COBIS Accredited Member (BSO)

To be recognised by the UK Department for Education (DfE), a British school overseas (BSO) must have an inspection report which shows that their performance against all the BSO standards is at least satisfactory. This reflects the standards required for continuing registration as a school in England. Following a successful BSO inspection, schools will be allocated a unique reference number on the UK's national school reference system, Edubase.

Click here to view the BSO Standards for Inspectorates
Following a successful inspection by one of the DfE approved inspectorates listed above, COBIS is able to confer formal recognition on its Accredited Member and Member schools worldwide.

Heads and senior leaders in COBIS schools are also eligible to train as ISI inspectors and to participate in inspections of both British International schools and schools in the UK. Inspection teams for COBIS schools have an independent lead or reporting inspector and include team members who are practitioners in international schools as well as those from the UK.

The following DfE approved inspectorates are in operation to inspect BSO and are monitored by Ofsted:

• Education Development Trust (EDT)
• Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI)
• Penta International