By Mary Powell, Associate Director of School Support & Evaluation - Strategic Initiatives

Inclusion is no longer a secondary aspiration; it is a central pillar of international education. With the launch of the new CIS International Accreditation Framework and the protocol for developing socially responsible learning communities, CIS schools now have a powerful tool to deepen their commitment to inclusive learning.

Our redesigned framework marks a significant shift to a developmental model that empowers schools to align accreditation with their own strategic priorities. Schools co-construct their accreditation journey with us, focusing their self-study on 2 – 4 Development Initiatives that reflect their unique context and aspirations. This opens the door to targeted work on inclusive practices, whether this means refining support systems for students with ADHD, dyslexia, or other neurodiverse profiles, or rethinking how curriculum and pedagogy can better reflect the diversity of learners.

At the heart of the framework are the Cornerstone Expectations, the essential operational and strategic systems that must be established in all schools. The aspirational standards build on these, offering a future-facing roadmap for development across three dimensions: embedding Guiding Principles, fostering Well-being, and advancing Learning. Schools then identify standards to underpin their Development Initiatives. For example, they might choose to focus on inclusive curriculum design, universal design for learning, or professional development in neurodiversity awareness, using specific CIS standards as their guide. This agency enables schools to strengthen inclusion not just as a support mechanism, but as a strategic driver of school improvement.

Crucially, the framework embeds safeguarding and well-being into the Cornerstone Expectations and the aspirational standards, recognizing that inclusion is inseparable from a safe and supportive environment. Neurodiverse students often face unique vulnerabilities, and the protocol helps to ensure that schools are equipped to meet their needs.

The protocol also encourages schools to engage in organizational learning, using data and community insights to measure impact and refine practices. This is especially valuable for inclusion work, where progress is often nuanced and context specific. Schools are supported to tell their own learning stories, capturing how their school has evolved their practices, what challenges arose, and how they will transfer their learning to other strategic priorities in the future.

As CIS schools transition to this model, they are not alone. We provide dedicated support for each school’s accreditation journey, guidance, and access to resources that help them to build capacity through an action-focused approach to accreditation. The emphasis is on strategic alignment, community engagement, and future-focused development, a combination that positions schools to lead meaningful change for all learners.