UTS earns CAIS Accreditation
It’s official – UTS is now a proud member of Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS), a community of independent schools committed to excellence through rigorous standards and continuous whole-school improvement.
Our membership in CAIS affirms our dedication to deliver the highest-quality education at UTS. CAIS provides our school a barometer with which to measure ourselves and opens the door to opportunities to learn and grow, ensuring our students benefit from best practices in the field of education. CAIS schools undergo a rigorous and comprehensive five-year accreditation cycle based on 12 National Standards of excellence in all areas of education and school operations. As a member of CAIS, we share knowledge and experiences with 96 other schools in Canada.
The accreditation review highlighted numerous areas where UTS demonstrates commendable institutional practices.
“The CAIS Peer Review Team observed a school where the pursuit of academic excellence was evident everywhere. Talented and well-prepared teachers engaged with eager, accomplished students in lessons that sparked curiosity and fostered deep learning. The Peer Review Team was struck by the genuine warmth in teacher-student relationships and the strong sense of community this fostered.”
The journey through our first CAIS accreditation has offered a valuable opportunity for reflection and feedback, deepening our understanding of our school, our students and ourselves. Accreditation was initiated by former UTS Principal Rosemary Evans, who applied to CAIS to become a candidate school in 2021. We entered the three-year candidacy process and began work on a rigorous school self-study report that was submitted to CAIS in the fall of 2024. In November 2024, we hosted a Peer-Review team of 12 educational leaders from CAIS and other independent schools for four days, to observe our school first-hand.
In April, our accreditation was approved, with CAIS Executive Director Anand Mahadevan (pictured centre), who formerly worked at UTS from 2004 to 2019 in various roles including head of academics and science department coordinator, delivering our certificate to UTS Board Chair Peter Buzzi ’77 and myself.
Now, we embark on an exciting time of ongoing school improvement through a five-year re-accreditation cycle. In partnership with CAIS member schools across Canada, we are excited to collaborate, research and grow as we proudly demonstrate the excellence that has been a hallmark of UTS for more than a century.
