hello@sterling-grc.com +1 201 263 4443 New York ISO & GRC consulting in 60+ countries
Contact Sterling Academy login
SterlingInternational Consulting Talk to a consultantTalk to us
← All videos

Industry film

ISO and GRC standards for education: where to start: video

A short film on the standards education providers are asked for, with ISO 21001 at the core and the others added as learners, sponsors and regulators expect them.

  • Industry film
  • 2 min 15 s

Key takeaways

  • ISO 21001 is the management system standard written for educational organisations.
  • Certification evidences outcomes with records, not prospectus wording.
  • ISO 21001 does not replace an education authority's own quality review.
  • Learner data is often the second priority, through ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 27701 or the GDPR.
  • Plan the work around the academic calendar.

Proving what an education provider promises

Schools, universities, training providers and corporate academies are asked to prove what they promise: programmes that deliver their stated outcomes, competent educators, safe campuses and protected learner data. ISO 21001, the management system standard for educational organisations, sits at the core. ISO 9001 applies where a quality management certificate is requested, ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27701 cover information security and privacy, the GDPR applies to personal data wherever it reaches, ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 cover safety and the environment, and ISO/IEC 17024 applies to bodies certifying persons.

The film is a short orientation for principals, registrars and training managers on where to begin, in step with the academic calendar.

Universities, schools, vocational training providers and corporate academies each start from a different place, which is why the film begins with what is being asked and by whom.

Where the pressure comes from, and where to start

Families, employers and sponsors paying for education want evidence that programmes deliver what the prospectus says, and a certified system answers with records of design, assessment and feedback rather than assurances. Public and corporate buyers of education and training services may ask about quality and information security arrangements in their questionnaires. Education authorities review quality in their own way, and ISO 21001 does not replace that review; data protection law, by contrast, applies directly, with deadlines for breaches and access requests.

The usual starting point is ISO 21001: one agreed way of designing, teaching and assessing across faculties, sites and delivery modes, with programme outcomes, assessment and learner support shown in records. Learner data controls, for admissions, grades and learning platforms, are often the next priority, through ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 27701 or a GDPR programme. Campus safety and environmental standards are added as stakeholders ask for them. The free Select the Standard™ tool can show which standards education providers in your market are usually asked for.

Sterling works with leadership and educators to build the system, drawing on 8,100+ client engagements in 60+ countries. Certification is decided by an accredited body, not by Sterling.

Keep exploring

Related to this video

Read next

Services

Next steps

More videos: Industries

All videos

Talk to a consultant

Plan certification for your education organisation with confidence.

Tell us your goals, locations and target date. We’ll help you define the scope, timeline and next steps.

hello@sterling-grc.com

+1 201 263 4443 (global headquarters) · your nearest office and its number are at the top of this page

What would you like to achieve?

Choose a starting point. The enquiry form takes about a minute.

Your goal
Book my free discovery call

Continue to the enquiry form to share your details. Please do not include passwords, sensitive personal information or confidential files. A Sterling consultant replies within one working day. Privacy notice