The Department for Education's BSO inspection scheme is voluntary for overseas schools.
Overseas schools describing themselves as 'British' may choose to undergo a BSO inspection.
Schools that meet the inspection standards are then officially recognised by the UK Government under this accreditation scheme, and will subsequently be able to access a number of unique benefits of BSO accreditation.
The Department for Education has put in place arrangements for inspection against a common set of BSO Standards which compare to the Independent School Standards in England.
All BSO inspection reports are available on the GOV.UK website for parents and prospective parents to read, informing them on the the quality of provision within the inspected school.
Who can be accredited as a BSO?
Any British school operating overseas wishing to achieve BSO accreditation can do so by having a BSO inspection every three years.
A school's performance against the BSO Standards must be at least 'Satisfactory' in order to be awarded BSO
An essential element of the inspection is considering the extent to which the British character of the school is evident in its ethos, curriculum, teaching, care for pupils and pupils’ achievements.
By achieving BSO accreditation, participating schools will be able to demonstrate that they provide a British education with similar characteristics to an education in an independent school in England.
The inspection scheme also takes into account local laws, customs and traditions ensuring that outcomes both reflect and celebrate the international nature of schools.
