Nasi Partnerzy
The NW Academy is accredited by the British Council, Accreditation UK, and ISO 9001 quality assurance scheme, and is an exam centre for Cambridge and Trinity exams. We also offer Secure English Language Test (SELT) preparation courses for students who require these qualifications for VISA purposes.
We are based in a large, modern building, close to the city centre. The building was designed by RIBA Awards 2015 Royal Gold Medal winners O’Donnell + Tuomey and was awarded 2nd place in the 2011 Stirling Prize for Architecture. We are excited to offer a variety of campus-style amenities, such as an onsite café, student lounge, IT area, book-lending facility, and 9 fully equipped, modern classrooms. We also have access to a large hall which can be used for a range of events including theatre and dance performances, concerts and conferences. It can also be used as an assembly point for students, a facility for social activities, and a venue for student inductions and meetings. The building as a whole provides students with a comfortable, welcoming environment in which to study English, relax with friends or simply have a cup of coffee while listening to live Irish music.
At the North West Academy, we recruit year-round for our Freelance Teacher Register. We require a minimum of a CELTA or equivalent from all our applicants, and experience is preferred but not essential. If you have the necessary qualifications and are interested in applying, or if you would like more information, please contact us using one of the methods listed below:
North West Academy of English, 37 Great James St., Derry, BT48 7DF
E: info@northwestacademy.net T:+44 28 7137 0773
“There are language schools in every region of the UK,” points out the Academy's owner manager John McGowan. “People are not just looking any more at London, which is expensive. They get a much better deal here and more of the money goes into the [language and social] programme.” Students also like the soft Northern Ireland accent, adds Mr McGowan.
Expansion of the Academy has been rapid. It was established in 2003 and there are now 600 students a year attending courses in Derry with the Academy, which now has a staff of 10. “Turnover was just over £1m this year, so we are pretty happy,” says Mr McGowan. “Three years ago it was half that. The euro valuation has worked very well for us. We have reduced our running costs, while increasing our turnover.”
The majority of students come from the larger, more wealthy, European countries of Germany, France, Spain and Italy, but the Academy is breaking into markets in the ‘new European' countries of Romania and Hungary. It is also taking increasing numbers of students from Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the Middle East.
“We make sure we are on the right websites,” says Mr McGowan. In addition, two relationships have worked especially well for the Academy — with the British Council and with Invest Northern Ireland. “We are British Council approved, so we pick up business from there,” he explains.
“And we go on Invest NI missions. Invest NI got on board about three years ago and it took off from there.”
Mr McGowan says Invest NI investment has generated a 10-fold return in terms of spending in Northern Ireland by the students and their sponsors.
For the Academy that has meant both year-on-year growth of 15% to 20% and its presence in 13 national markets now.
“Invest NI is trying to help knowledge-based businesses,” explains Mr McGowan. “There are 75 language schools in the Republic, but there were only two in Northern Ireland before we were set-up and only three now.
“Each of our students brings in money which they spend. Every student from Saudi has a grant of £25,000 a year.
“It's creating jobs — that's what students bring to the city.”
