Bristol GRound School
Join Date: Feb 1999
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I have just completed the course at Bristol. In general they are good. A few things could be improved, but on the whole, it is good.
If anyone would like to know more, please PM me.
If anyone would like to know more, please PM me.
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i really struggle to understand why someone who hasn't attended a school, and is not involved in another school other than to have studied with that different school, would have such an interest in badmouthing the first school. sounds like someone with a vested interest to me.
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Bristol, England
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People tend to re-inforce their purchasing decision. If you buy a Fiesta you'll find yourself extolling the virtues of the Mondeo over the Vectra.
Truth is that GTS is a very good school and their instructors have been mainstays of the industry for years. We get on with them, they get on with us. Very few of their students come to us, we probably send slightly more to them because they can offer the private tuition that some customers need. We generally have more to do with London Guildhall, many students start off on distance learning and realise it doesn't suit, a similar sort of number come the other way.
Truth is that GTS is a very good school and their instructors have been mainstays of the industry for years. We get on with them, they get on with us. Very few of their students come to us, we probably send slightly more to them because they can offer the private tuition that some customers need. We generally have more to do with London Guildhall, many students start off on distance learning and realise it doesn't suit, a similar sort of number come the other way.
Synic
Oops
Lucky we're not talking about spelling exams then isn't it. Perhaps Bristol wouldn't get as many first time passes that way. Nice to see that pseudonym66 has appeared again. stratotanker135 are you a real person or are you pseudonym66's imaginary friend?
Lucky we're not talking about spelling exams then isn't it. Perhaps Bristol wouldn't get as many first time passes that way. Nice to see that pseudonym66 has appeared again. stratotanker135 are you a real person or are you pseudonym66's imaginary friend?
Join Date: Mar 2004
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Yay.. another bonkers thread on prune. These really brighten up my afternoon!
And why is that those that post under various different pseudonyms always put numbers after their username? Have they used up all the names available already?
And why is that those that post under various different pseudonyms always put numbers after their username? Have they used up all the names available already?
Join Date: Aug 2001
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I do not believe that the large number of posts supporting BGS in this forum are the product of any skullduggery on the part of Alex and his staff. I suspect that they really are produced by happy BGS customers. But readers must be careful in intrepreting them.
It is probably the case that BGS send something in the region of 50 students to the exams each month. Betwen 5 and 10 of these students subsequently make posts indicating their success. Some readers interpret this as an indication that all BGS students pass all of their exams.
But if every BGS student who passes the exams posts the fact in this forum, then only about 20% are passing each month. I do not for one moment believe that the BGS pass rate is as low as this, but nor do I believe that 5 to 10 posts each month means that 50 students have passed.
The really strange thing is that almost no students from any of the other schools post their results. CAA statistics indicate that something like 120 students take the exams each month and about 80% of all exams taken each month are passed. This means that the vast majority of students who pass exams each month do not publish the fact in this forum.
It is inconceivable that all of the non BGS students are unhappy with their schools or their results. So why do so few make posts in this forum?
A number of recent posts in this forum have indicated that the good publicity enjoyed by BGS tends to induce ppruners to sign up as students with BGS. This could well explain the comparatively high rate of posts made by BGS students. The cycle may well be that supportive posts attract the type of students who are inclined to make posts. A proportion of these students then make further posts when they pass their exams. The cycle then continues with further ppruners signing up with BGS.
But does all of this prove that all or even most BGS students pass their exams? No it does not. It simply means that a comparatively large proportion (20%) of BGS students make posts in this forum. To put this into context, only 2 of the current EPTA students read pprune regularly and none make regular posts of any kind.
At this stage BGS supporters may well ask why there are few if any posts from unhappy BGS students who have failed their exams. If we consider the situation in which these students find themselves it is not difficult to see why they do not make such posts. Day after day they read the posts of successful BGS students. Upon failing their own exams or finding the distance learning route too difficult, they are unlikely to want to be be the lone voice in the wilderness, proclaiming their failure. But that does not mean that such failures do not exist nor even that they are rare.
It is probably the case that BGS send something in the region of 50 students to the exams each month. Betwen 5 and 10 of these students subsequently make posts indicating their success. Some readers interpret this as an indication that all BGS students pass all of their exams.
But if every BGS student who passes the exams posts the fact in this forum, then only about 20% are passing each month. I do not for one moment believe that the BGS pass rate is as low as this, but nor do I believe that 5 to 10 posts each month means that 50 students have passed.
The really strange thing is that almost no students from any of the other schools post their results. CAA statistics indicate that something like 120 students take the exams each month and about 80% of all exams taken each month are passed. This means that the vast majority of students who pass exams each month do not publish the fact in this forum.
It is inconceivable that all of the non BGS students are unhappy with their schools or their results. So why do so few make posts in this forum?
A number of recent posts in this forum have indicated that the good publicity enjoyed by BGS tends to induce ppruners to sign up as students with BGS. This could well explain the comparatively high rate of posts made by BGS students. The cycle may well be that supportive posts attract the type of students who are inclined to make posts. A proportion of these students then make further posts when they pass their exams. The cycle then continues with further ppruners signing up with BGS.
But does all of this prove that all or even most BGS students pass their exams? No it does not. It simply means that a comparatively large proportion (20%) of BGS students make posts in this forum. To put this into context, only 2 of the current EPTA students read pprune regularly and none make regular posts of any kind.
At this stage BGS supporters may well ask why there are few if any posts from unhappy BGS students who have failed their exams. If we consider the situation in which these students find themselves it is not difficult to see why they do not make such posts. Day after day they read the posts of successful BGS students. Upon failing their own exams or finding the distance learning route too difficult, they are unlikely to want to be be the lone voice in the wilderness, proclaiming their failure. But that does not mean that such failures do not exist nor even that they are rare.
Join Date: Dec 2000
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Keith,
I think the point is not how many post with smilies, but how many have something negative to say. You would have thought that the school with most smilies would have the largest number of complaints too.
I think we can all agree that we seldom see any ground school gripes here so it is probably pretty safe to assume that most folk do as well as expected.
All,
I too urge you all to cop a butchers at the BGS graphs but it is important to understand that those graphs do not show 1st time passes, but passes for that sitting. Their value is that they show how well BGS performed against the average.
About 60% of the people I have kept in touch with passed all first time. Not exactly a representative sample!!!
Having said all that, I can't see what BGS could have improved upon. I think it shows that the ATPLs aren't a trivial exercise and that to simply sign up thinking it will go swimmingly is just wrong!
I think the point is not how many post with smilies, but how many have something negative to say. You would have thought that the school with most smilies would have the largest number of complaints too.
I think we can all agree that we seldom see any ground school gripes here so it is probably pretty safe to assume that most folk do as well as expected.
All,
I too urge you all to cop a butchers at the BGS graphs but it is important to understand that those graphs do not show 1st time passes, but passes for that sitting. Their value is that they show how well BGS performed against the average.
About 60% of the people I have kept in touch with passed all first time. Not exactly a representative sample!!!
Having said all that, I can't see what BGS could have improved upon. I think it shows that the ATPLs aren't a trivial exercise and that to simply sign up thinking it will go swimmingly is just wrong!
Join Date: Aug 2001
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High Wing Drifter
One of the points that I was making is that students who fail the exams or drop out of the course are unlikely to want to announce the fact. And an unsuccessful BGS student faced with the great many posts glorifying BGS, is likely to feel that he or she is the only one who has failed. Their reluctance to go public will therefore be even stronger.
It should also be noted that there very few posts in which students have complained about a groundschool in which he or she has actually studied. All posts criticising the EPTA groundschool for example, have come from Send Clowns, Alex and (the tranvestite stalker) Peggy Murphy.
ChocksAwayUK
EPTA results together with the National averages are also displayed in EPTA. I suspect most schools do so.
But we must be very careful in interpreting these statistics. Do the BGS stats include the students who have dropped out for example. Or those who have failed exams, then taken consolidation training at other schools before passing.
EPTA regularly take such students from a variety of schools and to date every one has subsequently passed the exams. But none of these passes appear in the EPTA stats because the students remain registered with their original schools.
Another problem with such stats is illustrated by the case of an OATS student who joined EPTA. After studying at OATs for three years (yes three years) the student had not been permitted to take any JAR exams. After two months at EPTA that student passed half of the exams taken. The three year period with no exam attempts did not appear in the OATS pass rates. But the fact that three exams had been failed at EPTA reduced the EPTA first time pass rate. But which school provided the greatest service to that student?
I have no idea what BGS pass rates are, so I will not comment upon them. All I am saying is that readers must be very careful in interpreting statistics and pprune posts announcing exam successes.
If the statistics issued by all of the schools are true then something like 570% of students pass all of their exams first time.
One of the points that I was making is that students who fail the exams or drop out of the course are unlikely to want to announce the fact. And an unsuccessful BGS student faced with the great many posts glorifying BGS, is likely to feel that he or she is the only one who has failed. Their reluctance to go public will therefore be even stronger.
It should also be noted that there very few posts in which students have complained about a groundschool in which he or she has actually studied. All posts criticising the EPTA groundschool for example, have come from Send Clowns, Alex and (the tranvestite stalker) Peggy Murphy.
ChocksAwayUK
EPTA results together with the National averages are also displayed in EPTA. I suspect most schools do so.
But we must be very careful in interpreting these statistics. Do the BGS stats include the students who have dropped out for example. Or those who have failed exams, then taken consolidation training at other schools before passing.
EPTA regularly take such students from a variety of schools and to date every one has subsequently passed the exams. But none of these passes appear in the EPTA stats because the students remain registered with their original schools.
Another problem with such stats is illustrated by the case of an OATS student who joined EPTA. After studying at OATs for three years (yes three years) the student had not been permitted to take any JAR exams. After two months at EPTA that student passed half of the exams taken. The three year period with no exam attempts did not appear in the OATS pass rates. But the fact that three exams had been failed at EPTA reduced the EPTA first time pass rate. But which school provided the greatest service to that student?
I have no idea what BGS pass rates are, so I will not comment upon them. All I am saying is that readers must be very careful in interpreting statistics and pprune posts announcing exam successes.
If the statistics issued by all of the schools are true then something like 570% of students pass all of their exams first time.
Join Date: May 1999
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I have to say, Keith, that comments about a lady's sexuality and appearance reflect very badly on you, no matter how much you might disagree with her views. I really think you should edit your last post.
Join Date: Jul 2000
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I attended BGS in March 2001 and finished by Sept 2002. Did I pass all First time?...no...Failed two in the first module and one in the second......Would I go back to them if I had to do it all over again......Yes.
I due to personal circumstances could only do Distance Learning. I drew up a short list of schools and went to visit them. I liked the way BGS was set up so signed up. I was more than happy with the service I recieved and very impressed with the way the school was run.
I due to personal circumstances could only do Distance Learning. I drew up a short list of schools and went to visit them. I liked the way BGS was set up so signed up. I was more than happy with the service I recieved and very impressed with the way the school was run.
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ALEX,
As we are both aware peggy murphy is in fact a rather large irishman who flies for Ryanair. My use of the term tranvestite is a reference to his choice of a female pseudoyn when making posts in this forum. But of course you are also aware of that.
Your attempt to create a smokescreen to divert attention from the matter being discussed is a bit feeble even by the standards of your recent posts. I notice that one of your recent contributions to another thread in this forum had to be largely deleted when even you realised how outrageous it was. I do wonder sometimes why the owner of an apparently successful business feels the need to make such posts.
As we are both aware peggy murphy is in fact a rather large irishman who flies for Ryanair. My use of the term tranvestite is a reference to his choice of a female pseudoyn when making posts in this forum. But of course you are also aware of that.
Your attempt to create a smokescreen to divert attention from the matter being discussed is a bit feeble even by the standards of your recent posts. I notice that one of your recent contributions to another thread in this forum had to be largely deleted when even you realised how outrageous it was. I do wonder sometimes why the owner of an apparently successful business feels the need to make such posts.
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Thanks for that Dick.
Now would you like to comment on the matter being discussed, or will you just stick to smokescreens like Alex is doing?
Do you think that the few posts from BGS students announcing that they have passed their exams each month really mean that all of your students have done so?
Or is it, as I have stated, simply an indication that some have passed and those who have failed do not wish to publicise their failure?
Do your published statistics include the students who find distance learning too hard and give up?
Or do you not bother with these students?
Some of your students have subsequently moved on to EPTA where they have completed their training successfully through a full time course. But because they did not pass all of their exams first time they have reduced our first-time pass rates. But which school gave them the best service? The one from which they dropped out or the one that got them through their exams?
Do your statistics show those students who had to take consolidation from other schools before passing?
Or do you not bother with this small detail?
Alex has on a number of occasions implied that statistics published by schools are suspect. The unwritten message he wished to convey was of course that only BGS statistics could be relied upon. If you are prepared to give honest answers to questions like those above, we might perhaps see that BGS figures are no more and no less reliable than those of any other school.
As I said previously, I do not know what BGS pass rates are, so I will not comment upon them. But I do feel that there is a need to look a bit closer at what exactly the posts from BGS students mean.
But you and Alex do not appear to be at all keen on this. I wonder why that is.
Now would you like to comment on the matter being discussed, or will you just stick to smokescreens like Alex is doing?
Do you think that the few posts from BGS students announcing that they have passed their exams each month really mean that all of your students have done so?
Or is it, as I have stated, simply an indication that some have passed and those who have failed do not wish to publicise their failure?
Do your published statistics include the students who find distance learning too hard and give up?
Or do you not bother with these students?
Some of your students have subsequently moved on to EPTA where they have completed their training successfully through a full time course. But because they did not pass all of their exams first time they have reduced our first-time pass rates. But which school gave them the best service? The one from which they dropped out or the one that got them through their exams?
Do your statistics show those students who had to take consolidation from other schools before passing?
Or do you not bother with this small detail?
Alex has on a number of occasions implied that statistics published by schools are suspect. The unwritten message he wished to convey was of course that only BGS statistics could be relied upon. If you are prepared to give honest answers to questions like those above, we might perhaps see that BGS figures are no more and no less reliable than those of any other school.
As I said previously, I do not know what BGS pass rates are, so I will not comment upon them. But I do feel that there is a need to look a bit closer at what exactly the posts from BGS students mean.
But you and Alex do not appear to be at all keen on this. I wonder why that is.