COBIS Connect - September 2017

Dear Colleague,

Greetings from the diverse and sunny city of Dubai! It's my pleasure to be in the UAE this week to meet the Executive Director of the Dubai School Inspection Bureau (DSIB) and senior leaders from the KHDA. I've been invited here to share the latest updates on the COBIS Patron's Accreditation and Compliance scheme, of which there are nearly 30 COBIS school visits booked for the academic year ahead. The next 10 months will no doubt be a busy but exciting time for our experienced Lead Improvement Partners and Peer Accreditors as they look forward to accrediting international British schools overseas worldwide on behalf of COBIS. My schedule for this week also includes a number of media engagements with journalists in the Emirates who are keen to know more about our plans for supporting the improvement agenda of schools in the region and beyond via The Patron's Accreditation.

On behalf of the organisation, I'd like to wish a special welcome this month to new Heads at COBIS schools, in particular colleagues leading a COBIS school for the first time. We hope that the first few weeks of the academic year have gone smoothly for you, your staff, students, and parents and that things are starting to calm down despite what is inevitably a busy time, especially if you have just moved to a new school, country or continent. As you will read in this month's Connect, COBIS can support your school in many ways and this year we have an extensive programme of training, events, competitions, online seminars and conferences for senior leaders, school staff and students. We're always looking to improve our offering to members and this month saw the launch of a new blog on our website which will showcase insightful articles on all aspects of the British international schools sector. Our first blog, written by Pat Moores of the UK Education Guide, is aimed at students and lists some great tips on what students in COBIS schools can expect if their ambition is to study in the UK. We plan to post new articles on a weekly basis and hope that the whole school workforce can benefit from our content. If you would like to write for our blog, contact COBIS Communications Officer, Jamie Ralph.

Finally, a special mention must go out to our GCSE and A-level students who achieved such incredible results just a few weeks ago. Year on year, the results in COBIS schools show that British schools overseas are setting the highest example when it comes to academic success. We are so proud of your students and the hard work and time that you and your staff dedicate in order to prepare them for the future. COBIS will be collecting more detailed information from schools about examination results when the Annual Research Survey goes live next month.

Kind regards,

Colin Bell
CEO

COBIS NEWS

BRAND NEW COBIS BLOG LAUNCHED - A NEW ARTICLE EACH WEEK

This month marks the launch of a brand new area on our website: The COBIS Blog! We aim to offer insightful short articles on the diverse world of British international schools.

Our first article is a piece from Pat Moores on what COBIS students can expect from university life in the UK that you can read by visiting https://www.cobis.org.uk/blog. If you would like to write for the COBIS Blog, please contact Jamie Ralph, COBIS Communications Officer.

READ THE COBIS BLOG

WELCOME TO NEW HEADS IN COBIS SCHOOLS AROUND THE WORLD

COBIS is pleased to welcome the following Principals and Headteachers to COBIS schools. We look forward to working with you!

Braeburn School, Kenya
Warwick Bailey
British Embassy School Ankara, Turkey
Andrew Ryan
British International School of Tbilisi, Georgia
Stephen Priest
British International School Wroclaw, Poland
Andy Harris
British School Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Karen Mort
English International School Moscow East, Russia
Malcolm Phillips
English International School Moscow South West, Russia
Paul Wade
Grange School, Nigeria
Guy Cassarchis
Green Shoots International School, Vietnam
Dave Porter
Haileybury Almaty, Kazakhstan
Lynne Oldfield
Haileybury Astana, Kazakhstan
Jonathan Ullmer MBE
International School of Morocco
Tony Moniz
ISF Tervuren International School (Formerly St Paul's British Primary School), Belgium
Órla McLoughlin
Jebel Ali School, Dubai, UAE
Peter Hill
King's College La Moraleja, Spain
Nigel Fossey
Nord Anglia International School Dubai, UAE
Matthew Farthing
Oporto British School, Portugal
Robin Silk
St George's British-Georgian School, Georgia
Eka Kvachantiraze
St Julian's School, Portugal
Dr Nicola Mason
The British College of Brazil
Duncan Rose
The British International School Cairo, Egypt
Carlo Ferrario

The English International School Prague, Czech Republic
Mel Curtis
The English Primary Group Salwa and Salmiya, Kuwait
Brett Neilson
The Regent School Abuja, Nigeria
Kenneth Sugden

If there are other new appointments in your school that do not appear on this list, please contact Natalie Williams, COBIS Membership Officer, at members@cobis.org.uk with the correct details.

EXPLORE THE COBIS NETWORK

ONE WEEK TO GO FOR BRITISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS TO ENTER THE 2018 BISAS

As a British-oriented international school, you are eligible to participate in the 2018 British International School Awards.

The awards, hosted by BIS Magazine and supported by ISC Research, recognise excellence amongst the many exceptional British schools overseas.

This year's categories are:

Outstanding strategic initiative
Outstanding teaching initiative
Outstanding community initiative
Outstanding pastoral care initiative
Outstanding initiative to support student safeguarding
Outstanding creativity initiative
Outstanding digital technology initiative
Outstanding governing body
Outstanding senior leadership team of the year
International impact award
Outstanding contribution to international education by an individual
And the British International School of the Year 2018 – an award selected from the winners of the eleven categories

The deadline for submitting up to three category applications is midnight on Wednesday 20th September 2017. The awards are free to enter.

An independent judging panel, chaired by Professor Jeff Thompson CBE of the University of Bath, will select all award winners. Each entry is judged within the context of the school which means that any school could win, regardless of its resources or size of project. Judges will reward excellence and innovation.

Schools that are shortlisted will be offered three complimentary tickets to attend a gala ceremony on 22nd January 2018 at the Grand Connaught Rooms in Covent Garden, London when the winners will be announced and presented with their trophies. Each shortlisted school will also receive a logo to publish on their website and stationery promoting their category award nomination.

More information about this year's awards and about last year's winners are available here

Get your nominations in now!

READ MORE

COBIS PATRON'S ACCREDITATION AND COMPLIANCE SCHEME

This academic year the COBIS Patron's Accreditation and Compliance scheme kicks off with a number of Accreditation and Compliance visits booked throughout the school year.

COBIS is proud to have sourced a talented group of Peer Accreditors and Lead Improvement Partners from across our network and beyond, who will be working with and visiting schools across the globe on their school improvement journey. The latest group of Peer Accreditors are about to embark upon their training, but if you would like to become a COBIS Peer Accreditor or Lead Improvement Partner you can sign up to access our next round of training on our website. Lead Improvement Partners who have already completed the training are reminded to check the Digital Workbook for details of upcoming visits that they can apply for.

Schools wishing to find out more about this new scheme focussing on school improvement and quality assurance should visit www.cobis.org.uk/accreditation or get in touch with Sharon Gallagher, COBIS Accreditation Officer with any queries.

MORE INFORMATION

COBIS MEMBERSHIP HANDBOOKS

COBIS Schools and Supporting Members will receive a copy of a new COBIS Member Handbook on receipt of their membership fees. Each Handbook contains information about all the benefits of COBIS membership and we encourage you to share the Handbook with your staff and colleagues.

All COBIS Supporting Members will also receive a copy of the new COBIS Supporting Member Code of Conduct to sign and return to us. The Code ensures that all Supporting Members work with our schools and colleagues in the open and trustworthy way which we welcome in our association.

For any Membership queries please contact COBIS Membership Officer Natalie Williams.

MORE INFORMATION

10 Questions gives 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 Vanessa Whay, Headteacher of King's College, The British School of Panama. King's College Panama is part of King's Group and opened in 2012, catering this school year to students age 3-16.

1. Which living person do you most admire?
I really admire Queen Elizabeth II! She has seen so much change and has needed to adapt to embrace this. At 91 and the longest serving monarch, I think she is pretty remarkable.

2. Which talent would you most like to have?
To turn back time. I am a great believer in learning from mistakes and looking forward, but occasionally, it would be great just to have that moment again and do it right the first time!

3. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Opening King's College Panama. It has been an amazing five years and a learning curve beyond belief. As a Headteacher starting a school from scratch and seeing it develop and evolve and the students within it, is a real experience. It is an on-going process and I look forward to 2020 when our first cohort graduate.

4. Where would you most like to live?
Vancouver Island would be idyllic, with a weekend apartment in somewhere like New York. The best of both worlds!

5. What is your favourite book?
I have so many and it really depends on my mood. The Princess Bride by William Goldman and also you can't beat Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.

6. What is your favourite £5 treat?
A cappuccino and a freshly baked chocolate pastry.

7. When you were a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
A Broadway Star! However being relatively short and not of slight build, and without much dancing talent, I pursued my second passion - to be a teacher.

8. What do you like to do in your spare time?
Spend time with friends and family.

9. What is on your bucket list?
I am so fortunate to have lived in some amazing places around the world, but the more you travel, the more you realise there is so much more to see. I would love to see the Northern Lights.

10. What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
I'm dyslexic and graduated from Cambridge.

Each month we will be showcasing one of our alumni from any of our 292 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 Eirik Talleraas who graduated from the International School of Stavanger in 1992 and now works as an international civil servant with the United Nations. Eirik's work focusses on the Sustainable Development Goals, a worthwhile cause that your students can also get involved in by joining our COBIS Global Social Leaders online student competition!

Click below to read more about Eirik's journey from school to the UN as well as about his time at the International School of Stavanger, including his favourite memories of a unique and inspiring teacher.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: EIRIK TALLERAAS

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT and EVENTS NEWS

POPULAR PROGRAMMES FOR MIDDLE LEADERS

More than 100 Middle Leaders from around the world have already registered to make part in this year's COBIS Programme for Middle Leaders (CPML).

In 2017/18, this ten-month course is running in Mexico, Spain, Oman, Malawi, Cayman Islands and Romania. A limited number of places are still available. Current and aspiring middle leaders can also register for the COBIS Four-Day Middle Leaders' Course – Leading Learning from the Middle – which is running this year in Malaysia and Kenya.

MORE INFORMATION

ASSESSMENT LEAD PROGRAMME

COBIS and Evidence Based Education are pleased to announce a new blended learning course for Assessment Leads which can be undertaken anywhere in the world (starting October 2017).

The Assessment Lead Programme enables education professionals to make their assessment approach more efficient, allowing them to make more reliable judgements about what pupils know, what they can do, and what they need next.

MORE INFORMATION

EAL TRAINING DAYS IN KENYA

COBIS Member, Braeburn School, is hosting two COBIS Regional Training Days on English as an Additional Language on 26 October 2017 (KS 1-2) and 27 October 2017 (KS 3-5).

Teachers, TAs and Leaders are invited to register for these workshops, delivered by Veema Education.

MORE INFORMATION

ACCESS A COBIS DISCOUNT FOR IPSEF MIDDLE EAST

COBIS are delighted to be supporting this year's IPSEF Middle East conference. By entering the code COBIS15, COBIS Members will get a 15% discount off the delegate fee.

The timed conference programme is now available to download from the IPSEF website. With only three weeks to go, don't miss out, book your place today and remember to enter the code COBIS15 for the discount!

MORE INFORMATION

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT NEWS

HOW WILL YOUR STUDENTS BE INVOLVED IN 2017/18?

With the new school year in full swing, there are plenty of activities for students to get involved with.

There are two new competitions for this year, in addition to the many other activities, events and competitions scheduled for this year. This term, the Student Leadership Weekend will take place in Madrid and the Maths Challenge will take place from 20 November until 3 December, with schools able to sign up before then, should they wish to.

For more information, or to sign up for any of our student programmes, please do visit www.cobis.org.uk/students.

MORE INFORMATION

WORK TOWARDS THE UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS WITH COBIS AND FUTURE FOUNDATIONS

We are delighted to be parterning with Future Foundations to run a new online student competition focussed on the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. The COBIS Global Social Leaders competition will encourage students aged 11-16 years to work in teams to develop their understanding of global citizenship and how to turn their ideas into reality.

Each team will decide on a project, which addresses one of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals and then implement it in their community. Following their programme, students will reflect on it during the spring term and submit a report.

All students will receive a named certificate and feedback on their project.

Watch our launch video now and then check out www.cobis.org.uk/gslcomp for all the details on how you can take part!

MORE INFORMATION

MATHS CHALLENGE

The COBIS / Mangahigh Maths Challenge is a new competition for 5-16 year olds designed to engage students with maths through a games-based learning approach.

Mangahigh is an online resource for primary and secondary students, which boosts results in maths through smart maths games and adaptive exercises. The competition will run from 20 November to 3 December 2017, with a two-week access period prior to this to familiarise students, and teachers, with the software and content.

The 10 schools with the highest number of points will each receive an Amazon voucher. The top school will be sent an engraved trophy.

MORE INFORMATION

ANNUAL STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Congratulations to the 121 students who were presented with a COBIS Student Achievement Award in 2017.

Once again, we were overwhelmed by the calibre of entries; students who have had books published, set up and run charity initiatives, competed as athletes on the world stage, overcome exceptional medical and personal challenges and achieved world-class academic results.

You can nominate a student for an Award in 2018 from now until 18 April 2018.