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In This Issue: 1. Welcome 2. Dates For Your Diaries 3. COBIS Lobbying 4. New COBIS Member Schools 5. New COBIS Iniatives 6. Professional Development • Forthcoming Conferences 7. COBIS Student Competititons and Events 8. COBIS Webinars 9. COBIS Services 10. School Member News 11. Recent Visitors to COBIS Head Office 12. News From COBIS Schools Around the World 13. Supporting Member News 14. Contact Us Welcome from Colin Bell, COBIS CEO Dear Colleague, As we move into February, I would like to take this opportunity to thank colleagues who have contributed to the BSO consultation process by sharing their comments on the proposed standards. COBIS, as a leading voice in the international educational sector, will respond accordingly to reflect the opinion of our global membership base. We value your contribution and will keep you updated on the latest developments. Colleagues are reminded that the COBIS Annual Conference is now only threemonths away and approaching fast. Delegate booking is open on the COBIS website and details of the seminar sessions will be published shortly. On behalf of COBIS, I would like to thank all our supporting member and school representatives who submitted proposals. We received a high number of quality proposals which will ensure a rich and balanced programme for all delegates. The title of this year’s Conference is Authentic Leadership: Inspirational Stories for Learning in British Schools Overseas. We look forward to welcoming delegates from all around the world and invite you to share your stories of the challenges and pleasures of working in British international schools with your COBIS colleagues in London. Our impressive keynote speakers - Joe Simpson, Professor Deborah Eyre, Curtis Jobling and Richard Addis – will share their inspirational stories during the Conference so book places for yourself and your colleagues without delay. This year’s Conference will certainly be our largest yet and we invite you to be a part of it. In a significant milestone for COBIS membership, our school membership reached 251 schools in 72 countries last week with the addition of The RiverBank School in Nigeria as a COBIS Member. On behalf of the COBIS network, we would like to welcome the staff and students at The RiverBank School into membership and congratulate the school on attaining the high standards required for COBIS membership. COBIS is committed to quality with quality assurance remaining of paramount importance to our association. Over 50 schools are currently going through our Quality Assurance cycle to ensure their suitability for continued COBIS membership and COBIS is committed to working with all members to raise standards for the benefit of pupils and young people worldwide. As a student centred association, here's to all students competing at next weekend’s COBIS World Student Debate Comp hosted by COBIS Accredited Member The Edron Academy in Mexico City. We look forward to welcoming teams to Mexico and to some enjoyable and challenging debates. May the best team win! Kind regards, Colin Bell CEO Dates for Your Diaries COBIS Conference for PAs and Secretaries 25-26 February 2016 The British School of Bucharest, Romania
COBIS/Youth Sport Trust PE and School Sport Conference 2-3 March 2016 Ricoh Arena, Coventry, UK
St Paul's Education Conference, in association with COBIS 19-20 March 2016 St Paul's School, São Paulo, Brazil COBIS Conference for Marketing, Development and Admissions Staff 21-22 March 2016 The Prague British School, Czech Republic 35th COBIS Annual Conference 7-9 May 2016 InterContinental London - The O2, Greenwich, London COBIS Lobbying How to Access the 2016 National Curriculum Assessment Materials Please find information related to the Phonics Screening Check and the Key Stage 1 and 2 SATs tests below. COBIS continues to lobby on behalf of members regarding the secure publication of these tests. International schools will be able to download 2016 SATs test materials from the GOV.UK website. Phonics Screening Check The scoring guidance, pupils' materials, practice sheet and answer sheet will be available on GOV.UK from Monday 27 June 2016, once the check administration window has closed.
Key Stage 1 Tests Key stage 1 test materials will be made available on GOV.UK once the key stage 1 test administration window has closed in June 2016.
Key Stage 2 Tests Test papers will be available from Monday 23 May 2016 , on GOV.UK after the national curriculum tests have been administered in England. Mark schemes and raw score to scaled score conversion tables will be made available on GOV.UK from Tuesday 5 July 2016.
Please visit: National curriculum assessments: 2016 sample materials for more information and sample materials. New COBIS Member Schools COBIS Membership Reaches 250 Schools The number of COBIS member schools reached a significant milestone last week with the approval of The Riverbank School in Bangladesh as a COBIS Member. The COBIS network now numbers 250 quality British international schools in 72 countries worldwide. We are delighted that the COBIS network continues to grow, affording members excellent opportunities to network and learn from colleagues from all corners of the globe. COBIS members are reminded that quality is of paramount importance to our association and all members are required to adhere to the COBIS Quality Assurance cycle. Any COBIS Members who do not undertake a BSO inspection within three years of joining COBIS are required to resubmit key documentation which will be reviewed by the COBIS Membership Committee. COBIS Candidate Schools are required to apply for COBIS Member status within two years of joining our association and COBIS offers support for schools through the COBIS Consultancy Service in order to help schools to achieve this standard. Any queries related to Quality Assurance should be directed to the COBIS Communications and Membership Officer - members@cobis.org.uk New COBIS Schools COBIS would like to welcome the following schools which have recently been approved for COBIS membership by the COBIS Membership Committee: Dubai English Speaking School and College (DESSC), United Arab Emirates COBIS would like to welcome the staff and pupils from DESSC into COBIS membership. The school, which caters for pupils aged 3-18 years, was founded in Dubai in 1963 and has 178 staff and 2,217 pupils on roll. On behalf of COBIS, we look forward to working with all the staff and students at the Dubai English Speaking School and College. EtonHouse Prep School, South Korea COBIS is delighted to welcome our first school in South Korea into membership. EtonHouse Prep School in Seoul opened in 2013 and now has 168 pupils on roll from 34 countries. Christine Simmonds, CEO of EtonHouse Korea said upon accepting COBIS membership, “We were delighted to hear that the COBIS panel deemed our school suitable to meet the high level requirements for COBIS membership and accept this confirmation with pleasure. As a team, we embrace this opportunity.” International School for Primary Education (InSPE), Romania The International School for Primary Education (InSPE) is the nineth COBIS school in Bucharest to be approved for membership by the COBIS Membership Committee. The school, which is led by Head of School Susan Eriksson, was founded in 1995 and caters for pupils aged 1.5 – 11 years. Susan said upon accepting COBIS Member status, “On behalf of the school community at InSPE, I am delighted to confirm our membership of COBIS. We undertake to respect and work within the guidelines in the COBIS ethical code of practice and the COBIS guide to good governance.” Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS), United Arab Emirates COBIS is delighted to confirm the Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS) in Dubai as a COBIS Member school. The school, which has two sites in Dubai, has 700 primary pupils at the Jumeirah campus and over 1,300 pupils at the primary and secondary campus in Arabian Ranches. Director Mark Steed said upon accepting COBIS membership, “We are delighted to accept the invitation to be members of COBIS. I look forward to joining you at the Annual Conference in London in May. We very much look forward to being part of the COBIS family of schools.” KAD Academy, Nigeria COBIS would like to welcome the staff and pupils from the KAD Academy in Kaduna, Nigeria into membership. The school, which caters for pupils aged 3-13 years, was founded in 1963 and has 26 staff and 165 pupils on roll. Head of School Hazel Nwakwesi said upon accepting COBIS membership, “The staff and student body at KAD Academy are rejoicing! We are not only happy but feel especially privileged to be approved as a school worthy to be a COBIS school”. Royal Institute of Smart Education (RISE), Bangladesh COBIS is delighted to welcome our first school in Bangladesh into membership. The Royal Institute of Smart Education was founded in August 2015 and has 173 pupils on roll. On behalf of COBIS, we look forward to working with all the staff and pupils at the Royal Institute of Smart Education in Bangladesh. St Lawrence College, Greece St Lawrence College in Athens, Greece has recently been approved as a Candidate School by the COBIS Membership Committee. The school caters for pupils aged 2.5 – 18 years and has 678 pupils on roll. Headmaster Phil Holden said upon accepting COBIS membership, “I look forward to our school working with COBIS and its members. The beginning of our school’s relationship with the COBIS family marks an important step in the ongoing development of our school”. Riverbank School, Nigeria COBIS would like to congratulate the Riverbank School in Nigeria which has recently been approved as a COBIS Member by the COBIS Membership Committee. The school joins our growing number of schools in Nigeria which offer British style education to local and international pupils. On behalf of COBIS, we look forward to working with all the staff and students at the Riverbank School in Nigeria. New COBIS Initatives COBIS Launches International Summer School COBIS is delighted to announce that we have partnered with Summer Boarding Courses to offer an exclusive high quality summer school experience which will bring together students from COBIS schools around the world. Through the structure of the academic programme, the Cambridge University campus setting and the social programme designed for teenagers aged 15 - 17, the course is designed to develop students' confidence and communication skills as well as ready them for their future studies. The summer school will include courses which provide students with expert advice in how best to tackle the admissions process for the UK's top universities, including Oxbridge and the Russell Group. It will also equip them with the practical skills in independent learning, analytical thinking and debate that are so essential, not only in ensuring success in higher education, but also in their future career. The engaging academic programme will develop a wide range of skills that will prepare students for their future studies at university: lecture skills, presentation skills, the ability to think critically and form critical responses to a variety of issues and debates; as well as improving research and teamwork skills. Alongside this, students will broaden their subject knowledge in the areas of business and global citizenship. In preparation for university, students will take part in a series of lectures, workshops and individual tutorials. These workshops will be delivered by Oxbridge Applications, the market leader in supporting students to Oxford and Cambridge Universities. Students are also promised a full and exciting social calendar with visits to some of the UK's leading attractions. The summer school will be based at Cambridge University's Clare College and will run for two weeks from 8-22 August 2016 To view a detailed brochure, please click here. The Day COBIS COBIS is pleased to report the growing popularity of The Day COBIS, our recently launched online resource for students and teachers. The publication provides students of all school year groups with clear and in-depth articles analysing current affairs, and acts as an excellent teaching resource for lessons, assemblies and form time. The resource equips young people with the crucial ability to think for themselves and engage with the wider world around them. We’ve had some great feedback from COBIS member schools who have started using The Day COBIS:
“The Day is an excellent resource that keeps our school up to date with the latest news and events around the world. Teachers and students are able to source and use current and relevant information that feeds into their lessons, classwork and curriculum studies at any time." Nicholas Green, Head of Secondary at King's College, Murcia For more information about The Day COBIS and for more information about how to subscribe, click here. COBIS Launches Diploma for International Teaching Assistants (DITA) and DITA for Early Years In an exciting partnership with COBIS supporting member, The TA College, we are delighted to announce that enrolment is now open for the two new COBIS accredited courses for Teaching Assistants working in international schools around the world. Both the COBIS Diploma for International Teaching Assistants (DITA) and the Diploma for Early Years have been created to provide international Teaching Assistants with the knowledge, skills and understanding to work effectively alongside teachers whilst maximising learning opportunities for children. Course Content: Both programmes are 6 months long and combine e-learning, reading, collecting evidence and writing assignments. Each contains 6 units, comprised of 5 mandatory units and 1 optional unit. Please click on images below for further information: Entry Requirements: No formal qualifications are required. Teaching Assistants wishing to complete the course must be working in an international setting with opportunities to support teaching and learning on a regular basis. Fees: The course fee is £650 per person. Group discounts are available for schools. Course Start Date: The course is due to start in January 2016 (however enrolment will function on an ongoing basis). Further Information: For a more detailed description of the course contend and assessment framework of the DITA click here, and for the DITA Early Years, click here.
To find out more or to enrol on the course please email enquiries@tacollege.com or contact Sakina at COBIS Head Office. Professional Development CPD Needs Analysis Deadline: Monday 29 February 2016
If you have not already completed the online CPD questionnaire and would like to do so, we are still accepting CPD feedback and suggestions for future events - please click here to complete this. Please feel free to forward this link to anyone within your school who has responsibility for Professional Development; we are happy to receive multiple submissions from schools. We know how busy you all are, but we hope that you will take the time to help us ensure that the COBIS Professional Development programme meets the needs of you and your school. Thank you for your continued support and co-operation. 2015/16 COBIS CPD Calendar The 2015/16 COBIS CPD Calendar includes a range of courses and conferences for: - Teachers
- TAs and Support Staff
- Middle and Aspiring Leaders
- Senior Leaders
- PAs and Secretaries
- Marketing, Development and Admissions Staff
- Bursars and Business Managers
- HR Staff
- Students
Please click here for a list of the high-quality professional development opportunities that COBIS will be running for the next Academic Year 2015/16. Booking is open for the conferences below: February 2016 March 2016 - COBIS and Youth Sport Trust PE and School Sport Seminar, UK – Coventry, UK – 2-3 March 2016
- 4 Day Middle Leaders’ Course - Doha English Speaking School, Qatar - 9-12 March 2016
- COBIS Conference for Teachers, Doha College, Qatar, 11-12 March 2016 (POSTPONED UNTIL 2017)
- St Paul's Education Conference, in association with COBIS - São Paulo, Brazil - 19-20 March 2016
- 4 Day Middle Leaders’ Course - St Paul’s School, São Paulo, Brazil -19-22 March 20
- COBIS Conference for Marketing, Development and Admissions Staff - The Prague British School - 21-22 March 2016
April 2016 May 2016 Forthcoming CPD Events 35th COBIS Annual Conference – London, UK – 7-9 May 2016 Authentic Leadership: Inspirational Stories for Learning in British Schools Overseas **Delegate Information Here** **Exhibitor Information Here** InterContinental London - The O2, Greenwich, London, UK - 7-9 May 2016 Planning and preparation for the 35th COBIS Annual Conference, sponsored by BridgeU, is now underway at COBIS Head Office. The Conference will take place at the new InterContinental London - The O2 in London, 7-9 May 2016. Principals, Heads, Governors, Deputy Heads, Senior Managers and Senior Leadership staff from British International Schools worldwide are invited to register for this COBIS event. Delegate fees start from £445 plus VAT for COBIS Member Schools. Conference themes: - Creating a Successful School: Leadership stories of resilience and success in the whole school community - students, staff, leaders and parents
- Future Proofing your Schools’ Success: Succession planning, building capacity and exploring the supply and continuity of teachers in British overseas schools
- Every School a Unique School for a Unique Context: One size doesn’t fit all - focusing on local adaptation and how schools work to reflect community expectations
- Leadership in the Schools of the Future: How effective leadership is changing and challenging current skill sets
- The Nimble, Change Ready School: Shifting mindsets, embedding changes and building practices for more open, accountable, and adaptable school cultures and systems
Keynote speakers will include: - Joe Simpson World renowned mountaineer, author, speaker and the subject of the BAFTA Award winning film Touching the Void
- Professor Deborah Eyre International education leader, academic and author. Her recent work has sought to help good schools become truly world class
- Curtis Jobling British illustrator, animator and author, he is best known for his roles as production designer of children’s TV hit, Bob The Builder and author/illustrator of children’s books, most notably Frankenstein’s Cat
- Richard Addis British journalist and entrepreneur. He has edited the Financial Times and Sunday Telegraph, and currently edits The Day, an education resource for schools
The conference will also include: - Welcome Reception and Dinner at the National Maritime Museum
- More than 20 engaging and innovative seminars and workshops from Headteachers and leading experts in international education
- COBIS Spark – COBIS members share innovation and best practice
- COBIS AGM
- COBIS Development Forum
- 35th COBIS Annual Reception and Dinner
- An exhibition of more than 100 COBIS Supporting Members
- Optional courses before and after the conference including Advanced Child Protection, Advanced Safer Recruitment and IPML Facilitator Training
For more information and booking forms, please visit cobis.org.uk/AnnConf_2016
To download the Annual Conference flyer, please click here. We look forward to welcoming you to our 35th COBIS Annual Conference. 4 Day Middle Leaders Courses – Belgium, Qatar, Brazil **BOOKING DEADLINES APPROACHING** Spring 2016 COBIS, working in partnership with Karen Ardley Associates, will be providing accredited professional development for Primary and Secondary Middle Leaders. The four-day Middle Leaders' Course - Leading Learning from the Middle - will run in Brussels, Doha and São Paulo in 2016. With limited places on these courses, booking is filling up fast. Please click on the links below for more information and booking forms for the course in your region. Cost: £600 for COBIS Members / £695 for non-COBIS Members The delegates are aspiring/middle managers and the programme will focus on the following key areas; the role of the middle leader/manager, our current educational agenda, an emotionally intelligent leader, effective professional development, working with teams, giving feedback, coaching for improvement, improving teaching and learning in your area and presentation skills. In 2014/15 this course ran at St Catherine's British School and The British School of Beijing. The feedback was very positive: "Words aren't enough to describe how empowered and inspired I feel! This programme gets you back to the heart of why I am a teacher." "I would absolutely recommend this course, it is both inspirational and practical. I got so much out of it." "The best course I have attended since I started teaching." "An inspirational course that has changed my outlook on education." For more information and to book your place please click here. To download a flyer for the Middle Leaders' Course, please click here. COBIS Conference for PAs and Secretaries – Bucharest, Romania **BOOKING DEADLINE APPROACHING** British School of Bucharest, Romania 25-26 February 2016 There are still a few places left for the first COBIS Conference for PAs and Secretaries which will be hosted by British School of Bucharest 25-26 February 2016. Staff from COBIS member and non-member schools are invited to attend this two-day event. This two-day training and networking event will be of interest to PAs, Secretaries, Executive Assistants and other Admin Staff. The programme will include a mixture of plenary sessions, workshops and practical training sessions from leading PA Trainers Angela Garry and Karen Knowles. These sessions will include Time Management, Teamwork and Personality Profiles and Project Management. There will also be opportunities for discussion and networking including a Conference Dinner on the Thursday evening. The cost is €325 for COBIS members and €425 for non-COBIS members. The Delegate fee includes both days of the conference, Conference Dinner on Thursday evening, lunch and refreshments on both days, transport between the hotel and school on both days and all conference materials. For more information about the conference, please click here. To book your place before Friday 5 February 2016, please click here. COBIS/Youth Sport Trust PE and School Sport Conference – Coventry, UK **BOOKING DEADLINE APPROACHING** Ricoh Arena, Coventry, UK 2-3 March 2016 COBIS have partnered with Youth Sport Trust to deliver the first COBIS/YST PE and School Sport Conference and the booking deadline is fast approaching. Delegates from COBIS member and non-member schools are invited to register for this two-day event which will be held at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, UK, 2-3 March 2016. The conference will be of interest to Heads of Sport, Directors of Sport, Headteachers, PE Teachers as well as other staff with responsibility for PE/Sport/Games. The programme will include a mixture of plenary sessions, seminars, practical workshops, training sessions and a COBIS Spark Session for delegates to share experiences. There will also be a YST National Conference Gala Dinner on Wednesday 2 March held at the same venue as the conference. The dinner, which will be attended by around 500 people, is an opportunity to spend an evening listening to the inspirational stories of international medal winning sports men and women. The dinner will honour the achievements of those from the world of PE and school sport and is a further opportunity for delegates to network. For more information about the conference, the programme and costs, please click here. To book your place through the online booking form, please click here.
Remember to Book your Place for the St. Paul’s School 3rd Education Conference **Booking Open** Don’t forget to sign up for the St. Paul's School 3rd Education Conference, organised in association with COBIS. The Conference, which attracts a large number of delegates from schools in the Latin American region, will take place in São Paulo on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 March 2016, with pre-Conference workshops also being held on the afternoon of Friday 18 March. Some sessions are already fully booked, with others filling up fast, so it is important to sign up early to avoid disappointment. With keynote sessions by Sir John Jones and Sir Anthony Seldon, as well as an array of practical workshops on themes such as single-sex education, bilingualism and pupil driven education, the conference promises to be a valuable and thought-provoking event for all involved in education – so don’t miss out! For more information, including a link to the full programme of information, click here. Click here to book your place. If you would like to receive a sponsorship pack, please write to conference@stpauls.br. To register as an exhibitor, please complete our online form. COBIS Conference for Marketing, Development and Admissions Staff - The Prague British School **Booking Open** The Prague British School, Czech Republic 21-22 March 2016 Places are filling up for the 3rd COBIS Conference for Marketing, Development and Admissions Staff, which will be hosted by The Prague British School 21-22 March 2016. This two-day training and networking event is open to delegates from COBIS member and non-member schools as well as COBIS Supporting Members worldwide. The programme will include a mixture of plenary sessions and break-out sessions as well as opportunities for networking and sharing experience. The sessions will cover a range of topics including, Marketing and Admissions for British International Schools, Sales for non sales people, Crisis Communications, Managing the admissions process, Event Planning – theory and practice, Alumni relations from beginners to advanced, Fundraising from beginners to advanced, School Websites and Social Media and The Marketing and Admissions office as part of the school. In light of the feedback from previous delegates, there will also be a COBIS Spark Session and a Pre-conference cultural day tour on Sunday 20 March. The Delegate Fee is €390 for COBIS Members / €490 for non-COBIS Members. To book your place, please click here. Forms should be submitted no later than 26 February 2016. For more information about the conference including travel and accommodation details, please click here. Please click here to book as an exhibitor. COBIS Student Competitions and Events Student Competition and Events Dates For Your Diary 2015/2016 Below are the dates and deadlines for all COBIS Competitions and Events for this academic year: Spring Term Summer Term COBIS Primary Creative Challenge – **Deadline Extended** This year’s Primary Creative Challenge “Let’s Celebrate”, in partnership with Oddizzi, is all about sharing a celebration or festival that is unique to your country! Re-create the experience of a national holiday, festival, celebration, or significant date in your country and produce a short film with your class (or small group) that documents the experience. To help get you thinking outside the box, here are some festivals and celebrations you could use as inspiration: - La Tomatina (Spain)
- Festival on the Nile (Uganda)
- Chinese New Year (China)
- Ramadan (Dubai)
- Maslenitsa (Russia)
- All Saints’ Day (Mexico).
Categories - Most authentic experience - KS1 and KS2
- Most creative way to share information - KS1 and KS2
The closing date has been extended to Wednesday 23 March 2016. Good luck! COBIS Poetry Competition This year, COBIS students are challenged to write, in 40 lines or less, a poem on "Journeys". The closing date for this competition is Friday 11 March 2016 and we’ve already had some great entries! You can enter now through the Student Poetry Competition page of the COBIS website. The winning students will have their poems published in COBIS World Student Magazine and will receive a prize, kindly provided by John Catt Educational. COBIS Art Competition Following the success of last year's competition, the COBIS Art Competition is back for a second year with the option to enter into a group category within each of the four age groups. This year's theme is "A Room With a View" and schools can enter up to 3 entries per category. The categories are: - Foundation Stage
- Key Stage 1
- Key Stage 2
- Key Stage 3
The closing date for this competition is Wednesday 20 April 2016. To submit an entry, please click here. COBIS Senior School Music Festival
COBIS is happy to announce that the second COBIS Senior School Music Festival will take place at The British School in The Netherlands from 27 – 29 May 2016. For more information, please click here. To register your interest, please email Catriona Lawless at COBIS. COBIS Student World Debate Competition Good luck to all heading off to The Edron Academy in Mexico this week for the COBIS Student World Debate Competition. I’m looking forward to meeting you all and watching some top quality debates and discussions! My thanks go to the team at The Edron Academy for planning what I’m sure will be a fantastic event and to all the staff from attending schools for putting in so much effort to preparing your students for this great competition.
COBIS Webinars The COBIS webinar schedule for Spring 2016 is available on the COBIS website here. COBIS has now delivered over 30 webinars on a range of topics relevant to all members of the school workforce. Past webinar recordings are available in the COBIS Member Area. Should you require your login details for the Member Area, please contact intern@cobis.org.uk.
COBIS Services COBIS Governors COBIS can support member schools to attract credible school governors to strengthen their Boards. For more information, the COBIS Code of Good Governance can be found here. If you are interested in becoming a potential school governor please complete the online registration form here. COBIS offers governance training and support to member schools and individuals through the COBIS Consultancy Service. Training is delivered by approved COBIS Consultants who are all quality assured. Please see below for more information. COBIS Consultancy Service If your school has specific CPD needs that would be best addressed by having training delivered by an external trainer or consultant in your school, then the COBIS Consultancy Service can help. COBIS Schools can submit a request for consultancy or training via the COBIS website. The consultancy request will be shared with some of the quality-assured consultants and training providers in the COBIS database and the school will then receive proposals from individuals or companies who would be able to deliver the training within the school’s proposed budget and timeline. There is no cost for COBIS Schools wishing to use this service. COBIS Consultancy can also offer schools support with BSO inspections. This can include a mock run through BSO inspection in preparation for the real event. For more information visit the COBIS website or email consultancy@cobis.org.uk. COBIS Leadership Mentoring and Support Service For Senior Leaders looking for more tailored, personalised CPD, the Leadership Mentoring and Support Service offers the opportunity to work with a trained mentor with successful experience of the professional challenges in the international school environment. For more information visit the COBIS website or email mentoring@cobis.org.uk. COBIS Set to Introduce Credit Card Payment Facilities We are pleased to announce that COBIS Head Office is now able to accept Credit card payments over the phone, with prospects of payees being able to settle online shortly. Updates regarding live online payments will be posted on our website during February and in the next edition of COBIS Connect. School Member News COBIS School Members - Staff Changes Additionally to the Welcome List sent out in previous Connect newsletters, COBIS is pleased to also welcome the following Principals and Headteachers to COBIS schools. We look forward to working with you: - Mr Philip Hardaker BEd (Hons), FRSA, new Principal of Sherborne International
COBIS reminds all member schools to notify us of changes to their administrative and senior leadership staff. This will help us to keep key staff up to date with the latest COBIS developments and make it easier to facilitate dialogue with the appropriate person in each school. To inform us of any changes, please email updates@cobis.org.uk. New COBIS Accredited Member School
COBIS would like to congratulate staff and pupils at Campion School in Greece which has recently been reconfirmed as a COBIS Accredited Membership following another successful BSO inspection. COBIS Annual Research Summary Report Published Thank you to all of the schools that contributed to the COBIS Annual Research Survey 2015, which was delivered in partnership with GL Education. The survey was undertaken to help develop a deeper understanding of the growing global COBIS family of schools, as well as the British International Education sector as a whole. The results will support lobbying activities, inform planning for future CPD events, and help facilitate increased school-to-school networking, communication and support. COBIS Annual Research Survey 2015 Summary Report The reports detailing the findings of the second COBIS Annual Research Survey, conducted in the autumn term of 2015, have now been published. To view a copy of the summary report, please click here. Individualised School Reports (including benchmarking information) All responding schools should have received an email from GL Education giving them the opportunity to download a school-specific report including useful benchmarking information. If you submitted a response to the survey but have not received a link to your report, please contact the GL Education Technical Support team on support@gl-education.com. Please also contact GL Education if you need to be reminded of your password to access your report. Did you know?... (some of the statistics from responding schools) - The oldest COBIS school was founded in 1896
- 67% of responding COBIS schools teach cross-phase (both primary and secondary)
- COBIS schools have as many as 99 pupil nationalities
- 95% of leavers from responding COBIS Schools went on to HE/University in 2015
- 12% of COBIS schools offer boarding
- 108 different curricular subjects are taught in COBIS schools
- 153 different extra-curricular activities and sports are offered in COBIS schools
- 54% offer some form of financial support; 32% offer bursaries and 48% offer scholarships
- The average A*/A pass rate for GCSE/IGCSE in COBIS schools was 56% (compared with 17.6% in England) and the A*-C pass rate was 90% (compared with 72.4% in England)
- The average IB pass rate for COBIS schools was 93% (compared with 79.3% worldwide)
For more information, including the 2015 report and previous research reports, please see our COBIS School Research Page. Global Music Project Set for a Record Year Global Music Project, which works with hundreds of British International Schools overseas, saw their 2015 recording release use the voices of nearly 5,000 students from 48 countries. Click here to listen to last year's track - it will help make your day better! This year’s song/project is set to shatter the record books! The group are targeting 8,000 voices from even more countries than last year. COBIS Head Office would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Global Music Project on all of their brilliant work so far, and wish them every success in the future. COBIS Head Office is now Decorated with School Member Photos The new COBIS Head Office, located in London's Russell Square, is now colourfully deocrated with the four winning entries from our recent School Photo Competition. The Head Office team would once again like to congratulate the winning schools on their excellent efforts. Recent Visitors to COBIS Head Office The new COBIS Head Office in Russell Square, London, has received lots of visitors this month with many taking advantage of the excellent meeting room facilities available. The bright and airy space, which can hold up to eight people, is located in Central London's Russell Square, and is just a short walk from Russell Square and Holborn Stations. We'd be delighted to welcome you! Click here for more information.
The following people visited the team at COBIS Head Office in January: - Heidi Cheung, UKTI Hong Kong
- Eamonn Mullally and SLT Members, Edron Academy
- Ken Page and Katie Vincent, British Embassy School Ankara
- Roger Schultz and Susan Wan, Alice Smith School
News From COBIS Schools Around the World Doha College Hosts Competition for Aspiring Doctors Science students from six of Qatar’s top international schools will once again go head-to-head to win the prestigious Medical Review School Conference at Doha College next month. The conference, which will be held on 20 February 2016, is designed to encourage and inspire students to follow a career in science and medicine. In its third year, the conference will see teams of science students showcase their scientific knowledge on a variety of medical issues to a panel of independent medical experts in a bid to win a host of fantastic prizes. To register to attend the afternoon session, please contact medicalconf@dohacollege.com by Thursday, 11 February. There is no cost to attend.Doha College's Head of Biology and event organiser Rachel Hart said more than 50 students aged 15-18 from Doha College, Al Khor International School, Qatar International School, American School of Doha, Dukhan English School, and Doha British School will compete throughout the day. Miss Hart said all teams will present their work during the morning, with the top three teams progressing to the afternoon judging session with the expert panel. She said all Qatar school students and parents are welcome to attend the afternoon session, which begins at 1pm at the Auditorium at Doha College’s Al Waab campus. Spanish Wow Day at Aloha College Primary School The study of Spanish is very important for the whole community of COBIS Accredited Member School, Aloha College, and that is why that their recent Spanish Wow Day was a roaring success. The special day gave children the opportunity to share a Spanish lesson with their parents, who were very excited to participate. In fact, they all deserved 'house points' at the end of the day! The British School of Brussels to Open a New State-of-the-Art Swimming Pool The British School of Brussels (BSB) is set to open a new Sports Centre this autumn, part of its Project 3-2-1. A key feature of the project is the 25 metre swimming pool with movable floor, which allows one to choose the depth of the pool, from 0 to 2 metres. The floor can even be adjusted to offer different depths at the same time. Once open, the pool will allow the school to add swimming skills to its already impressive fitness curriculum.
The aquatics curriculum will not only focus on stroke skills and technique for all skill and grade levels, but also include courses on basic water safety for those just learning how to swim and lifeguarding skills for advanced students. The pool will also serve as a home for the Dolphins, BSB’s own swim squad, and will feature digital timing and touch pads, allowing the squad to train with the latest technology and the school to host invitationals and inter-school swim meets. For more information and images, click here. Aloha College Year 12 Visit to Sur Newspaper Offices in Malaga Aloha College Year 12 pupils enjoyed a visit to the Sur on Thursday 21 January as part of their IB Language studies. They were treated to a talk about news gathering and newspaper production as well as a tour of the building. They are sure that the visit not only inspired our budding journalists but also opened their eyes to the range of possibilities of working within the publishing and newspaper industries. COBIS Head Office would like to congratlate Aloha College on offering this opportunity, and wish the students every success with their future studies. Supporting Member News New Supporting Members RSAcademics - Marketing and Research Updated Contact Details Members are reminded to update COBIS with any changes in staff personnel so we can ensure information about your membership reaches the right person in your organisation. Any staff changes should be emailed to updates@cobis.org.uk Please remember that more than one person can be listed as the contact at your company. Book your Exhibition Space at the COBIS Annual Conference 2016 **Booking Deadline Approaching** InterContinental London - The O2, Greenwich, London, UK 7-9 May 2016 The exhibition space at the COBIS Annual Conference 2016, sponsored by BridgeU, is booking up fast. This year, in light of our growing network and conference, we are delighted to welcome delegates and exhibitors to our new conference venue, the recently built Intercontinental London – The O2, from 7-9 May. The new venue will allow us to welcome more delegates than previous years as well as providing a larger space for our exhibition. The theme of this year’s event is Authentic Leadership: Inspirational Stories for Learning in British Schools Overseas. Principals, Heads, Governors and Senior Managers from British International Schools worldwide are just some of those who will be attending what promises to be our largest Conference yet. These attendees, along with exhibitors, inspectorates and representatives from UK and overseas Ministries of Education, are what make the COBIS Annual Conference one of the leading opportunities for all those involved in the British international education sector to connect and exchange both ideas and services. There are still some exhibition spaces remaining, however in past years these have sold out very quickly, so we strongly advise booking a space as soon as possible if you wish to exhibit. Please note that COBIS Supporting Members receive a significantly reduced rate compared to non-members. Exhibition Charges - 3 metre stands - COBIS Supporting Members - £1195.00 + VAT (SOLD OUT)
- 2 metre stands - COBIS Supporting Members - £1095.00 + VAT
- 3 metre stands – Non-COBIS Supporting Members - £1750.00 + VAT (SOLD OUT)
- 2 metre stands – Non-COBIS Supporting Members - £1650.00 + VAT
Exhibition charges cover lunch/tea/coffee/water/refreshments on Sunday and Monday for two representatives for each individual stand. Please see Exhibitor Feedback from last year’s Annual Conference below:
93% of exhibitors rated the relevance of delegates to your organisation as Excellent or Good 86% of exhibitors rated their enjoyment of the conference as Excellent or Good 100% of exhibitors rated the Saturday Reception Dinner at the London ZSL Zoo as Excellent or Good “This is a great opportunity for us to reach the international school market and is a good way of promoting our brand.” “A really outstanding conference. I listened to several inspirational speakers and enjoyed catching up with many colleagues as well as meeting many new ones. Roll on COBIS 2016!” More information about this year’s COBIS Annual Conference as well as links to the booking form can be found here. For sponsorship opportunities, please click here. We look forward to welcoming many of you to the COBIS Annual Conference 2016. Exhibiting at Other COBIS Conferences COBIS Supporting Members are also welcome to attend and exhibit at upcoming Spring Term Conferences for the school workforce, hosted by COBIS Schools in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and South America: March 2016 April 2016 COBIS Conference for Teachers and Support Staff, Lagos - Grange School, Nigeria - 14-15 April 2016 (More information for exhibitors will be available soon. To register interest, please email Amy Carter). Congratulations to COBIS Supporting Member Bett Award Winners CPD and Events Officer Amy Carter and International Marketing Intern Stefan Constantine were delighted to see many COBIS Supporting Members at the Bett Show in January, including TTS, iSAMS, Furlong, School Website, WCBS, Scanning Pens and many more. It was a great to see our members showcasing their expertise and latest Education Technology innovations for the improvement of students’ education.
We would also like to extend a huge congratulations to COBIS Supporting Members who received 2016 Bett Awards including Discovery Education, Oxford University Press, Capita SIMS, 2simple, TES Global, GL Education and Twig World. For the full list of winners and their categories, please click here.
Amy and Stefan also had an opportunity to attend the Ministerial Keynote, delivered by Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP, Secretary of State for Education, who talked of the benefits technology can bring to education. The full content of her speech can be found here. Educate are Holding a Free Webinar on Performance Management Educate are offering a free webinar on Thursday 25th February at 09:30am GMT. “An effective approach to performance management” will be delivered by Leyton Jones who has already worked with COBIS schools to deliver school-wide PM systems. The webinar will focus on: the principles of a modern, effective PM approach; linking into your school’s value systems; linking PM with inspection frameworks; activating individuals to take responsibility for their development; using data to set school improvement objectives; integration of pay progression, and more. To register, please visit our webinar page here. If you have any questions, please email Katy Goldsmith on katygoldsmith@educate.co.uk. MA International Education and Globalisation Webinar If you are considering studying for a MA International Education and Globalisation at the University of Bath's Department of Education then you are invited to attend our webinar on Wednesday 10 February at 12:00 (GMT).
This one-year, full-time masters course provides an exciting opportunity to develop your understanding of international education and globalisation and debate the latest thinking about international education in practice. During the webinar you’ll be able to find out more about course structure and content and studying at the University of Bath. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions to academic and admissions staff in a live question and answer session. Sign up for the webinar here For more details about the MA International Education and Globalisation visit: www.bath.ac.uk/study/pg/programmes/ma-inter-edu-global Teaching Open Events at St. Mary’s University COBIS is pleased to announce that one of our Supporting Members, St. Mary’s University, Twickenham, will host several Teaching Open Events for Primary PGCE Programmes in 2016. These events will be useful to all those interested in pursuing a career in Primary Education, and particularly relevant to Graduate Teacher Assistants in COBIS Schools. For information of events, dates and times, and locations please click here. College Board’s Summer Institute for International Counselors at NYU With British schools sending a growing number of students to US Universities, it is more important than ever to ensure that guidance staff are fully equipped to provide the best advice on US higher education admissions. COBIS is pleased to announce that one of our Supporting Members, College Board, continues to run their Summer Institute - the leading professional learning event for counselors in international secondary schools. This year begins an exciting new partnership with New York University to offer the Summer Institute at their three global campuses: Central learning experience: Condensed two-and-a-half day versions: Resident faculty includes chief enrollment officers from US universities as well as leaders in K–12 international college counseling. Click here for more information on what promises to be an excellent event. Learn About How UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) Can Help You to Grow Your Business COBIS has recently been approved as a UKTI Trade Challenge Partner, working closely with UKTI to provide our supporting members with expert international trade advice and practical support. In order to provide our members with more information about the support available to them through UKTI, we have updated the COBIS website with full details here. Support available includes: A useful guide to the basics of exporting can be found on the UKTI website here. COBIS encourages our supporting members to look at the services available to them through UKTI. If you have any questions, please contact Natalie Friend – members@cobis.org.uk Contact Us If you have any comments or requests, please contact us. We'd love to hear from you.
Colin Bell, CEO - ceo@cobis.org.uk Natalie Friend, Communications and Membership Officer - members@cobis.org.uk Stefan Constantine, International Marketing Intern - intern@cobis.org.uk Catriona Lawless, PA to Colin Bell and Student Engagement Officer - pa@cobis.org.uk Amy Carter, CPD and Events Officer - cpd@cobis.org.uk Padma Sivapunniyam, Finance Officer - admin@cobis.org.uk Sakina Zafar, Academic Officer - academic@cobis.org.uk Follow us on Twitter @CobisDirector Like us on Facebook Connect with us on LinkedIn Share with us on Google+
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