Accreditation

Private schools all over the world generally seek recognition by either local or international school accrediting bodies.

Many international schools choose to seek accreditation by the highly respected Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). ISA plans to be an accredited CIS/NEASC school by 2012.

The process which leads to accreditation is a very intensive one for all members of the school community and is normally not undertaken until a school has been in existence for some years. Prior to the week-long accreditation visit (by a team of experienced international educators), the school staff works through the ‘self-study’. Through the self study process, teachers and other community members are asked to assess the school’s performance against a set of standards and indicators which address every aspect of the organisation’s life. Reports are written in each area and these are submitted to the accrediting body. Some time after the accreditation visit the school receives a report which makes commendations and recommendations for improvement. On the basis of these the school receives its stamp of approval. In some cases, accreditation is postponed until the school has made certain changes and improvements.

At ISA, we have made the ambitious decision to begin the self-study process after only five years of existence. We are confident that we can achieve this goal and although it will mean additional work, we believe the process will be very beneficial for school development.

 Parent Presentation CIS Accreditation Jan 2011

Timeline through to full CIS Accreditation and IB Authorisation