Andrew Roper is the managing director of the ELT chain British Study Centres which has just branched out into the USA. The PIE caught up with him to talk about the juniors boom and the differences in working Stateside.
The PIE: What is the scope of British Study Centres’ operations?
AR: The English language operation started in 2002, so we’re 10 years old, but the company itself was founded in the 1930’s (the company also runs two business schools, the West London College and Hove College). We have four language schools year round in Oxford, Brighton and Bournemouth, plus a dedicated teacher training centre in Oxford, one of only a few in the country.
We also have eight junior summer schools, four in the UK and four just opened in the US. Enrollment in our adult segment grew 19% this year, which is very pleasing given the issues and challenges in the UK market. Our juniors segment has seen a 50% growth year on year; it was 32% last year, and we’re projecting around a 66% rise this year with our new US ventures.
The PIE: What prompted you to enter the US market?
AR: We’d been researching it for some time and it seemed a logical decision, as the young learners market is booming and we needed new centres. We went to the market, talked to agents and looked at our competitors. We identified Boston and New York as obvious places to start and then we saw suitable schools. We’ve gone for a blend of boarding schools and university venues with amazing facilities, with a site in San Diego too. We also acquired an American operator, Access to Language Studies, owned by Dilermando Silva who has become our operations manager for the States.
The PIE: How is the US looking right now for language schools?
AR: We see the US as our main growth area for 2012. The market seems pretty buoyant at the moment, though obviously it’s our first summer so it’s hard to say until that’s done. But indicators are good. We’ve got good forward bookings and we feel we’ve got good centres. It’s a challenge for us running operations across two different time zones, but there’s a strong commitment to make it work. For now we are not thinking of opening adult language schools in the US, but we won’t rule anything out, including expansion in other English speaking countries.
The PIE: It’s a turbulent time in the UK market. What can language schools do to keep moving forward?
AR: It’s a very good question. My short answer is to be quick on your feet and to diversify, our expansion on juniors being an example. There are no visa issues for juniors which makes a massive difference. You also need a strong sales team; we have quite a large sales team and it’s important to be present in different markets because markets go up and down.
There are no visa issues for juniors which makes a massive difference
Colombia for example was our number one market here in London, but since the government withdrew work rights it’s fallen off a cliff. The counterpoint to that is Brazil- it’s booming and we see that in our schools. Italy and France are still very strong. Korea’s doing well as are most other markets for us. As I say, you have to have many plates spinning.
The PIE: Do you see a change in government policy on the horizon?
AR: The government position is a big worry to us and to others in the industry. I know Tony Millns and the English UK team are doing a fantastic job of fighting our corner. The Extended Student Visitor Visa (ESVV) has been a great help as students have been able to come for longer courses. But the ESVV could go again and is up for review in March. Then we’d lose a lot of our long term Japanese and Korean students. We feel the government has to stop viewing students as migrants and recognise their value. International education is one of our our top export industries, but we’re definitely undervalued. I feel that message is starting to get through to government.
The PIE: Do you expect more consolidation this and next year?
AR: Yes. We’re quite lucky as we have four adult schools. We’re a chain and there’s strength in numbers at the moment and in economies of scale. If you’re a standalone school it is much harder. TUI entered the market last year and I think we’re going to see more of that.
“I feel that message is starting to get through to government”
The PIE: Why is the juniors market doing so well in your view?
AR: What we’ve seen is parents investing in their children. It’s noticeable in China where parents see investing as important, and so we’ve seen growing numbers from that market, Russia too. The demand for language skills for children is also high and the UK is seen as the home of the English language. That’s not to say it’s not challenging; you’re vulnerable to things like ash clouds and swine flu, but I think there will always be a strong UK market. We certainly have a strategic plan to grow juniors. We’re looking at more centres for next year.
The PIE: Have you had any ‘Lost in Translation’ moments working in the States?
AR: I know our sales director, Adrian Liley, was seen on a recent visit walking around New Jersey in his Northampton Town football club scarf. I think that may have been lost in translation! I think you’d say there’s a cultural difference between the two sides, but it’s working very well. Places like Boston and California are beautiful places and our staff enjoy visiting the centres. The Americans are very open to us. It’s an interesting slant for them working with a British school.
