The Premier Global Association for International British Schools Overseas
The Council of British International Schools (COBIS) is a membership association that represents more than 400 schools and organisations, globally.
High-quality COBIS schools, which educate over 200,000 students and employ more than 17,000 teachers, can be found in more than 80 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas.
COBIS is a membership association that represents more than 400 schools and organisations globally. High-quality COBIS schools, which educate over 200,000 students and employ more than 17,000 teachers, can be found in more than 80 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas. COBIS Supporting Associates provide a wide range of services and resources to the international schools sector.
- We represent our members and their interests, lobbying on their behalf with Government, education authorities and educational associations.
- We provide quality assurance of the highest standard with our Patron’s Accreditation and Compliance.
- We provide opportunities for career advancement through our professional learning and CPD courses.
- We facilitate valuable networking opportunities, both online and face-to-face, for our members based all around the world.
- We host engaging, educational and inspiring interschool competitions and events for students of all ages.
- We provide valuable resources to promote and maintain excellent child protection and safer recruitment standards at our member schools, by processing Prohibition Order checks, providing safeguarding policies and templates, and via our partnership with ACRO on the International Certificate for Child Protection
A fundamental aim of COBIS is to support our members and represent their interests in Britain and overseas, particularly with Government, education authorities and educational associations. We are committed to advancing the interests of British schools overseas and the commercial organisations that export education resources, products and services. We work closely and in partnership with the Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Education. Read more about our partners here.
COBIS was founded more than 30 years ago and is governed by an elected Board consisting of Headteachers and Governors from member schools worldwide. Read more about our board here.
COBIS is led by the CEO, Colin Bell and supported by the COBIS team based in London.