Accreditation

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

• Standards 7-10 are only available with 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 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 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 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.
• 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.

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, WASC and NEASC accreditation as routes to membership, subject to the approval of the Quality Assurance Committee of the COBIS Board.

View our membership benefits

Accreditation ensures British international schools overseas maintain high standards in line with international benchmarks, offering parents and students confidence in quality.  

COBIS Accreditation significantly enhances a school’s global credibility by demonstrating compliance with rigorous international standards in education, safeguarding, and leadership. COBIS Accreditation opens doors to a diverse network of British international schools and increased trust from globally mobile and aspirational host country families.