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Till Gins, Owner, OISE Group

TG: Yes, when there’s a downturn it is usually due to economic problems: people decide to give up on what they perceive as unnecessary spending, so they become far more selective in their choice of education provider.

"Language teaching is not all about knowledge, it’s about performance, and therefore if groups are too large, students are not going to be able to get enough practical training"

The PIE: So when did you start acquiring other brands?

TG: 1996. The first school that joined us was Harven School of English in Woking.

The PIE: Tell me about your strategy to keep these schools under their own brand.

TG: Whether it is an OISE school or another school, the principal is empowered to manage that school as if he/she owned it. We give them guidance and support yet they have a platform to express themselves and therefore provide a very unique service. But this only comes as long as it is backed up with continuous professional development which I spend a lot of time organising.

“Whether it is an OISE school or another school, the principal is empowered to manage that school as if he/she owned it”

The diversity of the schools’ pedigree brings purpose and vitality to all our schools. For example, the amazing creativity of Pilgrims encouraged every school to be more innovative.

The PIE: So is the OISE client-base, given your focus, slightly older, more professional than other schools?

TG: Yes. The average age in an OISE school is late 20s to early 30s but many of the participants are older.

The PIE: And you offer junior programming as well?

TG: Yes, we have a large Young Learners operation. There again, it focuses on motivated students. We don’t do morning lessons and afternoon activities like everyone else. All our courses are full-day programmes, so we attract the people who really want to study and put in the effort to develop significantly their language skills.

The PIE: Do you think that in general students are arriving with a better level of language acquired?

TG: Yes definitely. The percentage of students in the advanced classes is much higher than 20 years ago, a lot higher.

“What we don’t want to do is go down the path of sixth form colleges; our interest is in international boarding schools”

The PIE: Do you think there will still be a market for ELT even if the levels of English training are sufficiently good in the country?

TG: Yes, I think most students will go from beginner to elementary in their own country. The market is shifting because a lot of the students who choose to go to an English speaking country have an ulterior motive: to go to university in these countries.

The PIE: So how does OISE or your group tap into that?

TG: We deliver courses for pre-university students who prepare to go to university, either in the UK or another English speaking country.

The PIE: How many schools do you have now?

TG: Thirty. I like them all – I have this ability to spend the day in one school and forget that I have others. I focus on that school and get very excited about what it delivers. And I hope that the passion rubs off on the person who runs it.

The PIE: Do you see expanding your group further?

TG: Yes, we are now in secondary education with Newbury Hall, an international boarding school; Basil Paterson has always been preparing local Scottish pupils for A levels and Scottish Highers and has now opened a Middle school. I find it all very interesting because it is very similar to good language teaching, in the sense that it’s also dedicated to helping people achieve their future success.

“A lot of public schools think they’re doing well financially, but that’s because they own their premises: if they were charging themselves rent most would be loss-making”

The PIE: One of the things we’ve observed is parents increasingly attempting to send kids abroad at the younger age.

TG: Yes. It’s not just the language level, it’s the cultural level. If they want their children to become cosmopolitan, they want to send them abroad early. We are planning to open a Prep school for pre-Newbury Hall pupils.

The PIE: So do you think this is a growth area for OISE?

TG: Yes. I can see OISE further developing secondary education. What we don’t want to do is go down the path of sixth form colleges; our interest is in international boarding schools.

The PIE: You own quite a lot of property – so that gives you financial backing. The reason not a lot people go into secondary education is because it’s a lot more expensive, isn’t it?

TG: It is, and it takes a lot longer to get a decent return on investment. A lot of public schools think they’re doing well financially, but that’s because they own their premises: if they were charging themselves rent most would be loss-making.

The PIE: What do you think about big private equity companies looming into that sector?

TG: I think they transform the industry in a negative way: they are usually focused on the short- to medium-term whereas in education you need to have a long-term view. People ring me every week asking to invest in OISE and the answer is always an emphatic ‘no!’

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3 Responses to Till Gins, Owner, OISE Group

  1. I have had the opportunity to get to know Till Gins when working for Scanbrit many years ago. At the moment, our company Global Studies, has got branches in Argentina, Uruguay and Spain and we would like to receive information specially, as to courses for groups in Oxford. Also, information about courses for Cabin Crews. As much information as you can send me, I/we will greatly appreciate. Best regards

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