2018 AGM Minutes 7th December 2018
Welcome
- Sarah Etchells (SE) welcomed Neil McLoughlin as the Marketing Representative for YLEUK and Vigo from the PIE who had come to report on our meeting.
- SE also updated the group on progress with the administrator role. She explained why we had not chosen any of the three candidates that had applied and the plans to re-advertise.
Action Points from Previous Meeting
- Mary Doody (MD) followed up on action points from the last meeting
Statistics
- MD has approached EUK about this, and they have a quarterly statistics cohort. There are currently 120 members who provide statistics-please contact them if you would like to join this group.
- When YLEUK appoints an administrator, they will be responsible for collating group sales trends and collecting some statistics. It would be general trends as to how the business is going.
- The majority of members at the meeting agreed that they would be happy to disclose this information.
- The group still feels that statistics for the number of people taking the CELTA and Trinity cert each year would be very useful considering the struggle experienced when recruiting qualified teachers last year. Mel Judge (MJ) to approach both organisations again to try and get some statistics. If not, YLEUK will contact all CELTA providers to see if we can pick up some trends.
- MD brought up the TYLEC proposal and the request for partner schools with YLs in the UK. MD to pass this information to members via the forum. It would be 2-week courses and it is an extension to the TEFLI qualification rather than a full course.
- MD stated that we will include action points clearly on the minutes so that we know who will carry out which tasks.
Marketing for the Group
- We plan to reach out to our client base and agents to tell then what YLEUK does and the benefits of choosing a member school next year
- Tim Cooke (TC) and Neil McLoughlin (NM) went to ICEF Berlin in October where there were 25 YLEUK members in attendance. YLEUK leaflets were distributed to the tables. It was successful in promoting the group and explaining the benefits to schools and their agents.
- NM explained that lots of schools have marketing teams that don’t understand what YLEUK does. In the new year, YLEUK will be organising a webinar to help those involved in marketing their schools.
- We also plan to start social media platforms from next week.
- MC asked if they were able to speak to any of the larger agents directly in Berlin, and suggested that we could pick out key agents and write to them about what YLEUK does.
- We need to promote ourselves- use the logo in promotional materials and email signatures.
- SE explained that Jane used the YLEUK safeguarding power point while on the EUK China Road Show. The BC in China attended and would like to use the presentation to work with their agents – this was seen as a positive thing
- Each attendee at the meeting was given a folder, pen and welcome pack, which will also be given to all new members.
Accounts
- TC will be sending invoices and renewal application forms in the next few weeks to all members of the group.
- TC requested that members let him know should he need to send the invoice to another person in their organisation or accounts department.
- Fees have not gone up for 2018.
- Tim Cook took over from Steve Oliver in May as treasurer and the transition has been smooth.
- Membership is at 53, but we are all keen to actively gather more members.
Accounts summary (please see attached power point for full slides)
- Opening balance from 2016 £23436.35
- Subscription Income 2017 £14375
- Total money in £37811.35
- No sponsorship income in 2017
- No income from additional training places in 2017
Expenditure
- Accountancy Fees £187.20
- English UK – Administration Expenses £2,648.95
- Marketing Expenses £2,379.59
- Professional Fees for Training & Guest Speakers £4,254.50
- Meeting Expenses £829.24
- Venue Hire (Inc AV Hire & Refreshments) £3,055.49
- Total Expenditure = £13,354.97
Total Money in £37,811.35
Total Expenditure £13,354.97
Closing Balance as of 6th December 2017 = £24,456.38
- TC said we want to spend the money on benefits for the group.
- We are in a good place financially.
British Council- Inspections 2018 onwards – Liz McClaren (Please see full presentation and questions for more details
- Liz (LM) thanked us for inviting her back.
- LM informed us that it is a significant year and that a great deal of work has gone into updating the criteria and associated documentation. The BC has drawn on a lot of member opinions. They wanted the BC as an organisation to take a step back to see how things could improve.
- The end product was released last week in the form of the new criteria and requirements document. There won’t be a handbook before March 2018. LM assured us that there is enough information in the current document until this is ready
- The handbook tends to be a reaction to what has happened in the previous two years.
- The board feels that we don’t need to have paper copies of the handbook, just a PDF. LM says she would still like to have one, as it’s a tangible thing. Members attending were asked to vote and the result was around 50:50 for and against paper copies being sent out.
- There have been a lot of people involved in developing the new criteria, and working parties in the areas of staff management, academic, and shorter courses (this started out as YLs but was later re-categorised as short courses) were formed. Some members of YLEUK have been included in these working parties.
- ASAC and inspectors were also involved in the process.
- LM says it has been one of the most rewarding years as it has been inclusive and developmental.
Summary of last inspection year’s results (please see Liz’s presentation for more details)
- Number of new applicants has gone down and this is not expected to increase.
- 23 applied and 20 received accreditation in 2016.
- 102 re-inspections in 2016 and 100 spot checks (schools have contracted and moved premises and this triggered spot checks).
- Total number of accredited providers has decreased.
- The fact that the market has picked up this summer has helped.
- BY the end of 2017, all schools that are a part of the scheme will have been inspected on the “care of under 18s” category.
- New applicants often struggle with the teaching and learning section.
- Publicity seems to be a big problem- people struggle with it. It is the section with the largest number of criteria which means that it is more difficult to achieve an area of strength. Quite often, it is about what you don’t put in. Publicity sets customer expectation, so this is a really important area.
- Publicity- have the statistics to back up your claims.
- Strategic Management has been added to quality assurance to give more criteria sections.
- Liz expects to see Leisure strengths coming down in the industry in general with the new criteria (not with YLs) they have made it a little more difficult to achieve an area of strength.
What’s new for 2018
- New additional criteria
- More focus on management, as there have been concerns that some people get met for management but then have huge holes in other areas of their operation- how is this possible? Management should impact these things.
- Made it fairer for short courses- resources and premises were included in this.
- Reworded criteria to make them shorter- this means the comments section will be shorter as it will be clear what you have achieved from the statements.
- There will be a new version of the criteria that is easy to read.
- Supported by more detailed requirements
- An additional guidance section has ben added.
- There is the inclusion of self-evaluation – this helps the process of the inspection and the inspectors find them useful. The new self-evaluation document isn’t finished yet but there is the 2016-17 document on the website that can be used for now
https://www.britishcouncil.org/education/accreditation/information-centres/inspection-support
- Reduced inspection documentation, most documentation will be collected pre-inspection.
- There will be a revised report format.
- The following changes have been made to the criteria sections:
Quality assurance becomes Strategies and Quality Management.
Staff Management and development
Premises and Resources
Safeguarding under 18s
S3 surrounding obtaining parental consent is an area, which has started a great deal of discussion.
Criteria with changed or new requirements are
M1, M2, M3, M7, M17, R4, T3, T14, W2, W24, S3
Management- see slides for full changes
- We will have to do an annual self- evaluation from now on. Aim is it’s something you build on each year
Premises and Resources- new criteria
- Free drinking water is available. A choice of appropriate food at affordable prices is available to students on site, if not available locally.
Teaching and Learning- new criteria- see slides for full changes
- You will not get a not met if one teacher has an odd qualification.
- The new criteria T3 takes a more holistic approach and looks at the qualifications and experience of the team in general.
- Liz advised us to ask “Can you make a case for why you have chosen the people that you have chosen?”
- T14 recognises that there is more to our courses than just the academic elements.
- Liz working with the BC Schools abroad to see what qualifications they are now accepting for YLs.
Welfare and……
- W2 emergency planning
- W4 has been turned around. It is concerned with what you should do rather than what you shouldn’t.
Leisure Opportunities
- Areas that were lumped together have been separated out.
- 5 criteria in this section now.
Safeguarding under 18s
- S3 – parental consent. BC will put out guidance notes to agents by the end of January.
- Most schools/ agents feel that this is achievable.
- If all schools require this at the same time, it will work.
- There will be translation into the main languages we get groups from to help them understand what it is that we require.
- It can be an agent form – it doesn’t have to be form specific for your school, and you can get copies from your agents. The ideal is we have them as we have the duty of care and it is our risk.
- We would need to see a blank form from the agent, and keep this on record. Can we sample some completed ones from agents?
- The GL can bring the consent form but we need an agreement with each agent that this will happen and a sample form.
- It can be electronic – it doesn’t have to be paper based.
- Over time initial resistance will fade.
Questions with Liz
Self- Evaluation
- Liz is more than happy to help/advise us if we share topics with her that are brought up on the forum.
- Goal posts won’t be moved regarding the new criteria but things will be added as they develop.
- Self-evaluation should cover 5 sections of the handbook, you can go further if you want to and inspectors do really appreciate them. LM stated that it gives them more time to see where you are exceeding if they already have the basics.
Bunk Beds
- Bunk beds – you should not use then for over 14s – not a requirement on which you can pass or fail. It’s a rule of thumb.
Academic and Recruitment
- T2 – the point that it is very difficult for short course providers to get a strength was raised. LM advised us to look at our teams as a whole and get a strength in T3.
- T2 and T3 requirements have not changed, more of a change to the report. 1 teacher not qualified will not get you a not met
- There is a debate surrounding the recruitment regulations. Heather Rhodes mentions that the new criteria requirements are more stringent than high quality English boarding schools. LM stated that 10 years of professional references are not a requirement but would be a strength. Fiona asked if inspectors will be briefed to be reasonable with regards to this – Liz said they will be working from this document.
- A questioned asked about DBS requiring a DBS address history. It will be put into their new guidance. Clarification is required as to exactly what we need to do here.
- Teachers need to get a police check in each country they work in and while they are there.
- BC is thinking of putting out information for teachers about what they will need regarding documentation and qualification to work in each country – this was received well by the group.
- LM’s advice was , If you can’t get exactly what you need when recruiting try and think about the bigger picture – what are we trying to achieve- what else can we get to prove the same thing?
- LM is working on BC schools providing references for their staff with at least suitability to work with children statement.
Published age ranges
- Publish different age ranges at differences centres. What about if a few students are outside of the age range in the group? You risk assess it and decide if you think it is acceptable but you would get a not met for it. Can we put a note saying we accept students of a slightly different age range? Liz is referring it as a question as she can’t say now. It was requested that Liz answer this as soon as possible by the members.
- W17 changed to informed rather request. Criteria allow requests for pairs of the same language. Trying to avoid international mix being sold when the reality is not this.
British Council Board
- TC brought up the issue of who the board is. The executive board is BC x 3 and EUK x 3
Jonn Nagg (Replaced by Mike Wells next years) BC, Roy Cross BC, Oliver Phillips BC, Sarah Cooper EUK, Mark Rendell (ST Giles) EUK, Andrew Hjort (Melton College ) EUK. EUK representatives are nominated by EUK. BC board members are appointed internally by BC.
- ASAC- 2 x 4 year terms. Advertised via newswire and application plus CV. They make recommendations to the board. Sector, region and course type mix
- You can find a list of members on their website. 3 x YL specialists are currently part of ASAC.
- Do the new guidelines provide sector specific information? Liz said hopefully it does.
- Consistency of reports – checked by senior inspectors – check against new criteria and ASAC
- TC raised the issue of why there are the same inspectors for adult and juniors. LM informed us that there are only a finite number of inspectors and increasingly, schools have both types of provision so this makes sense. They are trained and experienced in both areas, they also work in varied teams. Liz explains that inspectors are timetabled to focus more on academic elements rather than activities during inspections – it’s not a sign of their disinterest.
- SE went to an inspectors meeting.
- SE and MD to contact LM about inspectors coming to our meeting. LM asked for us to send information about why this would be useful. LM suggested we choose a relevant agenda and choose 2 senior inspectors who will feed it back to the others.
Training Courses
- Anna Thatcher (AT) sent a message via the forum last week requesting ideas for 2018 training sessions, and has had some good suggestions so far
Suggestions so Far
- Learning differences
- Cross cultural issues
- Training ALs to AMs
- More practical GDPR – the feedback is that it is an enormous subject and needs to be broken down
- Risk assessments
- Managing residential accommodation
- Emergency response and crisis management
Email Anna Thatcher with any other ideas