Council of International Schools (CIS)

The Council of International Schools (CIS) is a global membership community shaping the future of international education. The CIS community includes more than 1,525 schools and universities, representing 120 countries. In Victoria, ENPS is the only government primary school to hold both a CIS Accreditation and International Baccalaureate (IB) World School authorisation, offering the Primary Years Programme (IB PYP).  

The CIS Framework is underpinned by four drivers of effective school improvement, which reflect the CIS Vision and Mission. ‘CIS leads a collaborative global membership community of schools and higher education institutions, exploring and developing effective practices to foster healthy, interculturally competent global citizens. We connect ideas and cultures across the world developing socially responsible leadership through international education.’ 

On Tuesday the 20th of August our Preparatory Evaluation will commence and our visit will conclude on Friday the 23rd of August. The Preparatory Evaluation Visit marks the beginning of the re-accreditation cycle. It is a reference point for tracking our progress made since our last Membership Evaluation.

In this stage, our school will focus on how we are implementing our guiding statements successfully, and how these impact student learning, well-being, the development of global citizenship, and the extent to which our guiding statements drive planning and decision-making. We have completed our self-evaluation report with evidence about how our school aligns to the core standards in the CIS International Accreditation Framework (detailed below).

The Preparatory Evaluation Visit prepares our school for the Self-study stage. The evaluators will assess our school’s readiness for the next stage, clarify the process for the school community, and begin planning for the Team Evaluation.

Our Preparatory Evaluation will involve all stakeholders, including students, staff, our School Council and our parent community. We will be communicating opportunities for engagement and involvement via Compass.

The CIS representatives will be working with our school to reflect on how these four drivers are reflected in our context:

• delivers its own stated purpose and direction;
• Provides effective student learning;
• Ensures and enhances wellbeing; and
• develops global citizenship.   

Here at ENPS, we became a member of the Council of International Schools in 2013 and were accredited in 2015. In 2021 we were reevaluated by an international team of educators, and again reaccredited with the CIS, receiving extensive commendations to celebrate our strengths. The CIS Framework also provides us with an opportunity to reflect on our areas of growth and continually engage in an improvement cycle. 

The Evaluation Framework includes nine domains:

Domain A: Purpose and direction

Domain B: Governance, ownership and leadership

Domain C: The curriculum 

Domain D: Teaching and assessing for learning

Domain E: Well-being

Domain F: Staffing

Domain G: Premises, facilities, technology systems and auxiliary services

Domain H: Community and home partnerships

Domain I: Residential services, boarding and/or homestay

Within each of the above domains are a series of standards and criteria. 

To read more about what it means for your child to attend an internationally recognised school, see the attachment below:

We look forward to continuing to provide community updates and your perspectives, as we work through this new cycle of improvement.