International schools | NACE

International school membership and support

Expert support to develop high-quality teaching and learning for your more able learners and high standards for all

Are you seeking to drive ongoing improvements in provision for more able learners, with a proven positive impact across the whole school? Do you want to benefit from the latest research and pedagogy in this field? Would you like your school to be externally recognised for its practice and be part of an exclusive, collaborative network?

Join NACE’s global community of school leaders and practitioners who are uncompromising in their ambition to ensure learners reach their potential.

Join NACE

About NACE

The National Association for Able Children in Education (NACE) is a UK-based charity and membership organisation with 40 years’ experience in supporting schools to develop high-quality provision for more able learners.

We work with school leaders, partners and practitioners across all locations, sectors and contexts, and benefit from the expertise of highly experienced and acclaimed education leaders and advisers through our network of expert associates, trustees, patrons and partners. This includes links with academics and access initiatives at Oxford, Cambridge and York St John University, as well as a range of other partner organisations. At an international level, we work with organisations including the Council of British International Schools (COBIS), European Council for High Ability (ECHA), World Council for Gifted and Talented Children (WCGTC), and British Schools in the Middle East (BSME).

Our diverse community is united by the shared belief that all young people deserve and benefit from opportunities and support to explore and develop their abilities, and that a focus on developing high-quality provision for the most able will have a much wider impact, driving up aspirations and outcomes across the school.

Read more about NACE and our core principles

What our international members say...

As an international school based in the UAE, the help and support NACE provides has been invaluable, particularly during these uncertain times. Being able to connect with colleagues in the UK through webinars, one-to-one calls and research has certainly helped us adapt quickly to the current learning environment.

Rachel Munif, Stretch and Challenge Coordinator, Hartland International School, Dubai

Taking part in the NACE Challenge Award has given us the opportunity to recognise and celebrate our already embedded successes, but also effectively identify our areas for further development. It has provided us with positive reassurance and food for thought when planning our future operational plan. We have been able to capitalise on the high skills base within our school, and across the wider island.

Sarah Baillie, Headteacher, Ayios Nikolaos Primary School, Cyprus

It has been an energising experience – rigorous, demanding and a great school improvement tool. A concerted, well-communicated vision and action plans have been put in place, implemented and evaluated. The school has felt united, staff have been fully engaged, and all learners have benefitted from the setting of high expectations and more challenging approaches.

Bernie Mizzie, Director of Chiswick House School and St Martin’s College, Malta

Join our community

International membership of NACE costs just £468 per year, covering all staff in your school and offering access to our full membership benefits, plus discounts on bespoke CPD, mentoring, consultancy and school review services and exclusive access to the NACE Challenge Development Programme.

As a NACE member school, you and your leadership and teaching teams will benefit from year-round access to specialised online resources, networking, courses and expert guidance, as well as engaging with research to inform future policy and practice. You also have the opportunity to join the thousands of schools, across all contexts and phases, that have benefitted from the NACE Challenge Development Programme, and to join the growing number of leading international schools achieving external validation through the prestigious NACE Challenge Award.

Support to develop outstanding curriculum planning and pedagogy: use our exclusive member resources, expert guidance, research and CPD to evaluate and develop your approach and implementation.

Access to expert guidance, training and support for all staff: year-round access to high-calibre resources and training webinars for your entire leadership and teaching teams, plus termly online networking opportunities.

Connect and collaborate internationally: join our active professional learning community to share effective practice for the more able and bring an international perspective to your school’s unique context.

Contribute to innovation and thought leadership: participate in exclusive research initiatives, such as our Making space for able learners project, helping to increase your team’s internal expertise and contributing to expanding the evidence base.

Showcase your commitment to high quality teaching and learning for all: display your membership proudly – showcasing your whole-school focus on developing high-quality provision for the more able, in the context of high aspirations and high-quality challenge for all.

Opportunity to work towards the prestigious NACE Challenge Award: rigorous and respected external accreditation marking school-wide high-quality provision for the more able; exclusively open to NACE members as part of the NACE Challenge Development Programme, with remote support available (see below).

Additional services, support and accreditation

Alongside NACE membership – which covers all school staff and includes access to our full online resource library, live and recorded webinars, member meetups and our research programme – we also offer:

Consultancy and audit services
Support to review your existing provision for more able learners and action plan for improvement, combining school self-evaluation with external guidance for lasting, sustainable impact. Remote support available via phone/video call.
Discount for NACE members.

Coaching and mentoring
One-to-one support from a senior education leader for sustained professional development and school improvement. This can be delivered remotely and can be adapted to suit school leaders or other practitioners across a range of roles and career stages.
Discount for NACE members.

Bespoke CPD
Live online training developed and delivered for your school by our team of experienced trainers, including phase and subject specialists. Individual sessions and modular courses available, with gap tasks and spaced learning to support application and embedding of course content.
Discount for NACE members.

NACE Challenge Development Programme
Complete package of support for ongoing school self-evaluation and improvement in provision for more able learners, based on use of the NACE Challenge Framework and accompanying resources, with supporting CPD, consultancy and mentoring available. Can lead to accreditation through the prestigious NACE Challenge Award.
Exclusively open to NACE members.

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