Recent closures among UK-based English language schools underline tense trading conditions in the sector, with one London school closure leaving students stranded and out of pocket.
Callan School London is one of the latest closures. In a statement it said the high costs associated with visiting and staying in London led to a decision to close.
“The Callan School London core markets of Spain, Poland and Brazil have also been facing significant economic difficulties themselves,” the statement said. “As a consequence, the London EFL market as a whole has seen a steady decrease in numbers over the last few years.”
A notice posted in October on the website said the Oxford Street-based school would close “with immediate effect”.
“There were a lot of students who would have got the shock news that their school has closed”
The school also advised those students who had paid on a credit card to seek a refund from their card issuer.
As an unaccredited school, Callan School London did not benefit from any wider help via English UK’s Student Emergency Support Fund.
However, some of the students impacted by this move have been turning up at member schools asking for help, confirmed Huan Japes, deputy chief executive (professional services) at English UK.
“We don’t help students with their accommodation fees or help them to provide a free of charge tuition for the remaining weeks if they’re not accredited,” he told The PIE News.
“There were a lot of students who would have got the shock news that their school has closed.”
The Callan Education Group continues operating other Callan Group companies. “Callan intends to go to where students want to be, or can afford to be. This means a flexible, widespread network of schools globally, plus taking the Callan Method to students online,” the company’s statement said.
The Callan Education Group continues operating other Callan Group companies
The other shock closure of the autumn was that of Anglo European School of English, operating in Bournemouth since 1971. The former English UK member closed its doors on October 2, with 23 students studying at the time, according to Japes.
Students were transferred to BEET Language Centre in Bournemouth.
Meanwhile, Bournemouth-based Cavendish School of English are “taking over the summer centres” from Anglo European, with more details to follow, Nathan Panke, marketing manager confirmed to The PIE News.
“From our understanding there were only a handful and they were able to place them”
Other closures this year include inlingua Cardiff, established in 2007, which also closed in October. The Student Emergency Support Fund helped four of the affected students with accommodation.
“From our understanding there were only a handful and they were able to place them,” said Japes. “There wasn’t a problem with this closure in terms of finding alternatives for the students.”
Tense conditions continue as the Bournemouth branch of English language school chain British Study Centres is also set to close next week. Owner Simon Cleaver told The PIE News that market conditions played a role in deciding to close the school.
Another Bournemouth-based school, Wessex Academy, also closed its doors in April of this year (transferring its students to Anglo-European).
Owner Andrew Doran told fellow English UK members at the time: “Our long term adult numbers have been falling since the autumn of 2013 and we could no longer sustain the increasing losses.”
