• For Compliance, standards 1-5 are mandatory (plus standard 6 for boarding) 

• Standards 7-10 are only available with Patron's Accreditation 
• Compliance is the minimum requirement for COBIS membership and features a 2.5-day LIP visit
• A successful Compliance visit confers COBIS Member (Compliance) status while a COBIS Accreditation visit leads to Patron’s Accredited status
• COBIS Accreditation validates learning and teaching and leadership with a three-day team visit along with areas of compliance against our standards
• Compliance visits are carried by a Lead Improvement Partner with another COBIS trained representative
• Schools in their early stages of operation are recommended to opt for Compliance but this can be negotiated in the application stage
• A stepped approach may be preferable by first choosing Compliance and then considering Accreditation further down the line. See "Why choose a Two-Part Accreditation process?"

A school may choose a Two-Part Accreditation process from the outset, where a Compliance Visit is followed by an Accreditation Visit, as part of an ongoing process working with a Lead Improvement Partner (LIP).

Should a school choose this path then following initial discussions with the Director, or Assistant Director of Accreditation, they will work with an assigned LIP for 4-6 months before the Compliance Visit takes place. When the visit has taken place, and once Compliance status has been awarded, the school and LIP will continue to work together for up to a further 12 months until the scheduled date for the Accreditation Visit.

The benefit of this process is that the school is able to develop a close relationship with their LIP who gains in-depth understanding of their specific context. The nature of the continuous process means that momentum can be retained, and next steps put in place quickly. Additionally, the whole path to accreditation can take place within 12-18 months with unbroken support from the LIP.

There is a 15% supplement for a two-Part Accreditation compared to the cost of a single visit Accreditation to recognise the second school visit and significantly more support from the LIP and from the COBIS Accreditation Team over an extended period of time.

COBIS Compliance and Patron’s Accreditation is based on the validation of evidence provided by our schools. It is not an inspection regime, nor do we form judgements. It is not a pass/fail regime, or a one-off snapshot. Instead, it is an interactive process over a five-year cycle, involving supportive dialogue with a Lead Improvement Partner and the COBIS Accreditation Team to build solid professional relationships and lasting partnerships.

• Our approach is differentiated. We recognise every school is unique, sitting in its particular context.
• Our Standards are high and unimpeachable and schools will meet them in different ways according to their stage of development.
• Nevertheless, schools must meet all of the Standards – whether Compliance or Patron’s Accreditation.
• The preparation period of around six months before a visit, where schools work with their Lead Improvement Partner, is designed to help set schools up for success.
• Patron’s Accreditation involves observation of learning and teaching with optional feedback for each teacher observed during a visit.

Please note: Annual membership subscription fees (based on pupil numbers) are payable in addition.

*All costs are subject to change.

1. School chooses programme to follow – COBIS Compliance or COBIS Accreditation – after discussion with the COBIS Accreditation Team. 
2. School applies online and makes full payment for COBIS Compliance or COBIS Accreditation. School is given access to Microsoft Teams and School Handbook and completes the School Profile (basic details) and the Self-Evaluation section. COBIS will contact the school to confirm visit dates.
3. A school undergoing the full COBIS Accreditation will also be initially contacted by either the Director or Assistant to Director of Accreditation to discuss the scope of the visit.
4. Once dates have been agreed, the school is allocated a Lead Improvement Partner (LIP) to guide them through the process of uploading evidence against the COBIS Compliance/Accreditation Standards.
5. The LIP maintains contact with your school and organises calls, video meetings and any interviews before the visit as well as the visit schedule covering the areas of focus agreed by Head and LIP and other practical matters. COBIS offers, at no extra charge, a Single Central Record health check in advance of the visit to help schools prepare for Standard 1a on safer recruitment. We will suggest amendments and enhancements and identify any historic gaps which would need to be filled. Carrying out this check some time in advance allows schools to work on these points long before the safer recruitment meeting and also helps to break the ice with HR personnel.
6. Once the visit has been completed, the LIP and the team will draft the report. If the school is admitted to membership, the school will receive Membership documents plus a detailed report within 6 weeks of the visit.
7. The school will be sent a certificate confirming their member status.
8. The LIP will arrange one-year and three-year review meetings to discuss progress against the Developmental Recommendations and to discuss the school’s engagement with COBIS and other members. The review documents are uploaded onto the school’s Microsoft Teams site.
9. 4 years after the visit COBIS will contact the school, giving them a year’s notice to schedule their next visit. 
10. The whole process is organised on a five-year cycle.

Should a school be non-compliant in one or more areas, an action plan will be drawn up by the Lead Improvement Partner and the COBIS Accreditation Team with specific actions each with an agreed deadline.  The LIP will continue to work with the school during this period to help them meet the Compliance Standards fully. 

Quality assurance is at the heart of COBIS membership, and our COBIS Accreditation and Compliance scheme is the primary route to join us. We also accept BSO inspections and CIS and NEASC accreditation as routes to membership, subject to the approval of the Membership and Accreditation Committee of the COBIS Board.

VIEW our membership benefits here