Information for centres

We are hosting a series of online briefing sessions to support your preparation for inspection; these are free to attend. Sessions currently available:

• Pre-inspection briefing Wednesday 30 April 2025, 11 am-12 pm (welfare and safeguarding focus). Please select any sessions you want to join (booking closes the day before) book here.

• Introduction to Accreditation UK: Gain an overview of the Accreditation UK scheme, its purpose, benefits, and how it supports quality assurance in English language teaching
• Introduction to Inspection: Understand the inspection process from start to finish, including what to expect on inspection day and how inspectors assess compliance.
• Preparing documentation: Helping your inspectors involves presenting relevant evidence and using inspection documentation to demonstrate compliance and highlight what you do best.
• Teaching and Learning:present relevant evidence using inspection documentation to demonstrate compliance and highlight what you do best. 
• Welfare, student services and safeguarding under-18s: giving guidance on how to avoid ‘not mets’, understanding the requirements and where to get additional advice. With specific information on the role of risk assessment in delivering safe provision and demonstrating this to inspectors.  
• Academic Management: an overview of the changes to academic staff profile criteria for 2024-27, the role of the academic manager and supporting your academic manager(s).

• Provisional Accreditation Information about the inspection process for provisional accreditation for new applicants seeking accreditation ahead of starting to deliver English language courses.

• Inspection Criteria 2024 (PDF 581KB)
• Accreditation UK handbook (PDF 762KB)
• Inspection documentation and guidance (PDF 765MB)
• Flowchart to check teacher qualifications (Word 533KB)
• Guidance for providers on assessing Teaching and learning (PDF 158KB)
• Recruitment and support policy template (Word 42KB)
• Academic staff qualifications  (PDF 498KB)
• Qualifications evaluation form (Word 43KB)
• Rationale for academic management template (Word 55KB) 

The British Council is committed to child protection. Centres that teach students under 18 must meet the safeguarding standard to gain or retain accreditation. We offer a collection of guidelines and supporting materials for centres that work with under-18s.

• Guide to Writing a Safeguarding Policy (Word 106KB)
• Safeguarding Training, a free online training resource, is available to help language centres raise awareness of safeguarding for adults who have contact with children on English language courses and in associated services.
• Guidance on Handling Disclosure from a Child (PDF 65KB) dealing with a child who reports abuse can be a difficult and stressful experience. This document contains some practical advice on how to deal with this situation.

We welcome your feedback on the inspection process. Please use the online survey to tell us about your experience.