The Council of British International Schools (COBIS), a quick overview

COBIS member, accredited member, and BSO status. How COBIS works

Two men in suits talking in an office with 1980s computers — COBIS began in 1981 with 24 British schools in Europe. Illustration: prospectus.ac

By Putri Novaria

13 October 2026 · 4 min read

COBIS, the Council of British International Schools, is an association of about 350 British international schools in more than 80 countries. It began in London in 1981 with 24 schools in Europe and took its current name in 2007.

Every member has passed a check to join, either COBIS's own or another body's that COBIS accepts. COBIS gives no grades, and its report goes only to the school.

Member or accredited?

Schools describe their COBIS status in several ways, and each one stands for a different check.

COBIS Member (Compliance). Two COBIS visitors have checked the basics: safeguarding, welfare, premises, governance and ethos. Teaching isn't part of it.

COBIS Accredited Member. A team of four has checked all ten standards over three or four days, lessons and leadership included.

COBIS Accredited Member (BSO), (CIS), (WASC) or (NEASC). Another body did the check, and COBIS accepted it.

Only one member in six holds COBIS's own full accreditation. Most joined on another body's check, usually BSO.

Some schools still say "COBIS Patron's Accredited", the scheme's name until November 2023.

Is COBIS the same as BSO?

No. BSO, British Schools Overseas, is the UK Department for Education's inspection scheme. COBIS is the schools' own association.

	COBIS	BSO
Run by	Its member schools	The UK Department for Education
Who visits	Mostly staff from other COBIS schools	Inspectors from ISI or Education Development Trust
How often	Every five years	Every three years
The report	Goes to the school	Public, linked from GOV.UK

Neither needs the other. A BSO school can join COBIS on the strength of its inspection, and 141 have; plenty of BSO schools never join, and most COBIS members joined without one.

Some older BSO reports come from Penta, an inspectorate the department dropped in July 2026 after Ofsted criticised its inspections.

What the badge tells you

Most British international schools carry neither badge: there are more than 4,000 of them worldwide. A school without one can still be a very good one.

A COBIS badge tells you that, within the last five years, staff from other British schools have checked the school's safeguarding, welfare, premises and governance, and for an accredited member its lessons too. COBIS doesn't rank schools, so the badge can't tell you how two members compare.

Thailand, Saudi Arabia and Japan build COBIS accreditation into their own rules. Where a city's regulator inspects schools and publishes the results, as Dubai's KHDA does, that report usually tells a parent more.

Three questions are worth asking a COBIS school:

Which status does it hold: Compliance, Accredited, or accredited through another body?
When was the last visit?
Can you read the report? Some schools publish theirs, or a summary of it.

COBIS schools by city

School	Curriculum	Fees a year (USD)
Dubai (8)
Brighton College Dubai	British	18,300–30,200
DESS College	British	23,000–24,700
Dubai College	British	26,500–30,000
GEMS Wellington International School	British · IB	12,900–28,200
Jumeirah College	British	21,500–26,900
Jumeirah English Speaking School Arabian Ranches	British · IB	14,700–28,500
Jumeirah English Speaking School Jumeirah	British	14,700–17,700
Nord Anglia International School Dubai	British · IB	19,000–28,700
Hong Kong (3)
Harrow International School Hong Kong	British	23,300–31,600
Kellett School	British	27,800–35,600
Nord Anglia International School Hong Kong	British · IB	11,600–30,200
Jakarta (1)
British School Jakarta	British · IB	8,850–31,300
Kuala Lumpur (5)
Charterhouse Malaysia	British	22,700–29,200
Garden International School	British	12,800–31,100
Sri KDU International School Kota Damansara	British	6,170–19,900
The Alice Smith School	British	13,200–30,000
The British International School of Kuala Lumpur	British	14,400–31,200
Singapore (3)
Dulwich College (Singapore)	British · IB	29,300–46,300
North London Collegiate School (Singapore)	British · IB	30,500–44,700
Tanglin Trust School	British · IB	28,400–45,400

Compare COBIS schools

Verified fees, curricula and admissions for every COBIS school we list.

Dubai Hong Kong Jakarta Kuala Lumpur Singapore

FAQ

What does COBIS stand for?

The Council of British International Schools, a London-based association of about 350 British schools abroad.

What does COBIS accredited mean?

The school has met all ten COBIS standards, including teaching and leadership, on a visit by staff from other member schools. "Accredited Member (BSO)" or "(CIS)" means another body did the check and COBIS accepted it.

What is COBIS Patron's Accreditation?

The old name of COBIS's accreditation scheme, after its royal patron. COBIS dropped "Patron's" in November 2023, and the scheme itself stayed the same.

What is the difference between COBIS and BSO?

BSO is the UK Department for Education's scheme: inspections every three years, with the reports public. COBIS is an association of British schools with its own five-yearly check, and its reports stay with the school.

Is there a list of COBIS schools?

COBIS's website has a searchable map of its members. The list above shows the COBIS schools on Prospectus, by city.

Are COBIS reports published?

COBIS gives the report to the school and doesn't publish it. Some schools publish theirs, in full or as a summary.

Is COBIS recognised by the UK government?

The Department for Education names COBIS as one of seven associations that support schools in its BSO scheme, but the government's own accreditation for British schools abroad is BSO. Thailand, Saudi Arabia and Japan do recognise COBIS accreditation.

How long does COBIS accreditation last?

Five years. The school then goes through its check again.

What is COBIS Beacon status?

An award for excellence in one of COBIS's standards, or part of one, given during a school's accreditation. Beacon schools are expected to share that practice with other members.

How much does COBIS accreditation cost?

COBIS's 2025/26 prices start at £6,522 for Compliance and £11,862 for full accreditation, plus the cost of the visit. The school pays, on top of its annual membership fee.

Can new teachers do their induction at a COBIS school?

Only if the school is also BSO-accredited. UK statutory induction can be completed at a BSO school that belongs to one of seven associations the Department for Education names, COBIS among them.