COBIS Connect - June 2017

Dear Colleague,

Greetings from Almaty in Kazakhstan where I'm visiting Haileybury Almaty, a valued member of the COBIS family. Haileybury have kindly asked me to attend the end-of-year prizegiving ceremony which recognises the achievements of the school's students over the past year. Many similar ceremonies will be taking place in COBIS schools around the globe at the moment and at COBIS, we are immensely proud of everything that you and your students have achieved during this academic year. COBIS schools are truly fine examples of the best of international British education and from all the COBIS Executive Team, we wish you nothing but the best for the summer break ahead.

Well, where do I start? Since our last issue of Connect in April, we've had a whirlwind couple of months here at COBIS. At the beginning of May, our flagship event the COBIS Annual Conference, was an outstanding success with over 700 participants passing through the doors of the Intercontinental London – The O2 over the course of three days. It was a real pleasure to meet friends and colleagues, old and new, in our capital city to discuss, debate, and dissect our theme of 'transformations'. We hope that it was a worthwhile and inspiring experience for all who attended and we're already looking forward to welcoming you back to London for the 37th COBIS Annual Conference which will take place from 12-14 May 2018.

As the dust settled following the Conference, we went from the south-east London to south Yorkshire for the COBIS Secondary Games which took place in Sheffield and indeed the UK for the first time ever. The event was such good fun, with positive memories and friendships being created for all. You can read more about the Secondary Games below and about the other competitions such as the COBIS Senior School Music Festival which we held in May to close out our programme of student events and activities for 2016/17.

After months of dedicated planning and preparation, I'm proud to be able to share with you that COBIS has announced its first "Patron's Accredited" Members. Three schools, mentioned below in this issue of Connect, were invited to participate in a pilot period of the accreditation scheme while Doha College was the first ever school to enrol in The Patron's Accreditation post-pilot. With many schools now booked to partake in the accreditation scheme in 2017/18, in an often unpredicatable world, the future is bright for the development and improvement of international British schools overseas. A reminder to all schools that The Patron's Accreditation and Compliance is now the primary route to membership of COBIS and all current members will be required to go through the system in the next five years. Working with Peter Simpson, COBIS Director of Accreditation, Sharon Gallagher, COBIS Accreditation Officer, now has responsibility for the administration of the The Patron's Accreditation and Compliance process at COBIS. Sharon would be delighted to speak to schools about the process at your own convenience.

So, finally, I'm sure you're all excited to ring the school bell for the last time and get going on your holidays but before you do, sit back, relax and enjoy this bumper edition of COBIS Connect.

Colin Bell
CEO

COBIS NEWS

TOP BRITISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS ARE THE FIRST TO RECEIVE NEW COBIS PATRON'S ACCREDITATION

Dubai College, St George's International School Luxembourg, The British International School of Kuala Lumpur and Doha College have become the first schools to be accredited under the new Patron's Accreditation and Compliance scheme offered by the Council of British International Schools (COBIS) as an alternative to the British Schools Overseas (BSO) accreditation.

The scheme, which bears the name of our Patron, HRH The Duke of York, KG, has completed its pilot stage with successful school visits taking place in Dubai, Luxembourg and Malaysia while Doha College in Qatar were the first school to fully participate in the scheme after the pilot stage. All four schools were deemed to have met the high standards set by COBIS for the scheme and were awarded certificates, signed by HRH The Duke of York, KG, at the 36th COBIS Annual Conference in London in May.

We are pleased to announce that the next phase of school visits begins in the Autumn term with several Compliance visits scheduled for October and November and our first Patron's Accreditation visit taking place in November.

Our schedule is also filling up fast for the Spring term of 2018 - schools interested in booking a visit for the next academic year are encouraged to contact our Accreditation Officer, Sharon Gallagher, on quality@cobis.org.uk to organise a suitable date.

All COBIS Member Schools will need to complete COBIS Compliance five years from their last Quality Assurance review – with effect from April 2017 this is the minimum requirement to retain membership. Detailed information is available here.

MORE INFORMATION

COBIS CONVERSATIONS - SHARE YOUR OPINIONS

At this year's COBIS Annual Conference, delegates discussed key issues facing British International Schools Overseas. Topics included teacher and leadership supply, international school organisations, and transformations in British international schooling worldwide.

We would like to invite COBIS Members who were unable to attend the conference to share their opinions as well. All the information will help shape COBIS' offerings and services for you and your schools.

Please note that presentations from the COBIS Annual Conference are available to view in the Members Area of our website.

SHARE YOUR OPINIONS

COBIS CHAIRMAN AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE

Trevor Rowell, COBIS Chairman, and his wife Gabi were delighted to represent COBIS at a garden party at Buckingham Palace on 1 June.

"It was a colourful occasion accompanied by bands of the Guards and tea," said Mr Rowell, "attended not only by her Majesty The Queen and Prince Phillip, but also HRH The Princess Alexandra - who many will remember was for many years COBIS Patron."

COBIS was invited to attend the occasion via the Department of International Trade - recognition of the support that has been given to the promotion of British International Schools overseas.

TES INDEPENDENT SCHOOL AWARDS 2018 - NOW OPEN FOR ENTRIES

Had a great year? Then shout about your successes and enter the Tes Independent School Awards 2018. The awards celebrate those making remarkable strategic and financial contributions to independent schools.

The category International School of the Year is for a project by a school based outside the UK that espouses a British education and that has made an outstanding curricular, strategic or financial achievement.

COBIS Supporting Members Buckinghamshire Learning Trust have sponsored the International School of the Year Award for the last two years, with the following winners:

Cambridge House Community College (2014)
British School of Jakarta (2015)
British School of Kathmandu (2016)

Entry is free and the deadline is Friday 23 June 2017.

READ MORE

NEW INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL DEVELOPMENTS FOR VIETNAM

Vietnam is predicted to see significant growth of English-medium international schools in the next few years, once a new policy replacing the Vietnamese government's Decree 73 comes into place later this year.

Current regulations restrict the number of Vietnamese students eligible for enrolment in entirely foreign-owned international schools in Vietnam. The new policy is set to remove this cap, as a result offering more international school options for local families. COBIS Supporting Member ISC Research has predicted that this could open up the market, creating significant opportunities for school growth and new school development.

READ MORE

In a new feature for Connect, we are giving you the chance to get to know members of the COBIS network a little bit better by asking them ten questions about their achievements, wishes and hidden talents! This month, we talked to Chris Manning. Chris is the Founder of the Royal Institute of Smart Education in Bangladesh, where he was also Principal until the end of this academic year. He is now preparing for a new adventure at another international school in Kyrgyzstan.

1. Which living person do you most admire?
President Barack Obama, for sure

2. Which talent would you most like to have?
I wish I were a hyperpolyglot.

3. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Being the founding Head of RISE School, Bangladesh; I watched it evolve from dream to reality.

4. Where would you most like to live?
I am still trying to figure that out. So many choices!

5. What is your favourite book?
I Wonder As I Wander by Langston Hughes.

6. Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Jesse Owens

7. When you were a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a Police Officer. I guess this was accomplished as I went on to serve 8 years as a Military Policeman, while completing university.

8. What do you like to do in your spare time?
I am a doctoral student, what is spare time? Ha ha.

9. What is on your bucket list?
To visit Cameroon, my ethnic homeland; 300 years removed.

10. What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
My wife comes from a country that I only learned existed two years before I married her, in that country. Moving to Kyrgyzstan changed my life!

Each month we will be showcasing one of our alumni from any of our 293 schools around the world. COBIS students are doing amazing things and we want to showcase the talent of past students from our schools, in order to celebrate what they have achieved and to inspire the next generation of students.

This month Hannah spoke to Carolyn Savage who attended The British School in The Netherlands in the 1980s and now works for COBIS Supporting Member Winter's International School Finder.

Click below to read more about Carolyn's time at The British School in The Netherlands and how her international education has affected her life and career, as well as her advice for current students.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: CAROLYN SAVAGE

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT and EVENTS NEWS

COBIS PARTNERS WITH EVIDENCE BASED EDUCATION TO BRING YOU ASSESSMENT ACADEMY

Great assessment should be the servant of learning, not its master. It should be a purposeful, manageable, efficient and effective tool. The skill of assessing what has been understood is fundamental to good planning. After all, how can we know what to teach tomorrow if we do not know what has been understood today?

This is why we have teamed up with Evidence Based Education to offer a practical training programme to enable and support school Assessment Leads in developing an integrated and highly effective school assessment system to promote learning and great teaching.

Sign-up to the residential course this summer! Network with like-minded educators, enjoy inspirational guest speakers and gain world-class assessment knowledge and practical tools to drive pupil progress in time for the start of the new school year.

Look out for the online learning programme coming Autumn 2017 and let us know if you'd be interested in the four-day course being delivered more locally to you!

MORE INFORMATION

COBIS PROGRAMME FOR MIDDLE LEADERS

The COBIS Programme for Middle Leaders (CPML) is a one-year programme for ambitious middle leaders who wish to develop their personal and professional skills.

The course uses a blended learning approach with facilitated workshops and self-directed learning, including five days of face-to-face training. A commitment to improving the experience of students is a central element of the CPML, and through the leadership challenge participants will also develop their leadership capacity. For 2017/18, CPML cohorts will run in Spain, Mexico, Romania, Malawi, Oman and Cayman Islands. Bookings for most cohorts are now being accepted.

MORE INFORMATION

COBIS PROGRAMME FOR ASPIRING HEADS

COBIS is pleased to be launching a new course for Aspiring Heads and Senior Leaders at an early stage of their career who are interested in developing their practice.

Building on the success of the CPML model, the COBIS Programme for Aspiring Heads (CPAH) will run over a period of eight to ten months, combining face-to-face sessions with a choice of in-school projects and optional school placements. The course will run in Madrid and Muscat this year, starting from September 2017. Booking is now open and places are limited.

?Booking Deadline 17 July 2017

MORE INFORMATION

COBIS DIPLOMA FOR INTERNATIONAL LEAD TEACHING ASSISTANTS

In an exciting partnership with COBIS supporting member, The TA College, we are delighted to announce the introduction of the new Diploma for International Lead Teaching Assistants (DILTA).

The COBIS Diploma for International Lead Teaching Assistants (DILTA) is delivered with exceptional, personalised support and a strong belief that having a Lead Teaching Assistant directly impacts on teaching assistant practice and children's learning experiences.

The course will be combination of eLearning, research, collecting evidence and writing assignments. Candidates study at their own pace through flexible eLearning. The programme is aimed at aspiring Lead Teaching Assistants or early years' practitioners working in an international setting and for those wishing to develop leadership skills and the ability to manage and coordinate a teaching assistant team. This is excellent training for those wanting to be a key liaison between the teaching assistants and the senior leadership team.

MORE INFORMATION

COBIS SEMINAR FOR NEW INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL TEACHERS

On Saturday 10 June, COBIS ran a seminar for teachers who are about to start their first job in an international school.

The seminar was delivered in partnership with Protocol Education, and we were pleased to meet teachers who will be starting new jobs in schools in China, Jordan, Malaysia, Bulgaria, Brazil, USA, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Malawi, Germany, Qatar, and Indonesia. COBIS would like to thank Protocol Education for their support with this new event, and we wish the teachers luck with their new roles.

MORE INFORMATION

IPSEF MIDDLE EAST 2017

COBIS has a strong relationship with IPSEF, the International and Private Schools Education Forum, and we are delighted to share details of the upcoming Middle East conference with our Members.

IPSEF Middle East is an important and well-established regional business conference for private and international schools, with the 2017 event being the fifth to be held in the vibrant hub city state of Dubai. IPSEF Middle East presents an unrivalled opportunity to hear from and network with high calibre senior representatives from leading educational establishments and the global and regional education communities.

Before 2 August 2017 the fee is just £695, after this it will be £895. If you book 3 places or more, you will save £250 on each delegate place!

MORE INFORMATION

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT NEWS

MORE THAN 2000 STUDENTS TAKE PART IN COBIS ACTIVITIES IN 2016/17

Congratulations and well done to the more than 2,000 students in COBIS schools who took part in COBIS student activities, events and competitions this year. Thank you to all the staff and students in schools that hosted events.

To read the June 2017 Student Engagement Newsletter, please click here.

MORE INFORMATION

BRITISH SCHOOL AL KHUBAIRAT RETAIN COBIS SECONDARY GAMES TROPHY

The COBIS Secondary Games took place 19-21 May 2017 in Sheffield, UK. Twenty-seven teams came to compete for the Championship Cup over three days of sport.

The first day started with a battle in the pool. The fantastic Ponds Forge International Sports Centre was the venue for the swimming competition with the City of Sheffield Swim Squad officials running the exciting gala. The second day dawned bright over the Sheffield Hallam University City Athletics Stadium, although the weather did not hold for long and meant that some students ran in the rain, for the first time ever! The students took to state of the art FA-affiliated pitches on Day Three, ready to compete for those precious Championship Points. A record 236 football matches were played over the day, with some fantastic tactics on show and some nerve-wracking penalty shoot-outs.

After three days of intense competition, British School Al Khubairat retained the Champion Cup in 2017. Dubai College came in second place and St Catherine's British School in Athens came in third. Well done to all who competed over the three days and a big thank you to all the staff and parents who supported in the UK and also back in your home communities. For the first time this year the COBIS Games were livestreamed and we were blown away at the numbers of people tuning in from all around the world - 14,197 viewers in total over the three days!

READ ALL ABOUT IT

GIVE YOUR STUDENTS THE SKILLS THEY NEED TO CREATE SOCIAL CHANGE

COBIS is working in partnership with Future Foundations to launch a unique six-day student leadership course in the exciting city of Shanghai designed to empower and equip participants to lead sustainable social action projects when they return to school.

More than just another summer school or residential leadership course, the COBIS Global Social Leaders Catalyst is designed to give students the skills they need to design and lead successful social action projects and be a catalyst for social change in their communities.

The COBIS GSL Catalyst will take place this December in Shanghai, with expert British facilitators from Future Foundations and the Wellington Leadership Institute visiting China to deliver the programme. The participants will explore different leadership styles and develop their understanding of the global challenges we face, and how, through partnership and innovation, we can solve them.The programme also features a cultural excursion to some of Shanghai's most famous and awe-inspiring sights, as well as the opportunity to experience traditional Chinese arts such as calligraphy and martial arts.

Teachers and accompanying staff also benefit from a bespoke teacher leadership course, quality assured by Oxford University, and there are even group booking discounts available!

MORE INFORMATION

COBIS SENIOR SCHOOL MUSIC FESTIVAL

The third COBIS Senior School Music Festival took place at King's College, The British School of Murcia in sunny Spain over the weekend of 26-28 May 2017.

A wonderful weekend of workshops, competitions and performances showcased an array of amazing and incredible musical and vocal talent from students in COBIS schools. With ten schools in attendance from Europe and Asia, this was the largest Music Festival to date!

For the first time at the COBIS Senior School Music Festival, the Jeremy P Hibbins Memorial Cup was awarded to the Best Ensemble and the inaugural winners were The British School of Kuwait. The Cup was kindly donated by the family of Jeremy Hibbins, an inspirational teacher and talented musician who founded The British School of Ljubljana but tragically passed away in 2013.

FIND OUT MORE

COBIS AND FUTURE FOUNDATIONS LAUNCH A COMPETITION FOCUSSED ON THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

COBIS and Future Foundations have partnered to create a competition for 11-15 year olds in COBIS schools for the 2017/2018 academic year.

Students will have the chance to work in groups to create a social action project to bring about change in their community. Projects will be based on one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals as outlined by the UN.

Teachers will be able to sign up before the summer holidays with the brief and project template sent out in early September 2017. Feedback will be given to all projects and groups will have to write a one-page report in the spring term.

The winning team and first runner up will be given exclusive prizes.

More information will be announced shortly on the COBIS website.

The full 2017/2018 programme for students will be published on the COBIS website later this month.

FIND OUT MORE

HELP TEAM GB TRIPLE JUMPER WHO FEATURED AT THE COBIS GAMES REACH THE OLYMPICS

Nathan Fox, who we were delighted to welcome as a VIP guest at the recent COBIS Primary Games, is one of Great Britain's most prestigious triple jump talents.

After breaking the UK under 15 national record at 14, he became the first and only person of that age in British history to jump over 14 metres (14.11m). He has since gone on to win 3 consecutive British Indoor championship titles and is currently looking for a sponsor to help assist his progression to the world stage.

After presenting medals and mentoring athletes who participated at the Games, Nathan said:

"The ethos that COBIS seems to instil in its pupils is spectacular and something that I believe should be implemented into schools across the board".

Nathan would be extremely grateful if any schools or supporting members can help with sponsorship of his efforts to reach the next Olympics as he is not on the UK's National Lottery Fund for athletes. He is interested in becoming an athlete ambassador for an international school and is available to travel to schools to coach and mentor students. He can also promote your school's sports activities via his avid social media following.

CONTACT NATHAN

NEWS FROM COBIS SCHOOLS

COBIS CEO COLIN BELL VISITS THE ALICE SMITH SCHOOL

The Alice Smith School was delighted to welcome CEO, Colin Bell at the end of March. Colin was in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia attending the International Private Schools Education Forum (IPSEF) which hold annual forums in Malaysia and the Middle East for several years.

In addition to being a member of the Federation of British International Schools in Asia (FOBISIA) and the East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS) in the Asian region, Alice Smith is also a full member of COBIS and uses the COBIS Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for recruitment. The school is also looking closely at The Patron's Accreditation and Compliance as an alternative to BSO for future school external quality assurance process.

MORE NEWS FROM THE ALICE SMITH SCHOOL

INTRODUCING BIS-NY UPPER

The British International School of New York is excited to announce that the school will be expanding its age range to include Year 10 (Grade 9) from September 2018. This will then extend upwards each year to give the students the choice to remain at BIS-NY and pursue a program of study for university entrance.

Jason Morrow, Headmaster, says, "The focus of this initiative is on providing an exceptional academic program which will equip students with the knowledge, skills and intellectual enthusiasm to thrive at university and beyond. Alongside this robust and inspiring curriculum, there will be a thorough guidance and counselling system to support students through these critical years."

?Our very best wishes from the COBIS family to The British International School of New York as they undertake this exciting new project!

READ MORE

CELEBRATING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AT RISE BANGLADESH

Students at the Royal Institute of Smart Education in Bangladesh were delighted to receive their COBIS Student Achievement Awards at the school's Annual Day ceremony.

These coveted awards recognise outstanding individual achievement and contribution to an aspect of school or community life. Students can be nominated for an award for a number of reasons, including:

outstanding academic achievement
sustained, high level contributions to the wider life of the school
significant contributions to the school's charity fundraising activities
a single act of bravery

COBIS would like to thank Winter's International School Finder for sponsoring the 2017 Student Achievement Awards.

READ MORE

40 YEARS OF FAITH AND EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

This year Lekki British School, a COBIS Member School, is celebrating its founder Ms. Abiodun Laja who completes forty years in the field of private school education in Nigeria.

Ms. Laja's journey has been long, beginning in 1973 on her return from the UK. Ms. Laja worked at many international schools in Lagos but always dreamt of having her own primary school, a dream that was fulfilled in 1977 by the grace of God when the gates of ABC Nurseryland opened to 177 students. Making it to opening day was difficult, as the then Ministry of Education opposed Ms. Laja's revolutionary approach to education. Despite this early opposition, ABC Nurseryland went on to open four branches in Lagos and even had its own bus stop named after it!

After several years of operating a highly successful set of primary schools, Ms.Laja observed that Nigerian students would migrate to British boarding schools for their secondary education. Thus she was inspired to establish a British boarding school in Lagos providing secondary education. This led to the establishment of Lekki British School in 2001 as the first British boarding and day school with a dedicated British curriculum.

Lekki British School invites you to visit the school as they celebrate 40 years of Ms. Abiodun Laja, a successful educator, entrepreneur and visionary in the field of education, and join in their thanksgiving and celebrations.

READ MS LAJA'S FULL STORY

NEWS FROM COBIS SUPPORTING MEMBERS

LATEST CHINA EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES

COBIS is proud to partner with the China-Britain Business Council and the UK Department for International Trade to identify the latest Export Opportunities for our valued Supporting Members.

Schools expertise and management wanted by a Shandong company
A Shandong-based company is seeking UK expertise in the management of international schools, or UK partners / schools who can supply such expertise.
Nursery school brands needed by a Henan school
A private boarding primary school wants to co-operate with UK nurseries to open 2 schools in Zhengzhou.
English teacher training for a Shandong company
An education company is looking for UK teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) training organisations that can provide technical support services and help to recruit UK students interested in working as teachers in China.

VIEW MORE OPPORTUNITIES

COBIS SUPPORTING MEMBER RECEIVES THE QUEEN'S AWARD FOR ENTERPRISE 2017

Furlong Business Solutions has been selected to receive the Queen's Award for Enterprise 2017 as a result of the sustained increase in its international trade over the last six years.

Furlong works within the education sector and produces a very comprehensive Management Information System, SchoolBase, as well as a fee-billing package, FeeMaster, a performing arts management system, Maestro and a library system, BookEnds. In September 2003, when SchoolBase was first released, there were three schools using the product – now the client base is over two hundred and seventy schools across the UK and around the world. In the last two months alone, the company has opened up new markets in Qatar and Cambodia as well as its first Chinese speaking school in Guangzhou.

MORE INFORMATION

SEMINAR DISCUSSING THE FUTURE FOR UK EDUCATION ABROAD POST-BREXIT

Westminster Education Forum would like to invite COBIS Supporting Members to attend a seminar in London on 4 July discussing the future for exporting UK education abroad.

The seminar will address the next steps for increasing exports of UK education products overseas in view of competition from other countries providing English-medium education, including best practice in developing and tailoring education products to international markets and government steps to support awarding bodies, qualification providers and EdTech companies to increase exports.

MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTER

PERSONALISING LEARNING: USING ASSESSMENT TO IDENTIFY NEEDS AND ACCELERATE LEARNING IN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS

International schools face a unique set of challenges when it comes to assessment, and catering for large numbers of children with English as an Additional Language can present a very real assessment challenge.

GL Education's new report seeks to answer how much of a problem it is for international schools that have sizeable numbers of EAL students, and what can be done to help these students fulfil their potential. Colin Bell has taken part, talking about how COBIS schools are supporting children of all abilities, and a number of COBIS member schools have also provided strategies that have worked for them, including:

Matthew Savage of International Community School Amman on identifying the needs and potential of children with EAL
Nicola Lambros from King's College Madrid on identifying and supporting gifted and talented students
Emma Dibden from JESS Dubai on identifying barriers to learning.

DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY

SHIFT AND CHALLENGE YOUR THINKING AROUND CHILD-LED LEARNING

Buzzwords such as 'critical thinking', 'growth mindset', and 'mindfulness' abound in the education world today. But what are these skills and how can teachers promote and enhance them in the pupils they teach?

COBIS Supporting Members British School of Coaching are working with Accredited Member School Dubai English Speaking School to explore these topics in a one day programme held in the UK in July. The session will explore the use of coaching competencies and tools to complement and adapt your practice for child-led learning.

Reduced rates are available for COBIS Member Schools.

MORE INFORMATION

MORE AND MORE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS CHOOSING TO HIT THE SLOPES

Once again COBIS Supporting Member Snowtraxx International has had a busy winter season, hosting many international schools in premier resorts in Switzerland, Italy and Austria. Although the snow forecast was not great in the early season, none of our groups were disappointed with the excellent coverage to be found at our snow sure and high altitude destinations.

Our team of British Instructors were impressed with the enthusiasm and patience displayed by our international students, some of whom had never seen snow before! Stuart Murphy, Director of Snowtraxx International, said 'Once again I am delighted at how many international schools have chosen to travel with us, particularly our new and existing COBIS partners.'

All of the team at Snowtraxx are already looking forward to the 2018 ski season.

MORE INFORMATION

June 2017

COBIS CPD AND EVENTS 2017/18

Autumn Term

COBIS Programme for Aspiring Heads

Muscat and Madrid

From September 2017