inspection report - british council · declaration of legal and regulatory compliance. ... welfare...

Report expires 31 March 2015

Organisation name Discovery Summer

Inspection date 20-23 July 2010

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. There was no evidence that the issues raised in a recently investigated complaint remain matters for concern.

Publishable statement

The British Council inspected and accredited Discovery Summer in July 2010. 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 large private language teaching organisation offers vacation courses for under 18s (to include 16s and 16-17), young adults, and adults.

Points of excellence were noted in aspects of general management, premises, academic management, course design, pastoral care and the leisure programme. The inspection report stated that the organisation met the standards of the Scheme.

Inspection report

http://www.britishcouncil.org/accreditation

Organisation profile

Inspection history Dates/details

First inspection 1999 (under previous ownership)

Last full inspection August 2006

Subsequent spot check (if applicable) 2003

Subsequent supplementary check (if applicable) N/a

Subsequent interim visit (if applicable) N/a

Current accreditation status Accredited

Other related schools/affiliates N/a

Other related non-accredited activities (in brief) N/a

Private Sector

Date of foundation 2001

Ownership Limited Company - incorporated as Discovery Summer Ltd from Discovery Solutions on 3 November 2005

Other accreditation N/a

Premises profile

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

Head Office 33 Kensington High Street London W8 5EA

Shrewsbury School The Schools Shrewsbury Shropshire SY3 7BA Marymount International School George Road Surrey KT2 7PE Winchester College c/o Winchester College Enterprises, 73 Kingsgate Street, Winchester SO23 9PE

Radley College Abingdon Oxford OX14 2HR Uppingham School Rutland LE15 9UD Woldingham School Marden Park Woldingham Surrey CR3 7YA Family London Collingham Collingham Gardens London SW5 OHL

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

The sites inspected are appropriate locations for summer courses and suitable venues for junior students. They all have extensive grounds. Shrewsbury offers a superb setting on a vast site. Discovery Summer (DS) uses one block for course administration and teaching, but the other buildings in use are spread over the site. The Marymount site was used for the first time this year and is the smallest of the sites. It is a very appropriate venue for juniors, with the teaching, administrative and residential blocks within close proximity of each other. The Winchester site, based in Winchester College, an independent college founded in the 14

th century, is quite compact

with classrooms and offices in one block. The DS Head Office provides suitable, year-round accommodation for the administration of the courses.

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

Shrews Mary Winc Shrews Mary Winc

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

100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

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

Total EFL/ESOL student numbers (FT/PT)

170 106 145 170 106 145

Number on PBS Tier 4 General student visas

0 0 0 0 0 0

Number on PBS Tier 4 child visas 0 0 0 0 0 0

Number on student visitor visas 0 0 0 0 0 0

Number on child visitor visas 69 51 65 69 47 65

Full-time ELT (15+ hours per week) 16 years and over

20 1 69 20 1 69

Part-time ELT 16 years and over 0 0 0 0 0 0

Under 16 years 150 105 76 150 118 76

Aged 16-17 years 0 0 0 0 0 0

Minimum age 11 7 13 11 7 13

Typical age range 12-16 8-15 14-17 12-16 8-15 14-17

Typical length of stay 2-4 weeks 2-4 weeks

Predominant nationalities Italian Spanish Russian

Italian Spanish Russian

Japanese Russian Brazilian



Japanese Russian Brazilian

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

Shrews Mary Winc Shrews Mary Winc

Total number of teachers on eligible ELT courses 9 9 11 9 9 11

Number teaching ELT under 10 hours/week

Number teaching ELT 10-19 hours/week 9 9 11

Number teaching ELT 20 hours and over/week

Total number of additional support/ancillary staff 26 17 16

Course profile

Eligible activities Year round Vacation Other: please select

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

Other

Comments

At Shrewsbury two courses are run concurrently: English + Multi-Activity of 19 hours, plus one-hour English Workshop presentations on one evening. Sports/Dance Academy + English of 15 hours per week in the afternoons. The age range is 12-16 years; class size 14. At Marymount 20 hours’ tuition include skills classes, English Workshops and English Workshop presentations at the end of each week. The age range is 8-12 years for residential students and 8-15 years for non-residential students; class size 14. At Winchester students study 22.5 hours per week English and choose one ‘major’ and one ‘minor’ subject each week. The age range is 14-17 years. The average class size is 12-15, with a maximum of 20 students. (See M25).

Introduction

The owners of DS took over the accredited Frances King Summer Centres in 2002. The director of the Frances King operation became the managing director of the new company, Discovery Solutions Ltd, which she continues to manage with two other directors, trading as Discovery Summer Ltd from November 2005. In addition to marketing and sales operations, staff recruitment and payroll administration, Head Office provides all the necessary central services for the centres, such as bookings for accommodation, airport transfers, excursions and activities. Over 50 different nationalities study with DS each summer and a nationality quota is in place in order to ensure as wide a nationality mix as possible. Many students visit the courses in groups, with accompanying group leaders who

have a welfare/pastoral role in looking after their students. However, there is a significant number of individually-enrolled students and a good percentage of regularly returning students. Since the last inspection in 2006 the

organisation has expanded from five residential and one non-residential summer centres to a total of seven summer centres: five residential, one residential and non-residential, and one residential described below: English + Multi Activity at Radley College, Woldingham School and Marymount International School, a new centre this year, offering residential and non-residential courses English + Multi Activity; Sports/Dance Academy + English, at Shrewsbury School English + Multi Activity, and an Academic English pre-boarding programme at Uppingham School ‘The Discovery Experience’ at Winchester College, an innovative programme offering students the opportunity to study English through a wide range of subjects. ‘Family London’ at Collingham, London for non-residential students age 5-15, 16-19 and adults age 20+. In 2009 English + Multi Activity, and Sports/Dance Academy + English courses were run at King’s School, Ely but this centre is no longer used. The three centres visited were Shrewsbury College (Shrewsbury), Marymount International School (Marymount) and Winchester College (Winchester) chosen as the wild card centre. Following the investigation of a complaint from a teacher at Shrewsbury in 2009, the ASAC recommended that Shrewsbury should be included in the sampling of DS centres. (See recommendation above). Course dates and lengths vary at each centre. Shrewsbury 7 July-4 August; Marymount 2-30 July residential and 5 – 30 July non-residential students; Winchester 12 July-9 August. The inspection took place over four days, and one part-evening. On the first day the inspectors visited Shrewsbury; on the second day they visited Marymount in the morning and part-afternoon and Head Office in the evening. On the third day the inspectors visited Winchester, the wild card centre. On the fourth day they visited Head Office. At Head Office the inspectors held meetings with the following staff: managing director operations manager academic manager senior administrator administrator IT and systems consultant. The manager was on sick leave and her duties were being covered by staff at Head Office. At the three centres meetings were held with: directors of studies course directors centre managers administrators welfare officers activity coordinators activity leaders group leaders house parents English student hosts the director of academy sports at Shrewsbury and non DS staff: the general services manager at Shrewsbury the chief financial officer at Marymount the event coordinator, Winchester College Enterprises, at Winchester.

Student and teacher focus groups were held at the three centres and one inspector visited residential accommodation.

Management Legal and statutory regulations

Criteria See

comments

M1 Declaration of compliance

Comments

M1 The items sampled were satisfactory.

Structure, staffing and employee administration

Criteria Not met Met Point of

excellence See

comments N/a

M2 Management structure

M3 Duties specified

M4 Communication

M5 Human resources policies

M6 Recruitment (under 18s)

M7 Declarations (under 18s)

M8 Induction procedures

M9 Monitoring staff performance

M10 Professional development

Comments

M2 The management and administration staffing structures are clear. M4 There are very effective channels of communication between Head Office and the centres, and within the centres. Regular email/phone contact is maintained to ensure a flow of information between Head Office and the centres, and formal meetings and opportunities for informal contact enable satisfactory communication within all the centres. The operations manager has a peripatetic role, visiting all the centres in rotation to ensure their smooth running and communicating daily with Head Office to share feedback and information. The managing director visits all the centres on a regular basis, as time allows. M5 DS has a written recruitment policy with clear procedures. Recruitment and interviewing is carried out by telephone or face-to-face from Head Office. The recruitment of CDs was described to the inspectors as difficult because applicants who are teaching abroad are often not available for interview in London. It is recommended that there should be Skype interviews where possible, with the requirement for a brief visual presentation to be sent to Head Office. M7 All staff are required to sign a declaration, produce a CRB check or provide a national police check from their home country. Details of these were seen in staff files. M8 Staff induction, which takes place before courses begin, is paid and covers a range of important health and safety issues for junior courses. Teachers at the focus groups felt that they had been given sufficient and useful information about DS approaches and materials at their induction. M9 DS has systems for the appraisal of all staff and for teacher observation. (see T13). M10 There is an impressive commitment to the continuing professional development of all staff. At Head Office the operations manager has been fully funded for an MA in Occupational Psychology and the senior administrator was fully funded for a SAGE course. Two CDs have been fully funded for an MA in TEFLYL and a TEFL Diploma course respectively. The operations manager runs training courses for summer staff as required. There are formalised CPD events organised for the summer staff. (see T12).

Administration of students


excellence 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 Student administration is carried out by staff in the sales and operations departments at head office. Their detailed process charts cover the procedures from initial enquiry to arrival at a summer centre. The Discovery Wiki, an on-line resource accessible only to DS staff, allows all staff access to useful documents and templates. The inspectors were informed by staff that there had been understaffing at Shrewsbury last year in the areas of administration and welfare but that this year staffing levels were sufficient. The inspectors confirmed that there were enough staff this year to handle the volume of work efficiently. M12 Students, their parents, and agents are given detailed and accessible information about the courses on offer. M13 Enrolment procedures are handled efficiently by Head Office staff. M14 Student records are kept at Head Office and the home addresses of individually-enrolled students are held there. Agents and group leaders hold details of students’ home addresses and, in cases of emergency, Head Office is able to contact students’ next of kin immediately via their agents or group leaders. M15 Students are expected to attend all classes and activities, except in the case of illness. M16 Conditions and procedures under which a student may be asked to leave the course are made clear in the students’ handbook and at induction. DS has a set of centre rules which, if broken, may lead to expulsion and all staff are made aware of the students’ disciplinary procedure. The DS action model identifies the severity of an incident from most severe to non-incident which is defined as a cultural rather than a disciplinary issue. There are three warnings, ‘strikes’, and the third ‘strike’ results in expulsion. In one case during the inspection, a student at Winchester was expelled and, rather than being sent home, was transferred and successfully integrated at the DS Radley centre, which was deemed a more appropriate match to his interests and age.

Quality assurance


excellence See

comments N/a

M17 Action plan

M18 Continuing improvement

M19 Student feedback and action

M20 Staff feedback and action

M21 Complaints

Comments

M17 All the points from the last inspection have been addressed with the exception of one part of M24 (now M25), ‘the minimum and maximum enrolment ages are exceeded in some centres’. (See M25 below). M19 The procedures for obtaining student feedback are exemplary. Generic on-line initial and end of course student questionnaires are completed by students at all centres and sent to Head Office for collation and review with centre staff. M20 Regular meetings provide opportunities for staff to make comments and suggestions. M21 There is a generic complaints procedure which is outlined in the students’ handbook and students at the focus groups were clear about who they should approach if they had any issues.

Publicity


excellence See

comments N/a

M22 Accessible accurate language

M23 Realistic expectations

M24 Course description

M25 Course information

M26 Cost

M27 Level of care

M28 Accommodation

M29 Leisure programme

M30 Teacher descriptions

M31 Accreditation

Comments

M22 The brochure and website provide accessible information written in clear English. The website provides very good coverage of the various types of classes, activities and students’ work through podcasts. M23 Publicity states that supervised email access is provided at each centre so that students can keep in regular contact with their families. At Winchester students told the inspectors that, although there is access, it is more restricted than they had expected. M25 Met overall, but in a few cases at each centre the minimum enrolment ages have not been adhered to. The managing director told the inspectors that on occasions DS is given inaccurate information at the time of bookings via agents, but that in future DS would request students’ passport details for all bookings. Class sizes were exceeded from 14 to 15 in some classes at Winchester in order to accommodate students’ requests for certain ‘majors’. On the last day of the inspection, website publicity for the class sizes at Winchester was increased from 14 to maximum 20. This will benefit students by enabling them to attend more subjects of their first choice. M30 Publicity states that ‘all teachers are appropriately qualified’. The rationales for two teachers without appropriate qualifications were accepted, see T3 below, and the criterion is met in this context.

Management summary

The provision meets and often exceeds the section standard. Management structure, staffing and employee administration are of a high standard. Student administration and quality assurance procedures operate efficiently to the benefit of the students. In certain areas publicity material does not conform to the Scheme criteria.

Resources and environment Premises: general


excellence See

comments N/a

R1 Adequate space

R2 Condition of premises

R3 Signage and display

Comments

R1 The three centres are based in premises which offer spacious and appropriate facilities, particularly at Shrewsbury. Classrooms are of a good size and can comfortably accommodate the maximum number of students with one exception at Marymount where one classroom on the second floor of the teaching block was cramped, even for the number of students accommodated at inspection (12). This classroom was withdrawn from use immediately after the inspection. In all centres space was being used to good effect, particularly in the English Workshop sessions. R2 At all centres internal and external areas are well maintained. Classrooms and other facilities are in a good state of repair, clean and pleasantly decorated. Classrooms are well-lit, free from extraneous noise and furnished with appropriate furniture. At Winchester DS is not permitted to remove existing school work but they can cover boards and personalise classrooms. One excellent example of this was seen in the large classroom used for the fashion class. R3 At all centres signage and display were used effectively to create a DS identity in the host institutions.

Facilities for staff and students


excellence See

comments N/a

R4 Student relaxation facilities

R5 Staff room(s)

Comments

R4 Juniors on a summer course are given little free time, but the dining halls in all the centres are pleasant and provide a comfortable, relaxed environment. At Marymount the student common room is particularly spacious and comfortable. R5 DS staff work together in large open-plan offices and can relax in the dining halls and outside in the grounds.

Learning resources


excellence See

comments N/a

R6 Classroom furniture

R7 Audio and visual equipment

R8 Review and development

R9 Learning materials

R10 Resources for teachers

Comments

R6 All classrooms have tables and chairs and these were generally arranged appropriately. R7 The DS syllabus and teaching materials include the use of a range of audio and visual equipment and smart boards. R8 Teachers are encouraged to contribute their own materials to the DS wiki on-line resource. R9 There is a good stock of varied resources for junior courses, including photocopiable resources, and teachers supplement text books with their own materials. At Winchester all the teachers are experienced and self-sustaining. R10 Teachers are able to access the DS wiki for sample lessons, excursion lessons and plans for evening activities, and download materials from the internet. For the Winchester courses there is a generous budget for the provision of additional materials and resources for the diverse range of subjects on offer.

Learning centres, libraries and private study areas


excellence See

comments N/a

R11 Organisation and equipment

R12 Guidance on use

Comments

R11/R12 At the three centres students have access to IT rooms for supervised email access.

Resources and environment summary

The provision well meets the section standard and in some areas exceeds it. The premises and facilities are generally of a high standard. The learning resources and environment support and enhance the studies of students enrolled with the organisation, and offer an appropriate professional environment for staff.

Teaching and learning Academic staff qualifications

Profile at inspection

Professional qualifications Total number of teachers

Shrewsbury Marymount Winchester

Diploma-level ELT/TESOL qualification (TEFLQ) 1 1

Certificate-level ELT/TESOL qualification (TEFLI) 4 6 1

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

1

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

1

Holding specialist qualifications only (specify)

YL initiated

Qualified teacher status only (QTS)

1 2 9

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

1 1

Total 9 9 11

These figures exclude the academic managers

Comments

The academic managers at each centre were not teaching, apart from occasional cover teaching. At Marymount one teacher who is initially-qualified also has the IHCYL. Three teachers had taught at other DS centres last year. At Winchester nine teachers were QTS only and this seemed appropriate in the context of this inspection for the teaching of subjects in English. Six teachers had taught at this centre last year.

Academic staff qualifications and experience


excellence 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

T1 One teacher at Shrewsbury and two at Marymount had not completed a first degree. The rationales presented were accepted. T2 One teacher at Shrewsbury (also included in T1), and one teacher at Winchester, did not have an appropriate ELT qualification. T3 The rationales for the two teachers without appropriate qualifications were accepted within the context of this inspection. T4 The DoSs at each centre are diploma qualified. The Shrewsbury DoS had been recruited a month before the course started and this was his first DoS post. The Marymount DoS has considerable experience with DS over the last four years, first at King’s Ely as DoS and subsequently CD for two summers, followed by the post of DoS at Shrewsbury last year. He was deployed as DoS at Marymount as it was felt that his previous experience would be valuable at a new centre. The Winchester director has a DoS role and held the post of CD at the centre last year. The DS academic manager has an overseas qualification which qualifies him to teach EFL / ESOL in state educational institutions in his home country. T6 Endorsed copies of all qualifications were presented for scrutiny at Head Office and found to be in order.

Academic management and administration


excellence See

comments N/a

T7 Academic manager n/a

T8 Deployment of teachers

T9 Timetabling

T10 Cover for absent teachers

T11 Continuous enrolment

Comments

T7 The academic manager is the line manager for the centre DoSs. He is based at the Radley centre, with responsibility for visiting centres, providing support and carrying out observations. During his absence an ADoS covers his work. T8 At Marymount the DoS has created a buddy system whereby experienced teachers support less experienced colleagues, which teachers at the focus group reported on favourably. However the DoS told the inspectors of one case of an inexperienced teacher who felt unable to cope with an elementary class, despite on-going support. An experienced replacement teacher was found by the Head Office manager, and an administrative post at the centre

was found for the teacher, which provided a satisfactory solution for all concerned. At Winchester all the teachers are appropriately deployed for their respective subject areas. T10 The DoSs at each centre, and teachers who are available, provide cover. The inspectors suggested that it would be advisable for Winchester teachers to provide one cover lesson as the subject offering is so diverse.

Support for teachers


excellence See

comments N/a

T12 Support for teachers

T13 Observation and monitoring

Comments

T12 The support for teachers at all the centres is excellent. Teachers appreciate the daily support of their DoSs and the opportunity to share ideas with colleagues at the weekly staff meetings and informally in the teachers’ room. The teachers’ handbook contains useful guidance and those who had missed induction felt that they had been given sufficient information in order to teach effectively. INSET sessions have been run at Shrewsbury and Marymount. At Winchester teachers at the focus group, most of whom teach in the state sector, told the inspectors that the DoS was very supportive and readily available to discuss classroom management issues. Their induction had included a session on lesson planning. T13 Observation and appraisal systems are in place at all the centres. A drop in observation of about 10 – 15 minutes takes place during the first week of a teacher’s employment, followed by a meeting with the DoS and the completion of a self-evaluation form. A second observation of about 45 – 60 minutes takes place in the following days in the case of inexperienced teachers or, in the case of returning teachers, in the second or third week of the course. The DS academic manager has conducted short drop in observations of all the teachers at Shrewsbury and the DoS has carried out two full observations. At Marymount the DoS conducted short drop in observations on the first day, followed by full observations of all the teachers. The DoS at Winchester conducted drop in observations of all the teachers in the first week.

Course design and implementation


excellence See

comments N/a

T14 Course design

T15 Review of course design

T16 Course descriptions

T17 Course structure

T18 Study and learning strategies

T19 Linguistic benefit from UK

T20 Resources and materials

Comments

T14 At Shrewsbury and Marymount the skills syllabus is based on the framework for the Trinity Examinations in Spoken English. The 12 levels relate to levels on the Common European Framework. Individual schemes of work have been drawn up for each level which indicate the topics and grammar points to cover. The workshop classes are led by classroom teachers, with help from the activity leaders, and are designed to encourage learning English by ‘doing’. Each week, students can choose which workshop to join. Each workshop usually lasts one week and has an outcome, such as performing or presenting work at the end of each week. At Winchester students choose one ‘major’ and one ‘minor’ subject from a wide range of 16 subjects, ranging from practical science to creative writing ‘majors’, and ‘minors’ such as debating or history of art. At all centres the focus is on communication and giving the students a new and enjoyable language learning experience. T16 Simplified schemes of work are given to students in their induction packs. T18 DS blogs showcase students’ work and at the end of the course a prize is awarded for the best centre blog. Students keep records of work in notebooks and A4 worksheets are kept in DS folders. T19 English student hosts stay on campus and participate in activities throughout the day and evening. They are assigned to classes as a native English speaker ‘buddy’, who mixes with students of the same age. This unique system provides students with many opportunities for speaking English naturally and its effectiveness was commented on by the Trinity examiner at Shrewsbury when giving feedback on students’ examination performance. T20 A wide range of appropriate materials and resources is available at all centres. At Winchester a budget is made available for the purchase of materials from charity shops for the fashion ‘major’.

The management of examinations and examination courses


excellence See

comments N/a

T21 Staffing, resources and class composition

T22 Guidance

Comments

T21 The Trinity Exam in Spoken English is optional and offered at extra cost every two weeks, subject to sufficient demand. Trinity spoken exams were taking place at Shrewsbury during the inspection. A 100% pass rate was achieved by 68 students during the inspection week.

Managing student progress


excellence See

comments N/a

T23 Placement

T24 Monitoring students’ progress

T25 Assessment criteria

T26 Academic reports

T27 Information on UK education

Comments

T23 The placement test has two parts: a written part of 40 multiple-choice questions and a composition and a five-minute oral test with recommended questions marked on a scale of 1 to 4. The level of English takes priority over the age of the student. The written and oral test results are combined and the tester decides the Trinity grade of the student. At Winchester placement is made according to subject choices rather than level testing and some students were below the minimum intermediate level required for entry to the courses. DS reported that the overall standard of English this year has been lower than usual and more rigorous procedures for testing Winchester-bound students need to be put in place. T24 Students are given a short test at the end of each week to assess their progress.

Classroom observation record

Number of teachers seen 9, 9,11

Number of observations 9, 9, 11

Parts of programme(s) observed All

Comments

None.

Classroom observation


excellence See

comments N/a

T28 Lesson planning

T29 Coherence

T30 Teaching techniques

T31 Resource management

T32 Linguistic systems of English

T33 Feedback and correction

T34 Classroom management

T35 Sensitivity and learning atmosphere

Comments

T28 Teachers used a DS lesson plan template at Shrewsbury and Marymount. Aims and objectives were usually stated and there was a focus on learner outcomes in the best plans. At Winchester, the wild card centre, all the teachers had prepared appropriate lesson plans. T29 There was a coherent sequence of activities in most lessons. At Marymount some activities were over-long, resulting in disengagement on the part of the young learners. T30 In stronger lesson segments observed teaching was interactive and teachers used effective elicitation techniques. Active task-based activities which gave the students opportunities to be creative were very successful in the English Workshops. Instructions were usually clear. T31 A wide range of resources was seen in use, including realia and art materials. Whiteboards were well organised in most lessons, but the use of stress-marking or other forms of highlighting were not evident in most of the lesson segments observed. T32 Clear explanations of grammar and vocabulary were seen in most lesson segments. There was evidence of questioning but very little pronunciation work. Students, particularly at Marymount, would benefit from more constructive use of individual and group drilling. T33 Overall, students would benefit from a more rigorous approach to error correction as opportunities for error correction were missed in the weaker lessons observed. T34 A variety of interaction patterns was observed in all lessons. Most teachers nominated well and they took care to include all students. At Shrewsbury some students in one lesson were using their L1 unchecked and one class was difficult to manage due to the students’ diverse ages and levels of maturity. At Marymount some teachers were experiencing difficulty with the classroom management of young learners. T35 In most lessons at all the centres, students were engaged by the subject matter and activities and there was good rapport. At Shrewsbury one teacher engaged students in an inappropriate discussion of ‘stupid people they knew’. At Winchester there was an extremely positive learning atmosphere in all the lessons.

Classroom observation summary

Overall the standard of teaching was good, but it ranged from satisfactory to excellent. The best teaching was at Winchester where the inspectors saw lively, active lessons with a good deal of participation from students who were fully engaged. Areas for attention include the balance and timing of activities and the classroom management of the youngest learners.

Teaching and learning summary

Overall provision meets and in some areas exceeds the section standard. Teachers are given good pre-course and in-course support to ensure that their teaching meets the needs of their students. Programmes of learning are very well designed and are managed for the benefit of students. The teaching observed met the requirements of the Scheme.

Welfare and student services Pastoral care and orientation


excellence 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

Comments

W1 Considerable attention is paid to the safety and security of students. Staff are well briefed on policy and procedures; an incident log is kept for safety, security and health matters with a daily report of its contents to head

office; very full risk assessments are carried out and are signed off by relevant members of staff; and fire drills are held regularly with one very soon after arrival. In Shrewsbury, however, drills were carried out in the accommodation blocks, but not in the teaching block. W2 There are excellent pastoral care systems in place with several categories of staff involved: teachers, activity leaders and house parents as well as the welfare officer and senior staff at each centre. There are multi-faith rooms in each centre, though the room in Winchester was not signed externally as such and the one in Marymount contained a Christian icon. W3 In all cases the person was named at the student introduction and on noticeboards. W4 A full procedure is included in the student handbook and students are briefed at the introduction. At Marymount, where students are younger and often less able in English, this is achieved with a powerpoint presentation using pictograms and other visual information. W5 A number is always given to students and included on ID cards and noticeboards, but it is not always explicitly listed as a 24 hour number and, when it is, a less linguistically penetrable phrase like ‘out of hours’ is sometimes substituted. W7 Advice appropriate to the context within which the students are living is given. However, students’ money and passports were held by Discovery staff in all centres visited without receipts being given for them. W8 In all centres, doctors are available, with their contact details clearly visible on noticeboards, and nurses visit regularly. There are good numbers of first-aiders and first aid is included in the staff inductions in each centre. There are ample, and well-filled, first aid kits available in all centres. Students’ medical details relevant to their stay are recorded on the central database with information available both in head office and to the centres.

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

Shrewsbury Marymount Winchester

Arranged by provider/agency

Homestay

Private home

Home tuition

Residential 170 48 145 2 Shrewsbury 2 Marymount 2 Winchester

Hotel/guesthouse

Independent self-catering

Arranged by student/family/guardian

Students’ own arrangements 58

Comments

All students in Shrewsbury and Winchester were residential. At Marymount, a number of students were staying at home in London and were bussed to the centre daily. The standard of the residences used by Discovery Summer varies, at times because of the seniority of the schools used, but in no case was less than acceptable.

Accommodation: all types


excellence See

comments N/a

W9 Services and facilities

W10 Accommodation visited

W11 Accommodation inspected

W12 Accommodation registers

W13 Information

W14 Student feedback


Comments

W14 Initial feedback is collected from students in week one of their stay. This includes feedback about accommodation.

Accommodation: homestay and private home


excellence See

comments N/a

W15 No more than four students

W16 Declarations (under 18s)

W17 Rules, terms and conditions

W18 Shared bedrooms n/a

W19 Students’ first language n/a

W20 Language of communication n/a

W21 Adult to welcome

Comments

None.

Accommodation: residential


excellence See

comments N/a

W22 Cleaning

W23 Health

Comments

W22 The residential accommodation in all the centres visited is cleaned every (week) day and the bed linen is changed at least once a week. W23 The excellent general health care provision (see W8) extends to the residences with first-aiders on site, first aid kits available and a robust reporting system for health issues of all magnitudes.

Accommodation: other


excellence See

comments N/a

W24 Information and support

W25 Hotel accommodation

Comments

None.

Catering


excellence See

comments N/a

W26 Availability of food

W27 Homestay and residential accommodation meals

Comments

W26 The inspectors sampled the food in all the centres visited and considered that it was at least acceptable. In Shrewsbury, students felt that the food was poor in quality and in some cases quantity; this was reflected in student feedback. Students in Marymount and Winchester were much happier with the food. W27 In all cases, students ate in a central refectory. Students’ dietary details relevant to their stay are recorded on the central database with information available both in head office and to the centres.

Leisure opportunities


excellence See

comments N/a

W28 Events and activities

W29 Leisure programmes

W30 Health and safety

W31 Responsible person

Comments

W28 All the centres visited had extensive and varied leisure programmes that were carefully directed towards the needs and interests of each centre’s students. They included full and half day excursions. Pre and post excursion class activities were in place. W29 Programmes were well resourced and publicised and alternative arrangements had been planned in the case of bad weather. W30 Extensive and rigorous risk assessments were in place (see W1) for all on and off-site activities. There were very full guidelines for what to do if students were at risk.

Students under 16/18


excellence See

comments N/a

W32 Meals provided n/a

W33 Inclusive leisure programme n/a

W34 Activities supervision ratio

W35 Student rules

W36 Host awareness

W37 Responsible adult

W38 Students’ age

W39 Residential supervision ratio

W40 Contact number for parent

W41 Contact number for provider

W42 Group leaders n/a

Comments

W32 Accommodation and all meals are provided except for Marymount non-residential students who are provided with lunch. W34 Supervision ratios are met or exceeded in all cases. At Marymount, in-house software automatically calculates ratios when lists of students and staff are drawn up for activities and would flag up shortfalls if these were to occur. W35 There are detailed rules and supervision procedures at all centres.

Welfare and student services summary

The provision meets, and in some cases exceeds, the section standard. Discovery Summer has a wide range of provision across its centres. The three centres visited were very different in character but they all give a great deal of thought and attention to students’ safety, supervision, welfare and leisure activities. This focus clearly contributes to the success of the programmes and the well-being of the students and is appreciated by them.

[Type text]

inspection report - british council · declaration of legal and regulatory compliance. ... welfare...

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