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 became a fully accredited school in December 2012.
The process which led to accreditation was 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 made the ambitious decision to begin the self-study process after only five years of existence and achieved accredited status by December 2012. Although it meant a lot of additional work, the process was very beneficial for school development.
