Council for International Schools (CIS)

At GEMS Modern Academy, CIS accreditation is an integral part of how we reflect, learn and improve as a school. The CIS philosophy of developing socially responsible global citizens is closely aligned with our own purpose and informs our approach to learning, wellbeing, safeguarding, leadership and community engagement.

Our ongoing CIS journey challenges us to look beyond individual initiatives and evaluate the coherence between our Purpose, Practices and Planning, the three Cornerstone Expectations that underpin effective and sustainable schools. Through the CIS Guiding Principles and Three Dimensions of Guiding Principles, Well-being and Learning, we continually examine not only what we do, but how consistently it is experienced across our community.

CIS has also influenced specific areas of school development. One example is our increasing focus on transitions, ensuring that students and families experience greater continuity of learning, wellbeing and belonging as they move between phases, pathways and key stages of their education. Student, parent, staff and community voice increasingly informs this work and helps us identify where strong practice can be strengthened further.

The accreditation process encourages us to operate as a learning organisation: using evidence, community perspectives and external evaluation to identify strengths, test assumptions and shape meaningful Development Initiatives with measurable impact.

We are currently progressing towards a dual CIS and IB re-evaluation in 2027, enabling us to bring both frameworks into closer alignment and strengthen a coherent whole-school approach to evaluation and improvement.

For Modern, CIS accreditation is therefore not simply a recognition of quality. It is a framework for organisational learning, accountability and continuous development, ensuring that our guiding principles are increasingly visible in the lived experience of every learner.