Process
How accreditation works
Every step is listed here, in order, so a school knows what is being asked of it before it begins rather than discovering it along the way.
Step 1
Application
The school writes to the association asking to be considered, and supplies its governing statement, its plan of study, a sample student record, its fee schedule and its safeguarding policy. Nothing is charged until the association has confirmed it can review the school.
Step 2
Self-study
The school reviews itself against each of the six published standards and reports, in writing, how it meets each one and where it does not. A school that reports nothing and claims to meet everything is not ready to be reviewed.
Step 3
Review
The association reads the self-study against the documents supplied and tests the two or three claims that matter most, ordinarily by asking the school to produce the underlying record. Review is conducted by the director, and the outcome is recorded in writing.
Step 4
Decision
The association grants accreditation, grants it with conditions to be met by a stated date, or declines it. The decision and the reasons for it are sent to the school in writing. A school may apply again after twelve months.
Step 5
Renewal
Accreditation lasts three years. Before it lapses the school reports what has changed, and the association reviews it again. A school that has stopped meeting a standard is told so and given a date to put it right.
How long it takes
The time from a complete application to a decision depends on how quickly a school can supply what is asked for. We would rather take longer and review it properly than rush a decision that a school then has to rely on.
If a school is not granted accreditation
The association will say plainly which standards were not met, so the school knows what to address. Being turned down is not permanent, and a school may apply again once the issues are resolved.