Greencoast International School’s road to Recognition

By Holly Doobraz-Cheekhooree, Greencoast International School, Mauritius

As a quite recent school, only six years of operation and implementation of the International Primary Curriculum, Greencoast International School’s Recognition journey has been exceptionally smooth and genuinely enriching, thanks to the outstanding support and professionalism of the entire International Curriculum Association’s (ICA) team. From the very start, the team was consistently supportive, always available, and reassuring at every step. We felt guided throughout the process. The microcredentials also played a key role in facilitating our progress; even while completing them independently, we never felt alone, as ICA staff were always round the corner to provide clarity whenever needed.

One of the highlights of our experience was the Recognition Evaluation visit. We had prepared ourselves for what we expected to be a long and intense day, but thanks to our evaluation lead, the visit felt smooth, comfortable, and unexpectedly short. His professionalism, warmth, and ability to acknowledge Greencoast’s IPC journey made everyone feel valued. The entire staff felt seen and appreciated, which contributed greatly to the positive atmosphere of the visit.

Greencoast sought ICA Recognition to formally validate the strong learning culture we have been building through the IPC. We wanted a meaningful and constructive external lens on our practice, one that aligned with our commitment to improving learner outcomes, curriculum coherence, and the whole community’s collaboration. ICA Recognition represented a milestone affirming that we are on a purposeful journey of continuous growth, development and improvement.

The self-review process encouraged deep reflection across all teams. It allowed us to align our practices more closely with IPC principles, highlight areas of strength, and identify areas in which we could further innovate. It brought teams together in new ways, strengthening professional dialogue and enhancing whole-school coherence. It offered a platform whereas a whole school, a community each and every one could have a voice.

The visit was very professional and yet very human. It reinforced that the IPC is not about compliance but about authentic learning experiences. Our evaluators approach made all of us feel comfortable sharing our journey openly, and their insights affirmed our strengths while giving us practical next steps. The positive tone of the visit boosted our confidence and reinforced the value of the work we are doing.

We would encourage schools to embrace the journey with openness and trust. The ICA team is genuinely there to support and guide. The process is developmental, not evaluative. Engage in the microcredentials fully, lean on the ICA team whenever needed, and allow time for reflection. They truly make a difference. Most importantly, it is not about waiting for when everything is “perfect,” to embark on the Accreditation process since the learning happens throughout the journey.

One of our most meaningful moments are firstly the school tour led so beautifully by 2 of our Year 6 learners who showed true sense of belonging, love and learning. Whilst we (the head of school and the curriculum coordinator) stayed around thinking “they might need us at some point or just a thumbs up for reassurance”, our learners, confidently led and explained each and every aspect of our school. Similarly, whilst we were not prepared for the learners to be interacting with the evaluation lead, seeing how confidently they articulate their learning during the classroom visits reflected the authenticity and the wealth of knowledge, skills and understanding they are having the opportunities to acquire and develop through the IPC.