Apply to become an accredited centre

You can self-evaluate your organisation against the inspection criteria. Use this template to see whether your centre meets the requirements and refer to the self-evaluation examples

Self evaluation template 2024 (Word 103KB)

Self evaluation examples (PDF 605KB)

You need to download, complete and submit the:

1. Relevant application form - private sector (Word 269KB), state sector (Word 240KB) or home tuition providers (Word 175KB) with home tuition teacher list (31KB).

2. Declaration of legal and regulatory compliance (Word 35KB)

3. First application checklist (Word 84KB).

4. People to be seen form (Word 73KB)

5. Information sharing agreement (Word 28KB)

The table below shows the application deadlines for certain inspection months.

Inspection months	Deadline
April-June 2024	2 February
Summer 2024	5 April
Sept/Oct 2024	31 May
Nov/Dec 2024	28 June

Until further notice, any applications for inspection and supporting documentation should be submitted by email to accreditation.unit@britishcouncil.org

Please keep a copy of your application as a reference and backup.

If you have already had a first inspection and have been advised to apply for a supplementary inspection, you will need a Supplementary inspection application form(Word 81KB).

Where centres have 'Points to be addressed' on an inspection report, an appropriate Action plan (Word 56KB), will be submitted in preparation for the next inspection. This plan will include a timeframe and will form part of the next inspection. 

We will inform you when your application has been checked and is in order. We will then pass it to the Inspections Co-ordinator to arrange your inspection. You must then send both inspectors inspection Inspection documentation and guidance (PDF 765KB)

Template forms are provided for some of these items:

• Academic staff profile spreadsheet (Excel 123KB)

• List of staff template (Excel 51KB)

• Organisation profile (Word 39KB)

• Organisation plan template (Word 19KB)

• Self evaluation template 2024 (Word 103KB)

For inspection, language centres need to document how their recruitment and support policy provides an academic staff team appropriate to the centre’s courses and students (see criterion T1).

A Recruitment and support policy template (Word 42KB) is provided, this replaces rationales previously submitted (document 27). 

If you need to check the qualifications of academic staff you can use the form below

Qualifications evaluation (Word 42KB)

There are no specific forms for stage 3 - please see the here (PDF 149 KB) for the full list of documentation inspectors will want to see during the inspection. Inspectors will sample files and records to obtain evidence that criteria are met.