However, following the June 2016 UK referendum in favour of leaving the European Union (EU), the UK signalled its intent to withdraw from the Convention Defining the Statute of the European Schools; the enacted Brexit withdrawal agreement provides for the UK to leave the intergovernmental organisation, "the European Schools" — a distinct entity from the EU — at the end of the academic year ongoing at the end of the transition period. Furthermore, regulations of the European Schools restrict its Board of Governors to only providing accredited status to schools operating within the EU. The UK's withdrawal from the EU on 31 January 2020 prevents the organisation from renewing the Europa School UK's accredited status beyond its current period. Uncertainty over how long the school could continue to offer the European Baccalaureate programme during the protracted withdrawal negotiations led the Europa School UK to cease offering the European Baccalaureate following the 2020 graduation, and to secure accreditation to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme from the 2020–2021 academic year onwards.