There are a surprising number of places where you can be CELTAized perfectly adequately, and then exploited from the moment you are a teacher rather than a customer. So much so that I’d thought I’d make a list, both to make that general point and to save people being put off by the comments of people who have worked there (if they are more interested in training) and to save teachers being attracted by a school just because it has a CELTA course.
Here are the places that I have heard are fine to do your Cert or Dip at, but then you really should find a job elsewhere:
– Oxford House, Oxford Street, London
– ECC, Thailand
– David English House, Hiroshima (RIP)
– Some International House schools
– Some Bell schools
Also, apparently Kaplan offers a Delta course, but as they are most famous for deliberately breaking EU employment law and are based on a methodology from the 19th century, I can’t imagine they have much else going for them.
I imagine there are many more.
I suppose we could also look at it the other way. St Giles and the British Council are generally good for both training and employment. I imagine most universities are too. Strangely, those are the only places that I can think of right now.
More suggestions please, on either side!
TEFLtastic 
What criteria are you basing this on Alex? Pay vs. competitors? Feedback from ex-staff? Management? I’m a bit surprised by some of the names on that list…
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All of them. Which were you surprised by?
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I was surprised by mention of IH – but then, I’ve only trained there, not worked for them…although the people I know who work for the one where I trained/am training, seem to be happy, and enjoying it :-)
Part way through DELTA module one now, Alex. Let me know if you want a blog post about it… ;-)
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Well, I trained in an IH school year ago when I did my CELTA then worked for another one a few years later and they both seemed pretty happy, well-run places. I also did a short stint in Hiroshima and although I never worked in David English House a few of my friends worked there and rated it as the one English school in Japan that was trying to run their business as a school rather than a cash cow.
Maybe I’d advise new teachers to take note of the atmosphere of the place they train in, the staff turnover, the amount of PD that goes on, how organised the DOS is, the number of senor level staff supporting the DOS, (badly run schools tend to have less in my experience), etc. before making any rash decisions.
Not sure about the 19th century methodology in Kaplan schools, isn’t that Berlitz?
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I think I was confusing Kaplan with Callam rather than Berlitz, but the breaking EU law was definitely Kaplan. Heard that working for them here in Japan is quite good, though, so maybe being in the UK is the problem with the UK school(s?)
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