Council of British International Schools
| Abbreviation | COBIS |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1989 |
| Type | Non-governmental organisation |
| Purpose | Educational accreditation |
| Headquarters | London |
| Location |
|
Region served | Overseas schools |
| Membership | over 450 schools |
General Secretary | Colin Bell |
| Affiliations | Independent Schools Council ISC |
| Website | cobis.org.uk |
The Council of British International Schools (COBIS) serves English International Schools around the globe, where they state they represent 331 Member Schools in over 80 countries and over 193 Supporting Associate organisations.[1][2]
Objectives
COBIS exists to serve, support and represent its member schools – their leaders, governors, staff and students by:
- test member schools with the British Government, educational bodies, and the corporate sector
- Providing effective professional development for senior leaders, governors, teachers and support staff
- Facilitating, coordinating and supporting professional networking opportunities for British International schools
- Providing access to information about trends and developments in UK education
- Promoting career opportunities within the global COBIS network
- Brokering a cost-effective consultancy service between schools and approved educational support service providers [3]
Actions
COBIS hosts a range of conferences and professional development events for teachers, middle leaders, support staff throughout the year, plus an annual conference in London in May for school leaders and Governors. Journalist Jenny Anderson and the Brookings Institution’s Rebecca Winthrop were past presenters.[4] COBIS represents or lobbies for its members with the British Government,[5] educational bodies, the corporate sector and Ministries of Education worldwide and is committed to advancing the interests of British schools and British education overseas.[6][7] They also collect data from surveys to report out on things like enrollment numbers and how geopolitics affect their students.[8][9]
The Patron's Accreditation and Compliance
In October 2016, COBIS announced a new external validation scheme for British schools overseas to be known as The Patron's Accreditation and Compliance.[10] [11] The new scheme will officially be available to schools from April 2017 and will be offered as an alternative to inspections carried out by the Department for Education for British Schools Overseas.
Structure
Founded over 30 years ago, COBIS is governed by an elected executive committee consisting of headteachers and governors from member schools worldwide. The association is a constituent member of the Independent Schools Council and operates on a not-for-profit basis to reflect being a UK-registered company 'Limited by Guarantee'.
The chairman is Mr Trevor Rowell, and there is a governing board.[12]
COBIS is led by CEO Colin Bell[5][13] and supported by the COBIS team based in London.[14] In August 2015, COBIS head office moved from Twickenham to Russell Square in London's Bloomsbury area.
References
- ^ Kennedy, Beth (2026-01-14). "Demand for British international schools on the rise". The PIE News. Retrieved 2026-03-21.
- ^ "About Us - Council of British International Schools". www.cobis.org.uk. Retrieved 2026-03-21.
- ^ "About Us - Council of British International Schools". www.cobis.org.uk. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ Martin, Kim (2025-05-15). "COBIS conference puts purpose and safeguarding first". The PIE News. Retrieved 2026-03-21.
- ^ a b "Education Sector Advisory Group minutes 1 September 2020". www.gov.uk/. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ "Membership Benefits - Council of British International Schools". www.cobis.org.uk. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ Adams, Richard; Young, Charles (2024-05-26). "Overseas schools given 'British' accreditation despite anti-equality curriculum". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-03-21.
- ^ Henry, Julie (2023-11-05). "Newly-qualified teachers quit UK for schools abroad due to abject pay and conditions". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-03-21.
- ^ "How geopolitics is affecting international schools | Tes". www.tes.com. Retrieved 2026-03-21.
- ^ "Accreditation - Council of British International Schools". www.cobis.org.uk. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ Smith, Lisa. "Finding a good school for expat children". iExpats. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ "Angela Fubler Joins COBIS Board". Bernews. 2025-06-19. Retrieved 2026-03-21.
- ^ "Tes' 10 questions with… COBIS boss Colin Bell | Tes". www.tes.com. Retrieved 2026-03-21.
- ^ "COUNCIL OF BRITISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS LIMITED filing history - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 2026-03-21.