Job Discussion Forums

meteacher · Joined: 09 Feb 2008 Posts: 60 Location: UAE

Having worked in the EFL industry for quite some time now, I have always thought about going solo and setting up my own school in the UK. With the number of contacts that I have worldwide, recruiting students would be quite easy. However, with the growing number of restrictions on the EFL industry in the UK, e.g. visa regulations, minimum level of English, etc, I'm wondering if this is even possible any more.

Firstly, to be able to recruit students outside of the EU you would need to be on the UKBA sponsor register. To do this, you need to be accredited by the British Council. To be accredited by the BC, you need to have been operating for at least 12 months......

That means that you would only be able to teach EU students for a year who pay relatively low fees in comparison to non-EU students or non-EU students on dependent visas.

How do you do it? How does one set up these days? Is it even possible anymore?

artemisia · Joined: 04 Nov 2008 Posts: 875 Location: the world

meteacher · Joined: 09 Feb 2008 Posts: 60 Location: UAE

The legal working hours for students was also reduced in the UK. On a Tier 4 student visa, students are now only allowed to work for 10 hours during term time, which is a massive blow for the likes of South American students who NEED to work in order to fund their studies.

Actively promoting a new school will obviously help to bring in students, but again it's only going to bring in student who are already here. Those who are already here would be studying under the sponsorship of another school (unless EU or a dependent) which means that they would need to change sponsors in order to study at 'my' school. However, that would mean that I would have to be on the UKBA sponsor register, which means that I would have to have BC accreditation, which means that I would have to have been operating for 12 months......

It's a vicious circle and I don't see anyway around it......any suggestions??? There surely has to be a loop hole or it's the end of new business for the EFL industry in the UK.

Mr_Monkey · Joined: 11 Mar 2009 Posts: 661 Location: Kyuuuuuushuuuuuuu

meteacher · Joined: 09 Feb 2008 Posts: 60 Location: UAE

The 12 month rule is written into most accreditation handbooks, including the BC and ABLS....two of the main EFL accrediting bodies. It's a nightmare. The seasonal thing is an option, but you become and accredited seasonal provider and I'm not sure if you would need to open as a year-round centre (again for a certain period of time) in order for the accreditation to apply. I think this is literally the only way in now though and it raises the question of how the EFL industry will survive if this is the only way that new operations can start! Insane!

The UKBA are not helping at all, but hey ho.....

Mr_Monkey · Joined: 11 Mar 2009 Posts: 661 Location: Kyuuuuuushuuuuuuu

With my establishment, we opened a YL centre and claimed accredited status straight away. The BC then arranged a full inspection of the centre, upon which full accreditation for the new provision would then have been awarded upon successfully passing the inspection. I left before the summer school opened, so I don't know what will happen.

I'd suggest that your only option then would be to start your own, EU-focused school, for which no accreditation is necessary, then submitting for accreditation, then submitting for HTS status as soon as possible - the rules for HTS currently ask for a year of sponsorship records. This will obviously be with ESVVs rather than GSVs guven the rules that are soon to come in to place. Basically, though, the era of EFL schools sponsoring non-EU nationals is effectively over, barring some radical change in policy.

As I indicated in my last post, however, in my opinion, sponsored students and non-EU nationals isn't where the money is to be made. The sponsored students come with some pretty stringent financial strings attached, and the non-sponsored students rich enough to afford the UK are thin enough on the ground to make other countries - pretty much anywhere else,actually - more financially appealing. The cost of living and the cost of tuition in the UK are just too damned high.

coledavis · Joined: 21 Jun 2003 Posts: 1838

I hate to add to this, but the new passion about immigration - rather foolish given that it is an industry with foreign money flowing in - is even more damaging to TEFL and may well reduce the overall customer base. Sorry, but if you have a taste for being an entrepreneur and are not committed to the UK, I would try abroad. Why not try somewhere like Poland? Big committed market; adults want English to enhance their holidays in western Europe, adolescents get sent by their parents..

Mrs McClusky · Joined: 09 Jun 2010 Posts: 133

When students come to learn, let them in. When whole families come to sponge, close the door.

coledavis · Joined: 21 Jun 2003 Posts: 1838

Just the kind of comment that fuels the immigration 'debate' that is likely to destroy what exists of TEFL in the UK.

coledavis · Joined: 21 Jun 2003 Posts: 1838

ESOL - it gets worse. I am told that ESOL courses in further education are now only to be free to students on full benefits. So there'll be more experienced teachers out there in the market place. (Guess the government heeds the words about all those naughty hangers-on; they only want to help fully-fledged hangers-on!)