Our registration quality standards

Every school has to meet our requirements in five key aspects before they can become a Cambridge school.

If you would like to become a Cambridge Early Years Centre, please refer to our registration quality standards for Cambridge Early Years.

We will discuss and evaluate each aspect with you during the registration process. We will also periodically review your school against these aspects during the reapproval process. You can find out more about what we look for below.

The school’s mission and educational values

We require that:

1. The school has a clear mission statement that makes reference to its educational values. 

2. The culture of the school is learner-centred and supports students and teachers to become confident, responsible, reflective, innovative and engaged. 

3. International awareness and global perspectives are promoted through the curriculum and other activities. 

4. Relationships between staff and students are positive, demonstrate mutual respect, and the school has established and consistent expectations of behaviour.

School management and leadership

We require that:

1. The school principal is suitably qualified and experienced in educational leadership. 

2. The senior management team and the governing body demonstrate clear goals for the successful introduction of Cambridge qualifications and can evidence planning to support effective implementation. 

3. Senior staff are committed to setting targets for school improvement and staff development, supported by well-designed performance review and self-evaluation. 

4. There is effective and transparent management of school budgets. 

5. A complaints procedure is in place that effectively manages complaints for parents and other stakeholders.

Quality of teaching and learning

We require that:

1. The school is appropriately resourced with sufficient staff employed in management, teaching and support roles. 

2. The school curriculum is clearly expressed and accessible to teachers, students and their parents. 

3. Assessment outcomes are monitored and evaluated with clear feedback into teaching and learning strategies. 

4. Teachers have appropriate qualifications to deliver Cambridge programmes and qualifications successfully. 

5. Teaching takes account of students’ diverse learning styles and individual needs. 

6. The school has a well-designed approach to the professional development of teachers and other staff. 

7. The school has a clear policy to address the language needs of learners.

The physical environment of the school

We require that:

1. The school premises create a positive learning environment for students. 

2. Library or learning resources adequately support delivery of the curriculum. 

3. Specialist facilities are provided (e.g. for Cambridge syllabuses in art and design, music, languages, ICT, physical education and the sciences). 

4. Secure storage arrangements for question papers and other examination materials comply with our regulations. 

5. Appropriate facilities that comply with our regulations for accommodating examinations have been identified. 

6. A good understanding of the Centre responsibilities set out in the first section of the Cambridge Handbook.

Legal requirements

1. Fire certificate. 

2. Government approval to operate, including any approvals needed to provide the Cambridge curricula you wish to offer. 

3. Health and safety policies in line with government requirements. 

4. First aid provision in line with government requirements. 

5. Child protection policies in line with government requirements.

To support schools we have published some guidelines on what a robust approach to child protection may look like in a school setting. To implement a fully robust approach to child protection, policies have to be supported by well-managed and resourced processes.