LEH International School Foshan is thrilled to announce that in April 2023 the school has achieved the prestigious COBIS Patron's Accredited Member status. LEH Foshan is the first COBIS school to successfully emerge from the provisional route into Compliance and Accreditation. This recognition is a testament to the school's unwavering commitment to delivering a world-class British education for its students.
What is COBIS?
COBIS, the Council of British International Schools, founded in 1989, is a membership association that represents more than 450 schools and organisations globally. A fundamental aim of COBIS is to support its members and represent their interests in Britain and overseas, particularly with Government, education authorities and educational associations in order to advance the interests of British schools overseas and the commercial organisations which export education resources, products and services.
LEH Foshan has been proudly listed on the COBIS official website, joining an elite group of only 12 member schools (the only 1 in GuangdongProvince) and being 1 of the 3 Patron’s Accredited members in mainland of China.
What does COBIS accreditation mean for a school?
COBIS is a global network of leading British international schools committed to promoting and supporting excellence in education worldwide. The organisation has developed the COBIS Patron's Accreditation and COBIS Compliance as an external validation system. This process is rooted in self-evaluation, with professional validation from expertly trained and informed peer school improvement partners and peer accreditors. It is designed to be a constructive and non-judgmental process that supports schools on their development journey.
Achieving COBIS Accreditation is a significant milestone for schools that aim to demonstrate their dedication to providing high-quality British international education that meets rigorous academic standards and provides excellent student support.
Committed to Meeting Higher Standards
The COBIS Patron’s Accreditation and Compliance Route is a comprehensive process that requires schools to demonstrate their ability to meet a set of high standards in a range of areas, including leadership, learning and teaching, communication, facilities, and safeguarding.
LEH Foshan attained the COBIS Compliance Member status in March 2022. (Click here to learn more.) Following Compliance, and in only one year, the school accomplished the esteemed Patron's Accredited Member status, a remarkable achievement that speaks to the school's continued growth and development.
Report Highlights
We are excited to present some of the commendations* and highlights from the Patron’s Accreditation Report.
It is encouraging and refreshing to see the word ‘joy’ so central in the school and to understand how much value the school sets on process rather than simply academic outcomes. The ethos and values of the school are robust and infuse daily interactions in myriad ways, constantly replenishing an atmosphere in which individuals can thrive and the community can grow together.
*What is a commendation?
Schools may be commended in areas where they have made important strides and, in some cases, may be awarded ‘Beacon Status’ for outstanding practice. Such awards are given to the school on the understanding that they will be open to sharing areas of excellent practice with other COBIS schools in our network.
01 Learning and Teaching
Standard:
The school recognises that their core business is teaching and that the quality of this helps to define the school. The school celebrates and supports the development of high-quality learning and teaching for all students and encourages positive attitudes to learning.
Commendations:
👍Academic support for students around their learning, option choices and higher education guidance
👍The already strong and fast-developing culture of professional collaboration and learning where the staff subscribe to, and are invested in, the development of LEH
👍The highly personalised approach to learning in examination classes resulting from frequent use of assessment to plan learning
👍The high quality of student-staff relationships across the school
LEH Foshan is proud to have a team of highly talented, passionate, and experienced teachers, 90% of whom are British in Secondary School and 100% in Prep School, with an average of 15 years of teaching experience. This high proportion of British-born, educated, and trained teachers provides valuable insights into the British curriculum and ensures the delivery of a high-quality British education.
The COBIS report highlights the strong teacher-learner relationships and individualised support for teaching and learning at LEH Foshan. Teaching in observed lessons consistently encouraged and enabled student progress, with good questioning and encouragement of learners to explain ideas. Students “spoke highly of their relationship with many of the staff, especially where humour and enthusiasm were apparent”.
LEH Foshan provides career and university guidance and counselling services to students, such as in-house tutoring, university fairs, and support from UCAS. The school's Head of Sixth Form and staff dedicate ample time to guide each student towards suitable courses. The effectiveness and appropriateness of the Higher Education support students receive are also recognised in the Report.
Leadership in the School
Standard:
The high quality of leadership, at all levels and different areas, guided by the educational ethos and values of the institution, creates the conditions in which students, staff and the school can thrive and develop.
Commendations:
👍The collaborative, collegiate and can-do staff culture which infuses wellbeing and a sense of belonging and feeds into the quality of provision for students. LEH Foshan is recommended for Beacon Status and we are the ONLY school in China holding this status.
👍Leadership in the school is supportive of, sensitive to, and ambitious for everyone in the school community
👍The development of a collegiate, caring and warm community of staff, students and parents
👍The successful early development of student leadership and the vision for how it might evolve and mature
▴ Mrs Jane Arden, LEH Foshan Headteacher
LEH Foshan's Senior Leadership Team has nearly 30 years of experience in international education on average, instrumental in the school's steady development with achievements such as the opening of the Prep School, musical production, and COBIS Accreditation. The school's leadership culture values and supports every member of the community, creating a caring and warm environment for staff, students, and parents to thrive.
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Students are given ample opportunities to develop leadership skills through various roles, including student council, eco and sports ambassadors, and House captains. The Report highlights that students have expressed that they feel empowered to voice their opinions and offer feedback on their school, which is evident through initiatives like the food suggestion box and the student council.
03 Communication
Standard:
The school communicates effectively with parents to keep them informed and to support the progress of their children. Parents have the opportunity to be actively engaged in the life of the school.
Commendations:
👍Communication between the school and the parents
👍The level of parental satisfaction with their children’s education and happiness
👍The successful steps taken to build parental confidence, trust and engagement and to develop a growing sense of community
Home-School Communication Channels at LEHF
At LEH Foshan, effective school-home communication is a key aspect of our engagement strategy. We provide multiple channels for parents to engage with the school, including the Parent Committee, which is comprised of parents who have been nominated and selected by their peers, to facilitate effective communication and promote collaboration between the school and families.”
The COBIS visitors interviewed some of our parents and found that they praised the frequency of communication, reports, and availability of staff for meetings, especially the detailed weekly newsletter. The Report highlights that the “trust and confidence the school is developing with parents help with their receptiveness as does the level of satisfaction with their children’s happiness.”
04 Extra-Curricular, Enrichment and Engagement
Standard:
The school offers a wide range of clubs and activities and charitable, community and global opportunities which exemplify and strengthen its educational ethos and values, promote good health and well-being and, through the active, ethical and purposeful engagement with the outside world, enriches learning and the development of learner and human qualities.
Commendations:
👍The width and variety of the Extra-Curricular Activity (ECA) programme
👍Steps taken to address diversity and equality in provision in, and beyond the classroom, as exemplified by the work of the English Department and the Library this year.
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LEH Foshan's diverse ECA programme offers students a balance of creative, academic, and sporting options to explore interests and passions as well as design and lead activities, for example, the student-led Comic club. School events and House activities, such as student concerts, Grandparents' Day, House sports competitions, and the celebration of Chinese New Year and Cervantes Day, enhance community spirit and develop essential skills like communication and teamwork. According to the Report, “Vertical groupings around shared interests enhance the sense of community within the school. This is a strength of the school.”
International competitions, including Science Olympiad and Maths challenges, and conferences such as the MUN (Model United Nations) in Guangzhou, offer further opportunities for students to expand their knowledge and skills and develop a global mindset. The school values diversifying the curriculum and promoting global awareness, as demonstrated by World Book Week and the selection of English books.
In conclusion, LEH Foshan's achievement of the COBIS Patron's Accreditation Member Status is a testament to the school's commitment to providing a high-quality British education in an inclusive, supportive and nurturing environment. With the leadership's dedication, the talented and experienced teachers, and the collaborative community of staff, students, and parents, LEH Foshan is well-equipped to nurture the future leaders of tomorrow. We look forward to collaborating with COBIS and providing the best possible education to our students.