The British Council is a useful source of information and advice for parents and students living outside the UK
The purpose of the British Council is to build mutually beneficial relationships between people in the UK and other countries. It works to increase international recognition of the range and quality of learning opportunities from the UK.
The quality of the UK education system is recognised as world class and support for international students is second to none. If you are considering a UK education for your child, then the British Council is a useful source of information and advice. The British Council can help parents and students prepare for this exciting adventure and offer a range of resources providing information on courses, qualifications, institutions, English language requirements, visas and travel.
Accreditation UK
If your child is planning to study at a UK boarding school, they may want to come to the UK to take a short language course to prepare themselves for studying in English. The British Council, through its Accreditation UK scheme, currently accredits around 600 UK private language schools, boarding schools, colleges and universities. The scheme is managed by the British Council together with English UK.
Accredited institutions are inspected by independent experts on a regular basis, and must show that they have achieved and maintained high standards in teaching English. Inspectors also look at how the institution takes care of students’ welfare, and at the accommodation, leisure facilities and learning resources it provides.
You can find out more about the institutions inspected under the scheme by visiting the British Council website [link to www.britishcouncil.org/accreditation.htm] or by contacting:
British Council, The Accreditation Unit, Bridgewater House, 58 Whitworth Street, Manchester M1 6BB (tel: +44 (0)161 957 7692; fax: +44 (0)161 957 7074; e-mail: accreditation.unit@britishcouncil.org).
Recent changes to the immigration rules mean that all UK organisations wanting to offer English language tuition to visa national students (international students who require a visa to enter the UK) must now have a sponsor licence from the UK Border Agency (UKBA). Valid accreditation from one of the four bodies approved by the UKBA (Accreditation UK, the Accreditation Body for Language Services (ABLS), the British Accreditation Council (BAC) and the Accreditation Service for International Colleges (ASIC)) is a minimum requirement.
If you are unable to come to the UK to study, you can still learn English at one of the British Council’s English language teaching centres. The British Council also provides an online learning service through its website. [link to www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish]
Information
The British Council provides a wide range of information about studying and living in the UK. You can also visit British Council offices worldwide. A complete list of British Council offices, including contact details, can be downloaded by visiting www.britishcouncil.org.
For general enquiries about the British Council and its work, please contact:
British Council Information Centre, Bridgewater House, 58 Whitworth Street, Manchester M1 6BB
Tel: +44 (0)161 957 7755
E-mail: general.enquiries@britishcouncil.org
Web: www.britishcouncil.org