Mini-review Day 4 feedback
The school inspector has not been the only person assessing More Than English summer school. Last night the students gave their opinions too in an online mini-review and here are the average ***star ratings*** out of 5 for each area:
Food ****
Staff ****
Bedroom ****
Core English ****
Get Ahead study options ****
Club Time activities ****
Evening Activities ****
Nationality Mix ****
In short, the average mark given by the students for every area was 4/5. Not bad: but still room for improvement.
Let’s look at some comments:
We asked: “How can we improve summer school”. The students said:
More free-time
“I want some time to rest after sports”
“Another thing, in the evening we are really tired, the evening activities are too much tiring, doing sport after dinner it’s too much for us!”
“We don’t have free time , we always have to rush like during the day and at the night. Never more than 25 mins…”
“A Little Bit more freetime”
“Decrease the activities after dinner because we’ll be more tired and we won’t have enough energy to make the activities”
More Than English response >> you spoke, we listened:
David (co-Director) “It’s very important to have a lots of activities on summer school. We do not want students to be bored. However, if students are tooooo tired to do the activities, it not fun for them at all. So, we will cancel some (SOME) activity slots, sometimes (SOMETIMES) and use this time for “chilling and chatting and listening to music and maybe kicking a football or two” in the beautiful Moor Park garden. Thank you for the useful feedback!!”
The film at the cinema
“Apollo 11 was really boring… we would like to watch something more funny next time!”
“Don’t choose a documentary for go to cinema please.”
“I enjoyed the film Apollo 11”
More Than English response >> you spoke, we listened:
David (Director) “We chose this film because it marks a very important historical moment. Moreover, when mankind stepping onto the moon, mankind achieved the impossible. On summer school, we want to inspire students to believe that they can do more. Why? Because with motivation, effort, and working hard as a team they can achieve anything. I was delighted at breakfast the morning after the film to hear Finn from Germany and Tudor from Romania having a debate about whether the moon landing was real or not and marvelling at how scientists in the 1960s achieved so much with so little technology. Clearly, some students were inspired by and LOVED the film. At the same time, on summer school, we need to balance the fun side and the learning side (and combine the two together as much as possible). So, we have decided to show as soon as possible, a very English and a very funny film. Johnny English 2.
Wi-Fi
“Improve the WI-FI”
Week 1 student
David (Director) “Technology is a blessing, but it is also a curse” (technology has advantages and disadvantages). One problem with technology is that young and not so young people including me and including parents are becoming addicted to social media. On summer school, we want students to use their technology more wisely, for example, for research, and instead to focus on face-to-face communication and development of social skills and the development of ‘the art of conversation’ especially at mealtimes. For this reason, we have limited and restricted students’ access to technology to certain hotspots and to certain times of the day. Let’s do a digital detox together and enjoy each other’s company more.
Speaking in English
“Some Spanish and Italian students speak only on their language”
Week 1 student
“Make sure that you separate the people from the same country to make sure that everybody is talking English. Thanks!”
Week 1 student
“Too many students of one country (7 people from Germany)”
Week 1 student
David (Director) “Interesting comments! In fact we have a super strict policy limiting the number of bookings not only in terms of nationality but also in terms of the number of speakers of each language (for example Spanish is spoken in both Mexico and Spain). We do not accept more than 20% of any language/nationality. This week we have a fewer Spanish speakers than usual (only 9). For Italians we have 11, which is exactly 20%. This week we have 14 nationalities: Mexico, Canada, Greece, Romania, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, France, Italy, the Ukraine, Lebanon and Spain.
However, an English immersion environment is not only about nationality mix. It’s about more than that. It’s about organisation and it’s about how much responsibility students take for their own learning:
Organisation: we have also created House Teams to mix the nationalities even more. We also consider nationality when we are create class lists and when we allocate students to bedrooms.
Behaviour: we have done a lot of ‘tricks’ to make sure that everyone speaks English. But we also need your help students. Students: you need to make a decision yourself to make an extra effort to spend more time with friends from other countries and to always speak with people from country in English too.
Today, we spoke with some (not all) of the Spanish and Italians and already they have started to make more effort to avoid slipping into their own language. One boy wants to change his excursion from Manchester to London and he knows that this will only be possible if he stops ‘slipping into’ Spanish.
Moreover, Margarita (mum of 2, 41 years old) who is one of our SUPER-HERO House Parents, has made a new system: not for every meal, but for some meals. She has made a mixed nationality dining room seating plan.
Finally, HOUSE POINTS! If YOU students speak in your own language, you will make your team lose House Points. So, students! It’s your job: make sure your teammates do not speak in their own language because your team will lose points.
How do the Directors and Managers at More Than English feel about their new plan to take House Parents away from students who are not making enough effort to speak in English?
Here’s the moment the Management Team decided on this evil plan in the More The English management control centre. Can you recognise Claire and David?
Food
“There is too much meat at the menu. I know that there are meals for vegetarians, but it’s about the animals ?.
Week 1 student
David (Director): First of all, we’re really glad that the students appreciate the amazing food at More Than English. It’s something we’ve really worked hard on to get right. Secondly, we agree! It’s very important for the future of the planet that everyone reduces meat consumption. For that reason, we are edging slowly (moving slowly) to a more flexitarian menu. This means fewer meat focused meals. It also means that on some days, for some meals, everyone will eat a vegetarian meal. Well done for being concerned about the animals. Anyone who loves a pet such as a dog or a cat knows that animals are a lot like us: they want to be safe, they want to be loved, they all have different personalities and we all need to respect them and look after them.
Things you LOVE ?.
Finally, here are some of the things you said you LOVE ? about summer school:
“The garden”
Week 1 student
“Everything! It’s great here. The people are great, the activities and the lessons are great! Thank you for this wonderful summer school!”
Week 1 student
“Everything”
Week 1 student
“I like the Get Ahead activity (the one we do everyday)”
Week 1 student
“I love that all the staff are so nice and so kind I just love the that it fels like home, that we learn so much English that we do sports just everything and that all the kids come from other countries it’s just amazing I love it”
Week 1 student
“David and Claire are great people, and so is everyone in the staff!! :)”
Week 1 student
“All, it’s veeery good school”
Week 1 student
“Margarita”
Week 1 student
“Activities and nationality mix”
Week 1 student
“Margarita”
Week 1 student
“Afternoon activities and morning lessons.”
Week 1 student
“The Core English and Get Head options are great”
Week 1 student
“I really like the English lessons because the teachers are really nice and the classes are small.”
Week 1 student
“Everyone of More than English is really kind. It’s nice!”
Week 1 student
“You can meet a lot of people from other countries”
Week 1 student
“That I can improve my English through speaking with others; sport activities.”
Week 1 student
“Nearly everything”
Week 1 student
“The evening activities”
Week 1 student
“The people”
Week 1 student
“That you meet people of different places”
Week 1 student
Thank you for all your positive energy students! Let’s continue TOGETHER making the best summer school experience ever. Staff and students! When you think about, we the staff and you the students are one team. This is our summer school and we all want to make it the best. Let’s do it!
