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INTERVIEW .

Secrets to

Summer

Success

PREMIUM RESIDENTIAL SUMMER SCHOOLS
Summer Boarding Courses is the fi rst
summer specialist to get a perfect score Sam Holderness, Director of FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AGED 8 TO 17
SBC, with Will Finlayson,
on their British Council Inspection – Operations Director, showing
Melanie Butler asks how they did it off their perfect score

What made you fall in love with the sector and how does your Some summer schools are in the tourism business – but you are
previous professional background help? part of a mainstream education chain. Why is that important?

Sam: I worked for years in a secure unit caring for young people Sam: If we are asking someone to pay the price of a small family car,
with challenging behaviour. My first foray into summer schools you must deliver an experience that surpasses expectations in order
was during a university break while I was doing a post-grad course. to grow through word of mouth. We can couple a genuine academic
Having grown up in Singapore, I was immediately blown away experience with a great holiday, that is the not-so-magic formula.
by re-experiencing a great mix of cultures in one place, and the Today, people can learn English from native English speakers on
bonus that the young people weren’t trying to kill me was brilliant. YouTube for free from their sofa, but they can’t get 1 to 1 support or
I had also run a hotel restaurant. Both roles were great deliver a presentation to a roomful of their peers.
preparation: incredibly long hours, face-to-face challenges, but
without the ‘making a difference’ aspect that education brings. Will: Summer school is now firmly a part of a student’s educational
Doing a 24-hour shift in a secure unit is real work… 24 hours at journey. At school during the year, students and teachers are often
summer school learning and laughing is a joy! very focussed on the exams that come at the end. This gives us the
opportunity to help them to develop for the 21st century.
Will: My background is in sports coaching. I’ve worked with a Communication, confidence and team work are all skills that
whole range of age groups and abilities. A huge part of coaching have become central to all of our in-house developed courses.
is quickly building relationships with people and helping them to The experience also has to be positive and memorable – we want
grow – something I’ve always found really useful at the schools. to be the spark that ignites their interest in studying in English.
My first summer school experience was as an activity leader
during university holidays. I instantly fell in love with the industry. What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your time in the
There’s something amazing and unique about a staff team coming summer school market and what is your proudest achievement?
together from all over the world, and making a school feel like
home in a relatively short period of time. Sam: Where to start? I’ll choose the time several years ago, when
the host school in-house catering fell through, a fortnight before a
What are the three most important factors in course was due to start.
running a great summer school? We scoured the country for caterers,
We can couple chefs, anyone who could cater full board
Sam: Communication, flexibility and having a genuine academic across a whole summer. At one point,
fun. I was thinking of quality… but quality someone suggested stock-piling tins of beans.
doesn’t come without these three traits. experience with a great Eventually, the solution came in the form of
Communication is absolutely key, it is holiday, that is the not-so- a professional chef and force-of-nature who
the DNA threading through every project. came to us after cooking for the McLaren
From communicating though your marketing magic formula summer ball. The food was the stuff of
with potential customers, through to daily dreams… the cost was the stuff of nightmares!
communication during the course. Make it
regular, make it effective. Will: I think one of the most amazing things about working in
Flexibility is crucial. There is no 5pm home time, no ‘OK, let’s summer school is how different every year can be. On the flip side,
look at that on Monday’. If the room booking malfunctions or the we all know that those summers that prove to me more challenging
coach breaks down, everyone having a fundamental approach of are often the ones that you come away from with life-long friends
flexibility will deliver quicker solutions. and a few good stories.
Having fun. If you’re not having fun doing what you do, then Proudest achievement, I think, would be maintaining and
why do it? The raw building blocks for all residential courses are building SBC through some tough industry conditions. It’s hard to
the same: young people a long way from home, bringing different maintain quality, keep to your nationality limits, the investment
cultures and perspectives, a wide mix of transient professionals, you make in the programme. However, its great to come through it,
and hopefully a bit of sun and ice cream along the way. Ace! knowing that the quality of what you offer has grown and that our SUMMERBOARDINGCOURSES.CO.UK Awarded the maximum Students
students will have the experience of their lives! number of 15 Strengths from 95
countries
in the 2018 British
+44 (0)1865 987 127 Council inspection in 2018
34 November/December 2018

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