St Giles Cambridge has passed the British Council inspection!

We are delighted to announce that St Giles Cambridge has passed its British Council inspection and is now a British Council accredited centre!
We would like to thank and congratulate the St Giles Cambridge principal, Jessie Goldup, and all staff members for their hard work in preparing for the inspection, which took place in March 2018.

By accrediting St Giles Cambridge, the British Council is confident that the school delivers high-quality teaching, a safe premises and properly-equipped classrooms, effective safeguarding and supervision of under 18s, proper emergency procedures and that our publicity materials accurately reflect what we provide.

The Council gave us praise in particular areas of the inspection, including our school premises and resources, our teaching and learning management and student welfare and services. We are very proud of the outcome of the inspection and the comments from the inspectors, as the quality of our courses and teaching is extremely important to us at, and we aim to create the best student learning experience possible.

Here are some quotes on our areas of strength as highlighted in the inspection report:

Premises and resources: “The premises and facilities have recently been refurbished to a very high standard, providing staff and students with a comfortable environment for effective work, study and relaxation.”

Learning resources: “There is a policy for the continuing review and development of teaching and learning resources, and evidence of its implementation.”

Academic management: “The general English timetable is organised effectively so that new students can fit in academically and existing students’ lessons are not disrupted. New students give the teacher a record card with the test score and some indication of their basic language goals and future ambitions. They also have an individual tutorial early on in their course.”

Course design: “Courses include study and learning strategies that support independent learning and enable students to benefit from their programmes and continue their learning after the course. When students have their booking confirmation letter they are given a code to access the St Giles e-learning zone for 12 months. Students can then access a wide range of resources, including practice exercises, weblinks, videos and a dictionary.”

Learner management: “There are effective procedures for evaluating, monitoring and recording students’ progress. Students are provided with learning support and enabled to change courses or classes where necessary.”

Teaching: “Teachers demonstrate sound knowledge and awareness of the use of English and the linguistic systems underlying it, and provide appropriate models of both spoken and written English. The content of the lessons shows that the course objectives, the learning needs and cultural backgrounds of the students have been taken into account. Teachers demonstrate the ability to engage students and create a positive learning atmosphere. Students were fully engaged, participating enthusiastically in activities. There was a purposeful learning atmosphere in all lessons and a good rapport between students and teachers.”

Care of students: “There are policies to promote tolerance and respect, and procedures for dealing with any abusive behaviour. Students receive advice on relevant aspects of life in the UK. Comprehensive information on aspects of living in the UK and locally is provided in the student handbook.”

What is the British Council?
The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It aims to promote a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language.