Over the past few months staff have been preparing for another accreditation visit, this has been to obtain the ‘Excellence in Pupil Development Award’. This award was first available in the UK and can now be accessed by international schools. We were visited virtually last week to verify if we had reached the necessary standards to gain the award. What made this process even more rigorous was the verifier was also the person who created and designed the award.

So, what does Excellence in Pupil Development actually mean? The award provides us with an opportunity to measure if our school is promoting positive behaviour and attitudes. It offers a structured framework to evaluate and enrich our pastoral curriculum and supports us to ensure we are developing pupil’s personal attributes and attitudes, such as self-confidence, resilience and self-discipline. There is a comprehensive framework that schools are measured against:

1. Curriculum- Plan so that knowledge and skills for personal development are embedded into the whole-school curriculum.

2. Behaviour- Set high expectations for pupil behaviour and conduct, including punctuality and attendance.

3. Responsible Citizens-Promote positive attitudes from pupils towards their own learning, towards each other, and towards the wider community.

4. Local Partnerships- Engage with local groups and parents to deliver enrichment activities that develop pupils’ confidence, responsibility and leadership skills.

5. External Organisations- Actively enlist the support of national and international agencies to help raise pupils’ aspirations for their future.

6. Professional Development- Commit to high-quality, ongoing staff CPD so that all staff can build and support pupils’ personal development.

After the visit was completed, we received feedback from the verifier on what they had found when reading the report, reviewing the evidence and speaking with various school stakeholders. We would like to share some of the comments below:

‘Students feel safe and secure in the school. They value the education they receive in their Life skills lessons and form time. Students receive strong internet safety guidance and feel confident they can tell a trusted adult when they are worried.’

‘The school seeks student feedback to make the school even better. In this way, students learn that their voice counts and they have agency over their environment. For example, students were instrumental in adapting the glass walls to make them less distracting during lessons. They feel they can raise concerns without fear.’

‘All staff fully contribute to the wider life of the school. They are committed to developing the whole child, whether they are form tutors or academic teachers. Behaviour is well-managed because policy is consistently applied.’

‘Parents are highly support of the school. They appreciate the way that the school focuses on student wellbeing and preparing them for life as well as their academic achievements. They feel that the communication between school and home has much improved with multiple ways that the school keeps them informed about the school’s policies and activities.’

‘Leaders prepare students well for the 21st century world. They help students to be aware of the global issues of poverty, inequality, climate change and sustainability. Leaders’ commitment to the aims and objectives of the award is palpable. They have a strong moral conviction to develop the whole child and they manage the competing pressures for academic achievement well.’

YCIS Chongqing are delighted to announce that after the verification visit, we have received the Excellence in Pupil Development Award for a period of 3 years. We would like to thank our students, parents and staff who have all supported us on this journey.