English UK is the world's leading language teaching association.
It has around 450 member centres (*) in British private schools, educational trusts and charities, further education colleges and universities. Members must be accredited under the Accreditation UK scheme which is run in partnership between the British Council and English UK.
English UK was formed in 2004 from two previous associations (the Association of Recognised English Language Services and the British Association of State English Language Teaching).
Since 2004 we have established ourselves as the voice of the UK English language teaching sector and now work with a wide range of partners and stakeholders worldwide to represent the interests of the English language profession.
Our activities are diverse. In any one week we may be lobbying in support of international student mobility, running a training event on managing homestay accommodation, and attending a student recruitment exhibition in Brazil. As a UK registered charity, our work is governed by the key aim of advancing the education of international students.
Student complaints procedure
Complaints against English UK member schools are rare, but we have procedures in place to help in these cases. The first step for students is to use the internal complaints process at the member school. If the student is not satisfied with the response, they can contact us for more advice. English UK will mediate in complaints against private schools and language centres, referring on to an independent Ombudsman if mediation fails.
There are external processes for universities and further education colleges.
You can find detailed information about the student complaints procedure here.
Student Emergency Support Fund
It is very rare that an accredited centre closes before students have finished their courses. But, if this does happen, the Student Emergency Support Fund can help.
The fund aims to minimise the effects of closure when students have paid fees for language courses at English UK member centres. It ensures students can complete their learning and also covers money lost on accommodation fees.
English UK members are expected to help provide alternative language courses at no additional cost to students affected by the closure of another member school. We will act quickly to find the student a suitable course so that their learning continues uninterrupted. This is one more reason why choosing an English UK centre is both a guarantee of quality and a secure investment.
Working with agents
We can keep you up-to-date with relevant developments in the UK's English language teaching sector and help you to build connections with quality educators.
Every year, we run a programme of briefing events and activities that inform agents about developments in the UK's English language teaching sector. We produce a regular newsletter for agents and deliver up-to-date news on our website, www.englishuk.com.
We also host or participate in events that help you to build solid partnerships with accredited English language member centres.
StudyWorld
StudyWorld London is our annual international student recruitment event, attracting over 900 delegates from 60 countries. It is an established forum where you can schedule one-to-one meetings with the full range of education providers, including international universities and colleges (www.studyworldfair.com).
The English UK Fairs
The English UK Fairs are organised by English UK, the world's leading language teaching association, in partnership with the British Council, UK Trade & Investment and VisitBritain. Participation in these 3-day events is limited to just 70 organisations (30 educators and 40 agencies) and is only open to English UK member centres and selected top quality agents.
For more information, visit www.englishukfairs.com.
Inward Missions
Our inward missions give agents opportunities to gain direct experience of English language education in the UK. Trips are free once you have travelled to the UK, and they include visits to language centres and locations, workshops and networking.
Overseas Events
We take part in major education fairs around the world, schedule overseas visits and run briefing sessions on developments in the UK's English language training sector.
Special interest and regional/national groups
English UK has a number of special interest groups and regional/national groups that showcase the diversity of what the UK has to offer. For more information please click here
(*) We often use the word 'centre' to describe an English language teaching provider. This could be a private language school, independent school, further education college or higher education institution.
Downloads
To download English UK's essential information for agents as a printable document, please click here.
