Accreditation

Accreditation acts as a mark of quality for other schools & universities

CIS member logo.
Cambridge assessment international education logo.

Only 14% of all international schools have earned membership of a school accrediting agency, putting member schools within the top tier of schools globally

Why is accreditation important to your child’s education?

Accrediting agencies offer parents assurance that the school they choose for their child has been quality assessed by an independent, external body. 

A child educated at an accredited school will have received a high-quality education and that school's reports and exams are reliable indicators of this achievement. This benefits students who move from school to school around the world, and those who apply for high school or university place upon graduation from their accredited school.

For these reasons, Green Shoots prioritises accreditation and in its ten-year history has earned membership to three important groups. Our membership with these groups aligns with our values, offers an educational advantage to students, and can further assure parents that Green Shoots is the right school for their children.

Council of International Schools

CIS offers whole-school accreditation and is the world’s largest non-affiliated agency.

Council of British International Schools (COBIS)

COBIS offers whole-school accreditation and represents 450 British-curriculum schools in more than 80 countries.

Cambridge Assessment International Education (CIE)

Cambridge authorises approximately 4,500 schools around the world to deliver its curriculum

CIS member logo.
"Green Shoots showed an impressive understanding and commitment to develop intercultural learning; a strong focus on student well-being; & an effective commitment to nurture the home-school partnership."
CIS Evaluator 2019

What does a school have to do to become accredited?

Due to its complexity and rigour, the accreditation process includes several steps and can take years to complete. There are many accrediting agencies, some of which serve schools affiliated with a particular education system or model and may be tied to a government agency.

There are two types of accrediting agencies that work with international schools:

  • Those that consider teaching and curriculum only (usually examining boards like Cambridge or the International Baccalaureate), and 
  • Those that look at the school’s operations more broadly, including issues like facilities, hygiene, safeguarding, professionalism, leadership and governance, hiring practices, and other things that together make a quality school.