The UK ELT sector has celebrated four decades of its renowned inspection scheme Accreditation UK, jointly run by the British Council and English UK.

The Quality Assurance in Language Education Network, a worldwide network of English language accreditation bodies, has officially launched its website and branding this month, following a symposium in Malta. The developments put the organisation on track to create a forum for sharing best practice and comparing accreditation systems used in different countries.

English UK is calling for the reinstatement of Accreditation UK as an approved body for Tier 4 visa sponsors, claiming that the de jure metric, the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), costs three times more yet is ineffective. The Home Office says it has no plans to change tac.