I know we're already well into January at this stage but on behalf of COBIS I'd like to wish all our members a very Happy New Year! We look forward with excitement to supporting you and your school or business in 2018.

As you may have already read on our website or on social media, the results of the 2017 COBIS Annual Research survey reinforce what we already know about COBIS schools. They continue to be a hallmark of academic excellence with a key role in boosting enrolment in UK (52%) and other high quality global universities. The findings of this research, carried out in partnership with COBIS Supporting Member GL Education, will make all connected to COBIS feel proud, not least the students who work so hard to achieve, and the teachers who guide them towards their goals. For 2018, the Annual Research Survey forms one small part of a more research-driven strategy that will be employed by COBIS to help us better understand the British international schools sector, especially when it comes to teacher supply. Stay tuned to our website, social media channels, and your inbox for more on that soon. 

Our other major news for this month is that you can now secure your place at the 37th COBIS Annual Conference from 12-14 May 2018 here in London. Will you be joining us at our global gathering for leaders of British international schools? If you're in any doubt about registering, just have a look at our confirmed keynote speakers which we are delighted to publish in this issue of Connect. They all bring a wealth of experience in a range of issues that are pertinent to British international schools and you're sure to leave the Conference feeling inspired and invigorated as a leader of learning.

Of course, alongside the various speakers, seminars, workshops and networking opportunities available to attendees of the Conference, there is also the valuable chance to meet with our valued COBIS Supporting Members who can offer support, guidance, tools and advice when it comes to school operations. Many of you will have had a very positive experience working with our Supporting Members in the past and that's why this year, for the first time ever, we have launched the COBIS Supporting Member of the Year Award. This award acknowledges excellence in educational supplies and services and is voted for by COBIS schools and judged by a panel of industry experts. More on that below, and don't forget to submit your nominations for the company you think deserves to receive the award which will be presented at the Annual Conference in May. In turn, if you're a Supporting Member who thinks you deserve the award, do encourage the schools that you have done business with to vote for you.

That's all from me for now – there's plenty of news, views and interviews for you to get stuck into below, so sit back and enjoy our latest COBIS newsletter!

Kind regards,

The COBIS Annual Research Survey, which looks at school profiles, assessment and curriculum choices, examination results and university destinations for students in COBIS schools, is now available to download. The survey, carried out by our colleagues at GL Education, a COBIS Supporting Member, reveals that:

• COBIS schools outperform UK schools at A-level, with a 12% higher A*/A pass rate, a 9% higher A*/B pass rate and a 2% higher A*/C pass rate.
  
  
• COBIS schools also outperform UK schools at GSCE/IGCSE level with a 12% higher A*/A pass rate and a 21% higher A*/C pass rate.
  
  
• 92% of school leavers from COBIS schools go on to university, with 52% choosing a UK university.

COBIS is delighted to announce the launch of a brand new award for COBIS members. The COBIS Supporting Member of the Year Award is voted for by our members schools and celebrates the fantastic work which Supporting Members do with COBIS schools every year.

COBIS invites your school to nominate up to three Supporting Members who you have worked with on a project which your school is particularly proud of. Please use this form​ to submit your entries.

The winner of the Supporting Member of the Year Award will be announced at the COBIS Annual Conference in May 2018.

The Annual COBIS Supporting Member Reception will be held on Friday 26 January 2018 at the Institute of Directors in London. All Supporting Members are invited to attend. Please click here to book your place.

COBIS would also like to invite any school members who are in London on this date, attending BETT or other events, to attend our Reception. Please use this form to book your place.

The Reception is an opportunity to meet the COBIS Board and Executive Team as well as network with fellow COBIS Supporting Members. We look forward to welcoming you to this event. For more information, please contact Natalie Williams, COBIS Membership Officer.

The New Year will be a busy one for COBIS Lead Improvement Partners as we look forward to 9 Compliance and 3 Patron's Accreditation visits before Easter plus a further 3 Patron's Accreditation and 13 Compliance visits in the Summer term.

With a total of around 40 visits taking place during the first year of the scheme, our schedule for 2017/18 is full and we are now taking bookings for the Autumn term 2018 and beyond.

With Compliance a minimum requirement for COBIS membership and our Patron's Accreditation scheme already recognised by FOBISIA and AISA, interested schools should book their visit now.

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 spoke to Sigve Austheim, Principal at Azerbaijan British College - one of the first schools in the world to successfully go through the COBIS Compliance programme!

1. Which living person do you most admire?
I am not really into admiration, but I do value principled and innovative thinkers of significant importance to humanity. Richard Dawkins comes to mind.

2. Which talent would you most like to have?
I would like to be able to write well, and then use this skill when I retire.

3. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Professionally, I think "the culture of learning" we have managed to create in our school, culminating with fantastic checkpoint results, and 87% A*-A in our IGCSE exams.

4. Where would you most like to live?
The province of Cadiz in Andalusia, Spain. I have lived in many countries, and travelled to more, and have yet to find a better place for living.

5. What is your favourite book?
There are so many. The first that comes to mind is "The Goal" by Eliyahu M. Goldratt, which is written as a novel, but really is about operations management and ongoing improvement. Very inspiring, even for an educationalist.

6. What is your favourite £5 treat?
Azerbaijani kebab with fat from fat-tailed sheep.

7. When you were a child what did you want to be when you grew up? 
I remember I wanted to become a veterinarian, and later a kindergarten teacher. This was well before my teens. Some would probably say I became a combination of both…

8. What do you like to do in your spare time?
Currently, I am into popular science. Otherwise I like to keep updated on current affairs.

9. What is on your bucket list?
When I was 30, I started and owned a travel and tourism school where I taught my students while we were travelling around the world. I therefore think I did much of what is on most people's bucket list in the years that followed. Left on my bucket list is therefore finding a house by the sea and live a quiet life. I still want to explore East Africa and Peru, though.

10. What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
Those who know me well, probably nothing. For those who know me less well, my perseverance perhaps.

Each month we will be showcasing 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 we spoke to Rebecca Sternberg who graduated from The British School in The Netherlands in 2012. Today Rebecca works as a Supply Chain Data Analyst at WSH, a contract catering company in the UK.

Click below to read more about Rebecca's memories of The British School in The Netherlands, as well as her journey to her current job, and her advice for students entering the workplace.

As part of the new partnership between COBIS and HP, all COBIS Schools are personally invited to join HP's workshops on Immersive Learning at Bett.

Discover new approaches to STEM teaching and project-based learning with Sprout Pro by HP and HP 3D scanning solutions.

This happens in ExCel North Gallery Suites 12-13, and two dates are available: Wednesday, January 24th (1pm-2pm) and Thursday, January 25th  (1pm-2pm). A finger lunch and some refreshments will be offered.

Following requests from many COBIS schools, GL Education & the Fischer Family Trust (FFT) have started a pilot to look at deeper analysis of CAT4 data with iGCSE/GCSE results. 

The results of this pilot will allow you to show the impact your school makes (or the value added) on the pupils who attend and allow you to compare this impact to the impact made by other schools.

Schools can find out more about the pilot and how to get involved to access some exciting value added analysis by clicking here.

Corrie Lunghi, an experienced dance education specialist working with new Supporting Members the Royal Academy of Dance, explores how dance can support the primary curriculum.

It is perhaps easiest to understand the physical benefits of dance within the primary curriculum; it gets children active, using their whole bodies, learning to control movement in time and space. As children grow, the need to master fine and gross motor skills becomes ever more evident and dance is perfectly suited to train both types of movement. However, dance can offer more than a fun way to keep fit and accelerate motor learning. Yes, undoubtedly it promotes health and well-being: a positive outlet for children's physical and emotional energies. Dance introduces children to a form of non-verbal expression, where they can use their imagination and creativity to inspire others through sharing ideas.

Thus, dance incites a greater understanding of how we all communicate: in everyday life, body language speaks volumes!

The RAD's Primary CPD course will equip teachers with a detailed rationale of all these benefits, and the skills to plan an effective and progressive programme across all key stages within the framework of the British PE curriculum.

The £1m Challenge: COBIS Supporting Members Frog want to help every school make the most of their resources. In today's educational climate, that means doing more with less money.

That's why Frog are helping schools to identify the savings they could make by going paperless, improving teaching & learning, reducing administrative tasks and driving efficiencies. 

Use Frog's interactive savings calculator at www.frogeducation.com/1mc to find out how much money your school could save.

SUBMISSIONS