14 Oct 2026
Aspire Academy hosted a team from the Council of International Schools (CIS) for a three-day visit, 12 to 14 October, as part of the Academy’s third international reaccreditation process.
During the virtual accreditation visit, CIS representatives reviewed Aspire Academy’s philosophy, practices, planning processes, and curriculum.
They also reviewed the Academy's wellbeing and safeguarding systems for student-athletes and its use of data to support continuous improvement.
They also met with teachers, administrators, and other staff members; attended a school assembly; visited the University Fair; and participated in a learner-led campus tour and sports training walk.
They also reviewed the school facilities, including classrooms, boarding accommodation and its provisions for health and nutrition.
Throughout the visit, they met with a wide range of staff from both the school and the wider Academy.
The evaluators also held focus groups with teachers, student-athletes, parents and alumni to gather stakeholder perspectives on the Aspire Academy experience.
The visit concluded with accreditation planning workshops and a final meeting to discuss observations, development initiatives and next steps.
School Principal Issa Al Moslemani explained why the re-accreditation is necessary.
“This third accreditation is very important to us as we continue to keep pace with changes in the education sector and innovations such as AI,” he said.
“We continue to challenge ourselves as an educational institution to enhance and elevate our standards and practices in education.”
“CIS also look at the areas you want to develop, the new practices you want to implement, and the initiatives we have already implemented at Aspire Academy. All of this contributes to increasing the effectiveness of education and learning.”
Chief of Education & Students Affairs Officer Jassem Al Jaber, who served as School Principal during the last inspection, outlined how CIS accreditation benefits the Academy.
“CIS accreditation is recognised by many leading further education institutions around the world,” he said.
“As a result, that helps our student-athletes gain access to and enrol in universities all over the globe.”
“The focus is now on new educational initiatives, how we can implement them, and then analysing their impact on student-athletes and the overall educational process is measured.”
The team will now spend time compiling a report of their findings, which will be sent to Aspire Academy in the coming months along with the CIS recommendations.
CIS initially accredited the Academy in 2016; it renewed accreditation in May 2023 following a 2023 visit to the facilities.
This latest visit reaffirms Aspire Academy’s ongoing commitment to institutional and academic excellence.
It highlights the Academy’s advancement of a culture of quality and the continued improvement of teaching and learning practices in line with the highest international standards.
CIS recognition and accreditation show the school’s commitment to student well-being, high-quality teaching and learning, and global citizenship and intercultural learning.