International School Accreditation Explained | CIS, COBIS, BSO, WASC, ISI | The Independent School of Jakarta

CIS, COBIS, BSO, WASC, and ISI - what they mean, and how to use them

Published by The Independent School of Jakarta · Updated February 2026

Quick reference

• BSO - UK government-administered, inspected by ISI. Confirms a school is delivering British education to UK independent school standards. Held by: ISJ.
• COBIS - Independent body, peer-reviewed. British international schools globally. Held by: BSJ.
• CIS - Most internationally portable, curriculum-agnostic. Rigorous self-study + peer review. Held by: JIS, BSJ, AIS.
• WASC - US-focused. Relevant for American-curriculum schools and US university recognition. Held by: JIS.
• ISI - Not an accreditation body. An inspection body that conducts BSO inspections and inspects UK independent schools for the government.

When comparing international schools in Jakarta, you'll encounter accreditation acronyms on school websites - CIS, COBIS, BSO, WASC, ISI, and others. Most families don't know what these mean or how much weight to give them. This guide explains what each one requires, what it actually tells you, and how to use accreditation as one input in your decision - not the only one.

Why Accreditation Matters Specifically in Jakarta

In most countries, private schools are regulated by the government - minimum qualifications for teachers, curriculum requirements, inspection regimes, and consequences for non-compliance. In Indonesia, the regulation of internationally operating schools is relatively light. The term "international school" is not legally protected, and a school can describe itself as international without meeting any defined standard for teacher qualifications, curriculum quality, or safeguarding.

This creates a real risk for families relocating from countries where private school standards are assumed to be regulated. Accreditation is the mechanism that partially fills this gap - it provides external verification by a body with defined standards, independent of the school itself.

Accreditation is not a guarantee of quality. It confirms, at the point of inspection, that a school meets a defined set of criteria. It doesn't capture day-to-day classroom quality, the calibre of individual teachers, or the culture of a school. But it is a meaningful filter: schools that invest in the accreditation process, maintain their standards between inspections, and publish inspection reports transparently are, on average, more serious about quality than schools that don't.

BSO - British Schools Overseas

BSO (British Schools Overseas) is the UK government's framework for recognising overseas schools delivering a British education to standards comparable with UK independent schools. To achieve BSO accreditation, a school must pass an external inspection covering six areas: quality of education (curriculum, teaching, and assessment); pupils' spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development; welfare and safeguarding; governance and leadership; and school ethos.

The inspection process is rigorous and includes classroom observations, interviews with teachers and pupils, scrutiny of school documentation, and verification that stated policies are actually implemented. Schools must be re-inspected periodically to maintain accreditation - it is not a once-and-done process.

ISI (the Independent Schools Inspectorate) is one of the approved bodies that conducts BSO inspections. ISI also inspects schools in the UK - specifically the independent schools that are members of the Independent Schools Council, including the major UK prep and senior schools. An ISI-inspected BSO school is being held to the same inspection framework as the UK's leading independent schools. ISJ is BSO-accredited and ISI-inspected.

COBIS - Council of British International Schools

COBIS is a membership and accreditation body operating a two-stage process. Schools first join as Patron members, then work through an accreditation process involving a school self-evaluation and external review of governance, safeguarding, educational quality, and management systems. Full accreditation (COBIS Accredited status) indicates the school has passed this review. COBIS membership also provides access to a professional network, CPD resources, and governance guidance.

CIS - Council of International Schools

CIS is one of the most widely recognised international school accreditation bodies globally. Unlike BSO and COBIS, CIS is curriculum-agnostic - it accredits British, IB, American, and other curriculum schools. Its accreditation mark is recognised by universities and school systems worldwide, making it the most internationally portable of the quality marks covered in this guide.

The CIS accreditation process is comprehensive and demanding. It involves a detailed school self-study (typically 18-24 months to complete), followed by a peer review visit from a team of experienced educators from other CIS-accredited schools. The review covers the school's stated mission, educational programme, student support, governance, and improvement planning. CIS accreditation requires ongoing quality assurance and is subject to periodic renewal.

WASC - Western Association of Schools and Colleges

WASC is the primary US accrediting body for schools in the Western United States and international schools globally. It is the standard accreditation for American-curriculum international schools and is well-recognised by US universities as a quality mark. The WASC accreditation process involves a self-study and external visiting committee review covering educational programme, student support, governance, and improvement planning.

ISI - Independent Schools Inspectorate

ISI is not itself an accreditation body - it is an inspection body that inspects UK independent schools on behalf of the UK government and conducts BSO inspections for international schools overseas. ISI inspection reports are public documents published on the ISI website, providing independent evidence of a school's quality. Families considering BSO-accredited schools can read the actual inspection reports - not just the school's marketing summary. ISJ is ISI-inspected, and the report is available publicly.

How to Use Accreditation When Choosing a School

Use it as a filter, not a guarantee. Accreditation tells you a school met a set of standards at a point in time. It doesn't tell you whether the teaching in your child's classroom is excellent, whether the pastoral care will work for your particular child, or whether the school's culture is a good fit. It's one input - a useful one, but not the only one.

Check the date of the most recent inspection. Accreditation can expire or lapse. A school that was CIS-accredited five years ago and hasn't maintained the process may no longer meet those standards. Ask when the most recent inspection was and when the next one is scheduled.

Ask to see the inspection report. BSO reports are available on the ISI website for schools inspected by ISI. CIS schools often publish their accreditation visit findings. A school that has been through rigorous inspection and is proud of the result will share the report readily. A school that is evasive about this is also telling you something.

Understand that non-accredited schools can be good schools. Accreditation requires time, resources, and administrative capacity. Some genuinely good schools are in the process of seeking accreditation or have made a conscious decision not to pursue it. The absence of accreditation is a yellow flag, not a red one - it means you need to do more due diligence, not that the school is poor.

Ask why a school isn't accredited, if it isn't. If you're considering a school without any external accreditation, ask directly: why? "We're currently in the COBIS candidate process" is very different from "we don't think external inspection adds anything." The answer is informative both about the school's quality consciousness and its relationship with transparency.

Summary: Which Accreditation for Which School Type