International accrediting organisations

CIS is a membership community of more than 1300 schools and universities globally. Their ideals are to provide students with the knowledge, skills and abilities to pursue their lives as global citizens and a commitment to high quality international education. As a member there is a commitment to engaging in an external quality assurance process to enhance student learning.

Being accredited by CIS will involve the following:

  • rigorous evaluation against internationally-agreed standards

  • a blend of support and challenge focused on a school’s development

  • a peer-based model that brings together international educators from across the world of CIS-accredited schools.

When you are presented the final award of CIS accreditation, it demonstrates that the school:

  • is devoted to its mission and vision for students

  • has thought deeply about the services it offers to students, family and community

  • invests the time and resources for validation from a globally-recognized accreditation authority

  • focuses on the quality of teaching, student learning, as well as student safeguarding and well-being

  • is committed to the development of the students’ global citizenship

  • has a suitable philosophy of education suitable for its students

  • promises only what it can deliver

  • is open to regular evaluation by its own school community and peer evaluators

  • constantly seeks improvement in all areas of the school plans strategically for the future.

The Educational Development Trust works to improve education outcomes around the world, through expert research and contextualised programmes designed to transform schools and lives. They support leaders to raise standards, improve school performance, develop great teachers and open career pathways – transforming lives and futures in diverse contexts.

To receive Education Development Trust ISQM (International Schools Quality Mark) accreditation, your school must be judged as effective in delivering an education in keeping with its stated aims in relation to the following areas:

  • student achievement and progress

  • student personal development

  • teaching and learning

  • the curriculum

  • support and guidance for students

  • leadership and management

  • partnerships with parents and the community.

The IB’s form of accreditation is referred to as authorisation. The IB offers 4 educational programmes from ages 3 to 19 years. These are the Primary Years Porgramme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), Diploma Programme (DP) and Career-related Programme (CP). A school offering any of these programmes will need to go through a process to become authorised to offer that programme.

There are several stages to the process of becoming authorised, the first of which is to apply to become an IB world school.

This application marks the beginning of the authorisation process, which in turn begins the following process:

  • Consideration (school information form)

  • Request for candidacy (application)

  • IB decision on candidacy

    • Consultation

    • Request for authorisation

    • Verification visit

    • IB decision on authorisation

The authorisation process has three primary aims:

  • To provide guidance and support to schools as they work towards authorization

  • To confirm that the school is prepared to offer the IB programme with fidelity to the IB’s programme standards and practices, rules and regulations

  • To plan for ongoing development and improvement after authorization as an IB World School.

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