2024 Q2 data: For the April-to-June 2024 period there were 138,874 students at the 126 member centres currently in the QUIC scheme – which represents 39 per cent of the total English UK membership.
Of these student weeks, 83 per cent were for adult students – a similar ratio to the same quarter of 2023. Juniors typically account for more student weeks in the Q3 July-to-September quarter.
Recovery/growth: For centres that supplied data in all years, the overall level of recovery on pre-pandemic volumes was 81 per cent. For the adult segment, the recovery was 82 per cent, while the junior sector recovered to 79 per cent, compared with Q2 of 2019.
The trajectory of student weeks in 2019, 2023 and 2024 for English UK members in the QUIC scheme.
However, growth was relatively flat compared with last year, the data shows. Adult student weeks were down by one per cent compared with Q2 of 2023, while junior student weeks increased by two per cent.
Source markets: Overall, Saudi Arabia was comfortably the largest sender with 23,322 weeks, more than double second-placed Turkey on 10,955. The top five was overall completed by Italy, Brazil and South Korea.
The largest absolute increases in volume of student weeks came from Saudi Arabia (+3,905), followed by Turkey (+2,152) and Colombia (+1,254). The largest declines in weeks were registered by Italy and Brazil.
English UK said that a quarter of the UK’s source countries sent higher volumes than in the second quarter of 2019.
The top five source markets for juniors in 2024 Q2 were Italy, Spain, Mexico, Thailand and France.
English UK said, “Last autumn's concession for ID travel for French school groups seems to have helped bring back student mobility from France to the UK, which in 2022 and 2023 had shifted to other competitor destinations.”
The association said that China is continuing its slow-paced recovery, having previously regained 50 per cent of its pre-pandemic volume, but added that second quarter is not typically the strongest period for Chinese junior students.
Recruitment channels: The report shows that 77 per cent of student weeks in 2024 Q2 were attributable to agents, slightly higher than the 74 per cent in 2024 Q1 and a similar ratio as the same period of last year.
Individual students accounted for 78 per cent of student weeks, while 22 per cent were from groups, a ratio that has been consistent over several years.
The top source markets in 2024 Q2 for schools in the QUIC scheme.
Course type: General English was clearly the most popular course type for adult students, accounting for 91 per cent of student weeks. In the junior segment, General English represented 57 per cent of weeks, while summer/winter camp programmes delivered 43 per cent of weeks.
Click here to access the Executive Summary of 2024 Q2 of QUIC, which English UK operates with research partners Bonard.
