Accreditation Partners
In order to join the COBIS community, all schools are required to go through a rigorous quality-assurance process. This can be either be through the COBIS Accreditation and Compliance scheme, BSO Inspection, CIS, NEASC, WASC or ISI Accreditation. COBIS is proud to work closely with our Accreditation partners to help support school improvement globally.
British School Overseas (BSO)
The Department for Education have put in place a voluntary inspection scheme for overseas schools. This ensures schools provide their pupils with the skills and qualifications they need to enter or re-enter the British education system. The scheme helps to inform parents about how the standards in these schools measure up against the standards that apply to independent schools in England. To become accredited you must have an inspection every 3 years which shows that your performance against all the standards is at least satisfactory. Inspectorates are approved by DfE and monitored by Ofsted to inspect British schools overseas and produce inspection reports. Visit the website for more information.
The Council of International Schools
The Council of International Schools (CIS) is a membership community of more than 1330 schools and universities around the world committed to high quality international education. As a leader in the field of school evaluation and accreditation worldwide, we provide a unique international accreditation with a focus on learning and teaching, well-being, and global citizenship. The quality and rigour of CIS International Accreditation is recognized by ministries, departments of education, and universities around the world as demonstration of a school’s commitment to high quality international education. Learn more about CIS International Accreditation on their website.
The New England Association of Schools and Colleges
The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) is an independent, voluntary, non-profit membership organization whose mission is to partner with schools to assess, support, and promote high quality education for all students through accreditation, professional assistance, and pursuit of best practices. A globally recognized standard of excellence, the granting of NEASC Accreditation attests to a school’s high quality and integrity. Founded in 1885, NEASC has established and maintained high standards for all levels of education longer than any other accreditation agency in the United States. NEASC establishes rigorous standards of quality for all accredited institutions while respecting their unique populations, missions, and cultures. More than 1500 public, independent, and international schools in the United States and in over 80 countries around the world are NEASC members. American, AP, IB, British, Cambridge, and IPC curricula, among others, are represented. Visit their website here.
The Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS WASC), a world-renowned accrediting association and one of the six regional accrediting agencies in the United States, works closely with the Office of Overseas Schools under the U.S. Department of State. ACS WASC provides assistance to schools worldwide, especially in California, Hawaii, Guam, Asia, the Pacific Region, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.
The Accrediting Commission for Schools, WASC, extends its services to over 5,200 public, independent, church-related, and proprietary pre-K–12 and adult schools, works with 20 associations in joint accreditation processes. ACS WASC advances and validates quality ongoing school improvement by supporting its private and public elementary, secondary, and postsecondary member institutions to engage in a rigorous and relevant self-evaluation and peer review process that focuses on equity, inclusion, and access to high-level, rigorous learning opportunities for all students.
ISI is an independent inspectorate, appointed by the Department for Education to inspect association independent schools in England.
Their inspection reports inform the Department for Education on the extent to which the statutory Independent School Standards are met.
They are also approved by the Department for Education to inspect British schools overseas, and by the Home Office to inspect private further education colleges and language schools.