WASC Member Case Study - Garden International School, Malaysia
We recently spoke to Peter Derby-Crook, Principal of Garden International School, Malaysia, about joining COBIS as a WASC Accredited Member, how this has impacted his school, and what they enjoy the most about COBIS membership.
Tell us a bit about your school. What are you particularly proud of?
We're a large school in Malaysia, over two 2,200 girls and boys from ages 3 to 18, a very mixed, diverse group of students. We’re about to celebrate our 75th year. I won’t go into the great results we get, because what I like to say to parents and those thinking of sending their children here, is that I am most proud of the fact that this school produces good people. To some that might not seem like much, but it is so important to be able to tell parents, when their child is 17 or 18 and about to enter the world, that they are a good person. That’s what this school is about, producing good people with a conscience, with some empathy, and an enthusiasm for life.
Why did you want to pursue COBIS membership? What about it was important to your school?
I was a member of COBIS when I worked in the Middle East, and so I knew it was a professional organisation which provided well for the leadership. So I knew it would be a good organisation to join.
Global citizenship is something that’s very important to us as a school, which COBIS provides. The networking opportunities with other schools provide us with a different perspective.
Of course, the opportunities for students to connect with, and visit, other schools in other countries is a great benefit. The staff training as well, particularly the safeguarding training, ensures that we are operating to a high standard.
It’s also important for us to have a connection with the UK. We’re eight hours apart in time difference, and a 13 and half hour-long flight away, so having a connection with COBIS provides us with that connection to the UK as a British international school. Most of our students go on to study in the UK, so they have some experience and knowledge of the UK before they go.
Ultimately, COBIS membership is a really good investment for us.
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Your school already has multiple accreditations, including WASC and CIS, and belongs to the Taylor's Education Group. How do you think COBIS membership complements these affiliations?
First of all, common values. These organisations all have values similar to ours, and that was important to us.
Second of all, education development. We’re a British school, we follow the English national curriculum, we deliver GCSE and A-Levels. Developments in education and assessments and exams happen through the UK. So all of our organisations help us to be global citizens, and COBIS in particular keeps us at the cutting edge of developments in the education sector.
Your school joined COBIS using your WASC accreditation, how did you find the application process?
It was good! Very straightforward. It was very easy to provide the information needed, none of it felt unnecessary or difficult. When we had questions, COBIS were very communicative. I thought it was efficient and not difficult at all.
What impact will COBIS membership have on your school?
I think context is important. We’re a British international school, with a diverse mix of students, in an Asian country. Being part of an organisation like COBIS gives us a different context and a different perspective on the world, on the aspirations of education, on life.
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What would you say to other schools thinking of joining?
Do it. I would highly recommend it. What you get with COBIS is exactly what they say they do. COBIS delivers rigorously. I would encourage schools to speak to other schools, get their recommendations, do the research. Ask other schools what they get from COBIS. We’re very satisfied with COBIS, and it’s different from FOBISIA and BSME, both of which I’ve been part of. It provides something quite unique.