback and action

M20 Staff feedback and action

M21 Complaints

Comments

M17 An action plan was provided and there was clear evidence that the school had addressed points noted in previous reports. M18 The current management team has initiated a number of changes in both academic and student services, with considerable success. There is evidence that the school is continually striving to improve its provision within the necessary budgetary constraints. M19 Students complete an initial questionnaire on-line as part of their induction. Students are invited to complete an end-of-course questionnaire on-line and between 50-60 percent do so. The results of the feedback are collated and summarised and inform future decision-making. However, feedback is not gathered from all students and negative points made in the end-of-course questionnaires are not usually followed up immediately with individual students. Feedback is also gathered via tutorials and the regular meetings the head of student services has with long-stay students. M20 Teachers hold fortnightly meetings (without managers) and points made by the group as a whole are passed on to managers and acted upon as appropriate. All staff members have an opportunity to give feedback during their annual appraisals. M21 The complaints procedure is clear and comprehensive. Students know who to go to if they have a problem or complaint and there was evidence from the students in the focus group and from documentation on file of complaints having been handled appropriately.

Publicity

Criteria Not met Met Strength See

comments N/a

M22 Accessible accurate language

M23 Realistic expectations

M24 Course description

M25 Course information N/a

M26 Cost N/a

M27 Level of care

M28 Accommodation

M29 Leisure programme

M30 Teacher descriptions N/a

M31 Accreditation N/a

Comments

The main publicity comprises a brochure with separate dates and fees leaflets; a website (including video clips) which describes the BSC group as a whole and the Oxford school provision. The school also has an entry in the on-line ‘What’s on in Oxford’. Overall, the publicity is very clear, comprehensive, attractive and easy to access. M22 The language throughout (including the terms and conditions) is very clear and easily understood. The main website pages are available in six additional languages. M23 Overall this criterion is met and students felt the publicity reflects reality accurately. However, there are some points to attend to in relation to the raising of unrealistic expectations. On a webpage describing all BSC centres it states that all schools have ‘state-of-the-art learning facilities and advanced teaching methodology’. In the brochure on the Oxford page the school is described as ‘our state-of-the art Oxford centre’. The facilities at the Oxford school, although of a high standard, cannot all be described as ‘state of the art’, and it is not clear what is meant by ‘advanced teaching methodology’. On the Oxford school home page the first paragraph is taken up with a description of Oxford university. A naïve reader may be misled into thinking that the school is part of the university. M24 Courses are described clearly and in detail. The choice of components to make up courses is also very clearly set out. M25 Accurate and comprehensive information is given on all the aspects required to meet this criterion, with example timetables included. M26 All costs are made very clear. M27 More information could be given in the brochure about the level of care given to students, especially those under 18. M28 The accommodation is very well described and illustrated. M29 All the necessary information is given, including a sample leisure programme with costs. M30 Although not directly applicable to the Oxford school, the description of the on-line course contains the claim that ‘lessons are delivered by the same highly qualified teachers as in our UK-based schools’. This implication is that all teachers are ‘highly qualified’ which is not true of the Oxford school.

Management summary

The provision meets the section standard and exceeds it in a number of respects. The management of the provision operates to the benefit of its students. Areas of strength include staff management, student administration and quality assurance.

Resources and environment Premises and facilities

Criteria Not met Met Strength See

comments N/a

R1 Adequate space

R2 Condition of premises

R3 Classrooms and learning areas

R4 Student relaxation facilities

R5 Signage and display

R6 Staff room(s)

Comments

R1 Both sets of premises are adequate in size to meet the needs of students and staff. The school accommodation, particularly the common areas, becomes more crowded at peak when all classrooms are in use. R2 The premises are in a very good state of repair, cleanliness and decoration. R3 Classrooms are adequate in size and number for the number of students and the stated maximum class size. Most of the classrooms can accommodate the maximum class size of 14. However, this is only possible because of the use throughout the school of seminar chairs which are not popular with students and make it difficult for teachers to vary the layout of rooms. R4 Two classroom on the second floor have been joined to make a student common room. This facility was not available during the previous summer but inspectors were assured that the rooms would not be used again as classrooms in the summer of 2013. There is a small café counter and a shop on the fourth floor near the roof terrace which is a valuable amenity in good weather. Unfortunately, when the roof terrace cannot be used there is no convenient place for students to consume drinks and snacks purchased from the café; the student common

room is two floors below. Consequently students tend to gather on the landing and on the stairs, which causes inconvenience and is potentially unsafe. R5 Signage is excellent and there are attractive and informative notice boards and displays throughout the school. R6 The teachers have a work room of ample size for the number of teachers; although there is no separate area for staff relaxation they have use of a small kitchen.

Learning resources

Criteria Not met Met Strength See

comments N/a

R7 Learning materials

R8 Resources for teachers

R9 Learning technology

R10 Self-access facilities

R11 Library/self-access guidance

R12 Review and development

Comments

R7 There is an excellent range of learning materials both in paper form and on-line via the school intranet, ‘Bellbird’. The students’ main course books are included in the course fee. Sets of dictionaries are available, with shopping trolleys so they can be safely carried to the classrooms. R8 There is an excellent stock of materials for teachers, with adequate computers and photocopiers for producing and reproducing materials. Teachers have access to, and are encouraged to contribute to, a bank of on-line materials and activities. The intranet facilities can be accessed remotely, for example, from home. R9 There is a computer in every classroom and a computer room containing 20 computers for classroom use. Four rooms have interactive white boards and there are two data projectors for use in class. R10 The newly refurbished self-access centre renamed ‘The Den’ is an attractive area in which students can study and read. There is a good selection of simplified readers which students can borrow, and computers via which students can access the on-line materials. The on-line self-access materials are made available to students at the time of enrolment and for three months after the end of their course. R11 Guidance is given at the time of induction and on the intranet. In tutorials teachers recommend self-access materials and resources. Twice a week a member of staff is available to advise and support students using the centre. R12 Two of the teaching staff have responsibility for reviewing and developing teaching and learning resources, including those accessed on-line.

Resources and environment summary

The provision meets the section standard and exceeds it in many respects. The learning resources and environment support and enhance the studies of the students and offer an appropriate professional environment for staff. Learning resources is an area of strength.

Teaching and learning Academic staff qualifications

Profile at inspection

Professional qualifications Total number of teachers

Diploma-level ELT/TESOL qualification (TEFLQ) 3

Certificate-level ELT/TESOL qualification (TEFLI) 8

Diploma-level ELT/TESOL qualification (TEFLQ) + qualified teacher status (QTS)

3

Certificate-level ELT/TESOL qualification (TEFLI) + qualified teacher status (QTS)

1

Holding specialist qualifications only (specify)

YL initiated

Qualified teacher status only (QTS)

Rationale(s) required for teachers without appropriate ELT/TESOL qualifications

Total 15

These figures exclude the academic manager(s)

Comments

The figures include the course manager but not the academic director. Also included is the head of teacher training who was teaching the closed group. One of the teachers was covering for a planned absence. All those teaching at the time of the inspection were observed, except the cover teacher.

Academic staff profile

Criteria Not met Met Strength See

comments N/a

T1 General education (and rationales) N/a

T2 ELT/TESOL teacher qualifications

T3 Rationales for teachers N/a

T4 Profile of academic manager(s)

T5 Rationale for academic manager(s) N/a

T6 Qualifications verified

Comments

T2 With six out of the 15 teachers having ELT diplomas, this is a relatively strong profile. T4 Both academic managers are diploma qualified, as is the school director. In addition, diploma qualified teacher trainers fulfil some management roles i.e. observing and giving feedback on teaching. T6 Nearly all files were complete, with evidence that the school had taken steps to verify the qualifications and experience of newly appointed teachers.

Academic management

Criteria Not met Met Strength See

comments N/a

T7 Deployment of teachers

T8 Timetabling

T9 Cover for absent teachers

T10 Continuous enrolment

T11 Support for teachers

T12 Observation and monitoring

Comments

T8 The academic administration, for example, timetabling, student records and monitoring absence is very efficiently carried out by the course manager. T9 The school can draw on cover teachers outside the summer. Three members of management staff can cover if necessary. T11 Day-to-day support is available from the course manager and the academic director, who are both based in or near the teachers’ room. In-house training sessions are run fortnightly, with input sometimes provided from the teacher training team. There is guidance and advice available to teachers via the school intranet, which teachers can access from home. T12 There are effective arrangements for the observation and monitoring of teachers by the teacher training team members, and teachers have the opportunity to observe one another as part of a peer observation programme.

Course design and implementation

Criteria Not met Met Strength See

comments N/a

T13 Course design

T14 Review of course design

T15 Course descriptions

T16 Course structure

T17 Study and learning strategies

T18 Linguistic benefit from UK

Comments

T15 Many of the courses are based on course books. Students also have the general course outline, and a weekly scheme of work is posted on the classroom wall. T16 Teaching guidelines are available to teachers via the intranet. T17 Concerted efforts have been made to integrate study and learning strategies into courses; this was evident in some of the lessons observed. T18 There was some evidence that courses include strategies to ensure that students can develop their skills outside the classroom although this policy is not applied systematically in all courses.

Learner management

Criteria Not met Met Strength See

comments N/a

T19 Placement

T20 Monitoring students’ progress

T21 Examination guidance

T22 Assessment criteria

T23 Academic reports

T24 Information on UK education

Comments

T19 The placement test includes a short interview which serves to test level and gain information about the needs and ambitions of the students. T20 Students’ progress is checked by means of regular tests and individual tutorials. Progress records are accessible on the student intranet and are completed by student and teacher together during tutorials. T21 Examination guidance, including a pre-test, is given to students wishing to prepare for examinations.

Classroom observation record

Number of teachers seen 14

Number of observations 14

Parts of programme(s) observed All

Comments

All teachers teaching at the time of the inspection visit were observed except the cover teacher. All courses running were observed, including the closed group course and a one-to-one lesson.

Classroom observation

Criteria Not met Met Strength See

comments N/a

T25 Lesson planning

T26 Coherence

T27 Teaching techniques

T28 Resource management

T29 Linguistic systems of English

T30 Feedback and correction

T31 Classroom management

T32 Sensitivity and learning atmosphere

Comments

T25 All teachers demonstrated an ability to plan lessons effectively. Appropriate learning outcomes were stated, with better plans having a specific focus. Student profiles and differentiation strategies indicated a good knowledge of students’ needs and abilities. However, plans did not note that the learning outcomes were to be made overt to students at the start of the lesson, or reviewed at the end. T26 Most lessons were well staged with appropriate time given for students to practise and make a record of target language. In one or two weaker segments the controlled practice stages were rushed so that students could not use the language confidently in the freer practice stage. T27 A range of suitable techniques was demonstrated. T28 The standard of white board use was variable, and some white boards were very dirty. Use of the interactive white boards was seen, though often they were not being used to their full advantage. A class was seen making use of the computer room for language research, and planned use of dictionaries was in evidence. A number of teachers had produced effective cue cards and hand-outs. T29 Overall teachers demonstrated a satisfactory knowledge of linguistic systems. However, there were some instances of incorrect grammatical or lexical models being presented to students. A minority of teachers demonstrated their knowledge of phonological systems by, for example, marking word stress or using phonemes to make students aware of pronunciation errors. T30 There was evidence of teacher feedback in most segments, with delayed correction planned into lessons. However, this is an aspect in need of further improvement, especially in relation to on-going correction of students’ oral production. T31 Classroom management was generally good, with a variety of interaction, and thought given to how students were grouped. In nearly all lesson segments observed students were engaged. T32 There was evidence in the plans and in the lessons observed of teachers’ sensitivity to group and individual needs, strengths and weaknesses, with differentiation strategies for coping with different levels of ability.

Classroom observation summary

The teaching observed ranged from unsatisfactory to excellent, with an average of good. Overall, the teaching met the requirements of the Scheme.

Teaching and learning summary

The provision meets the section standard and exceeds it in a number of respects. Teachers have appropriate qualifications and are given sufficient support to ensure that their teaching meets the needs of their students. Programmes of learning are managed for the benefit of students. The teaching observed met the requirements of the Scheme. Academic management and learner management are areas of strength.

Welfare and student services Care of students

Criteria Not met Met Strength See

comments N/a

W1 Safety and security

W2 Pastoral care

W3 Personal problems

W4 Dealing with abusive behaviour

W5 Emergency contact number N/a

W6 Transport and transfers

W7 Advice

W8 Medical and dental treatment N/a

Comments

W1 The school is fully aware of its duty of care for students’ safety and security. The building is secure and any potential hazards are well signed. Students’ induction includes safety advice and an orientation walk where traffic hazards are explained. The student handbook includes health, welfare and personal safety advice. All students are given a local-rate SIM card for their mobile phones to facilitate contact, and their contact details are recorded at induction. Homestay hosts are asked to conduct fire-risk assessments and provide copies of gas safety certificates. W2 The provision of pastoral care and attention to all students is very good. Special attention is paid to the safety and well-being of 16 and 17-year olds, who are clearly identified to all staff and have regular meetings with the welfare officer in an ‘Under-18s club’. The head of student services and the welfare officer conduct new students’ inductions, and were named by students as being particularly helpful and approachable. Teachers, through student tutorials, also play an important pastoral role. W3 The female welfare officer and male head of student services introduce themselves at students’ induction. They are clearly identified as contacts for any personal problems then, and in the student handbook and on notices posted around the school. Contact details of the Samaritans Oxford are also provided. W7 A good range of accessible information and advice is provided in the student handbook, on the website and on notice boards. The inspectors also observed student services staff responding helpfully and with care to individual students’ enquiries. W8 Information about students’ rights to medical and dental treatment through the NHS is set out in the student handbook and is commendably clear.

Accommodation profile

Number of students in each at the time of inspection (include all students) Total seen by inspectors Types of accommodation Adults Under 18s

Arranged by provider/agency

Homestay 70 6 3

Private home

Home tuition

Residential (student houses) 31

1

Hotel/guesthouse

Independent self-catering

Arranged by student/family/guardian

Students own arrangements 36

Comments

The three homestays visited, selected by the inspector at random, were all well-maintained, clean and comfortable. They were located in the Marston and Headington districts of Oxford, a ten or fifteen-minute bus-ride from the school. Each homestay was hosting a single student at the time of the inspection but could accommodate more. The school’s policy is for students not to share a room. The hosts, who were on friendly terms with the accommodation officer, said she provided them with good support. The self-catering student house visited was in Jericho; about ten minutes’ walk from the school, and had five bedrooms, a common sitting room, fully-equipped kitchen, bath and shower rooms, and a small garden. It was clean, warm and pleasantly decorated, and was one of six being used by the school at the time. The school’s student houses are overseen by two student-house coordinators and have clear rules which students sign.

Accommodation: all types

Criteria Not met Met Strength See

comments N/a

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

Comments

W9 All the required services and facilities were provided to a good standard. W11 This criterion is just met because the homestays being used at inspection had been visited in the last two years. However, the accommodation officer, who has been in post for less than a year, said she doubted that all the homestays on the accommodation register had been revisited by her predecessor. W12 The accommodation register is not up to date. Some records on paper have not yet been transferred to the accommodation database so that the latter, although in the process of being updated, is incomplete. Some information, for instance about revisits, is missing or out of date. The accommodation register includes homestays that have not been used for several years. W13 Confirmation sent to the student of accommodation booked includes a location map and a profile of the homestay household or student house. Details of services and payment terms are clear. Approximate time of travel between accommodation and school is given and, where relevant, the bus number is specified. Although students are not given the cost of travel between their particular homestay and the school, the student handbook shows general bus fares and ticket-types in Oxford. W14 During their induction, students are introduced to the accommodation officers and there is a ‘first day questionnaire’ to check satisfaction with accommodation. Tutorials and long-term students’ questionnaires and meetings also check that they are happy with their accommodation and, where necessary, appropriate action is taken to rectify any dissatisfaction. W15 Meals in homestays are provided as agreed and hosts are given guidance on how to provide their students with satisfactory meals. The importance of eating together with their students is stressed. Students in self-catering accommodation are given a ’healthy eating’ advice sheet.

Accommodation: homestay and private home

Criteria Not met Met Strength See

comments N/a

W16 No more than four students N/a

W17 Declarations (under 18s) N/a

W18 Rules, terms and conditions

W19 Shared bedrooms N/a

W20 Students’ first language N/a

W21 Language of communication N/a

W22 Adult to welcome N/a

Comments

W17 All hosts taking students under 18 are required to have a DBS(CRB) check. W18 Hosts sign a homestay agreement which details the school’s rules, terms and conditions including those covered by criteria W19 to W22.

Accommodation: residential

Criteria Not met Met Strength See

comments N/a

W23 Cleaning

W24 Health

Comments

W24 In the student houses there are first aid kits, notices on various first aid procedures and emergency numbers for the school, local GP surgery and out-of-hours services.

Accommodation: other

Criteria Not met Met Strength See

comments N/a

W25 Information and support

W26 Other accommodation N/a

Comments

W25 The student services staff give help and information to individual enquirers. In addition, there is an informative four-page document ‘Advice for students wishing to rent their own accommodation’ which provides practical information and advice and the links to various websites for further help.

Leisure opportunities

Criteria Not met Met Strength See

comments N/a

W27 Events and activities

W28 Leisure programmes

W29 Health and safety

W30 Responsible person

Comments

W27 Information about the school’s own social programme, local events in Oxford and sightseeing trips further afield organised by two independent companies are well-publicised on noticeboards and on the school’s and other websites. The school shop provides further ideas and information, has sign-up lists for activities and issues tickets for trips. W28 The leisure programme policy is to offer a varied and affordable programme of events and activities and this it achieves. Every weekday in April had a different afternoon or evening activity organised by the school and trips by independent companies were promoted at the weekends. A good proportion of the Oxford activities were free.

Care of under 18s

Criteria Not met Met Strength See

comments N/a

W31 Accommodation and meals provided

N/a

W32 Inclusive leisure programme N/a

W33 Activities supervision ratio

W34 Student rules

W35 Supervision information

W36 Host awareness

W37 Responsible adult N/a

W38 Age-segregated accommodation N/a

W39 Residential supervision ratio

W40 Contact number for parent

W41 Contact number for provider N/a

W42 Group leaders N/a

Comments

W31 Parents of under-18s sign a set of rules for their child and accept that their child is enrolling on an adult course. W34 Under-18s may not stay in student houses and must be accommodated in homestays where the hosts have been DBS-checked. Hosts and students are clear about what curfew times apply to under-18s, and under-18s are clearly identified to all staff on class and activity registers and on the staff room notice board. Some activities are flagged as not suitable for under-18s. Under-18s receive a supplement to the student handbook and there is an ‘Under-18s Club’ which brings them together. W36 Parents of under-18s sign a parental consent form at the time of booking which specifies the school’s

expectations and limits of responsibility. The school conducted a thorough review of its safeguarding procedures in early 2013 which has resulted in a safeguarding policy document and appropriate training for its staff. W40 This information is gathered from all students on their first day.

Welfare and student services summary

The provision meets the section standard and exceeds it in several areas. There are strengths in the areas of care of students, leisure opportunities and care of under-18s. The good pastoral care of students, not only from the student services department but from all the school’s management and staff, is particularly notable. Although the accommodation record system needs review, good quality accommodation is provided and managed to the benefit of the students.

Report expires March 2018