On the road...

(John Duncan of ELC Bristol at the main entrance to the school, wishing all students a good weekend after Friday classes)

I've just finished a couple of weeks travelling up and down the country visiting a few of the language schools that SuperCourses works with. I think I've seen more classrooms, staircases, toilets, staircases, staffrooms, staircases, offices and sta... than anyone in living history. Oh... as well as being an expert on the nation's train services and how they don't seem to run on time, no matter where they go in the UK.

But, I have to say that the schools I've visited have been real eye-openers, each offering something different and being lovingly looked after by careful owners and directors. In Brighton, the Loxdale school sprawls over a huge area and even has an impressive gymnasium on the premises. It's a startlingly well-equipped school in a beautiful building and is surrounded by lawns and places to chill out in. When I was there the owner was holding a session on safeguarding with a group of host families, keeping them up-to-date with the latest rule changes. Down the road in the town centre the Castle school really does look like a mediaeval castle with crenellated roof and grey walls. The place smacks of history and looks like a fantastic place to study English. Again, the manager there told me of the importance of caring for students, families and teachers.

Up to Newcastle and the International House there looks like the perfect school in so many ways. It was even packed at 4 in the afternoon - and in October too. What made this school different was that everyone seemed so happy, from the owners, admin team to the teachers and activity staff. I've never seen such a smiling and happy lot. The student lounge was massive as well - more like a well-equipped airport lounge. And as for the Chinese restaurant on the ground floor... well, you can't get much better than that!

Then came Bristol and ELC. Again, the key to success seems to be the incredible care and attention that the owners have for all their students. They even stood at the main entrance to the school at the end of classes to wish all students a great evening or weekend as they left classes. Apparently, that happens everyday without fail. Such attention to the needs of the students goes way beyond the call of duty and you can imagine how contented the ELC students looked. It's no wonder the school scores so highly when inspected by all the various inspection bodies in our industry.

International House, just down the road, looks a lovely place too with top-notch teachers and a very efficient admin staff. The two buildings both ooze style and look like a great place to study for short and long term courses.

And so I came back to London feeling pretty bowled over by the schools I've visited over the past two weeks. The student market might be diminishing as the years go by for so many reasons and technology might be taking over and computerising so many aspects of how a school is run.

But, at the heart of all the best schools, is the simple fact that the human element is the difference between success and failure. Being nice, kind and caring still have a place in the world of language learning.