WORLDCLASSBroadening horizons with atruly international education

BCS1 :Layout 1 26/10/09 15:59 Page 1

Globalisation is here to stay. Britain is nolonger a remote island, one step removedfrom world events. No teacher or pupil hasbeen unaffected by recent world events suchas the bad mortgage lending in the US thatcreated a financial shockwave felt in everyhousehold in the UK.

Today’s schoolchildren are growing upin a global community, and must be preparedfor the opportunities and challenges thisoffers. Education plays a fundamental rolein this preparation, but an internationaleducational experience should not bereserved for the academically elite orsocially mobile. All of our children will feelthe impact of this global shrinkage, whetherit be through contact with pupils who havecome to the UK from abroad, or after theirschool career when they compete for jobsin a more complex marketplace.

As the 2012 London Olympics approaches,the UK comes into focus for the world’sattention. This presents the perfectopportunity for us to look outwards tothe world and for pupils to explore aninternational dimension through all aspectsof the curriculum.

Size, location or subject should nothinder an international dimension withina curriculum, as the schools on thefollowing pages can testify. Commitment,imagination and curiosity are what isneeded to open the school doors andembrace the world at large.

Institutions that embrace the globalvillage give their pupils a head startin an increasingly competitive world

Travel is said to broaden the mind, and thatwas certainly true for 19-year-old KawsarZaman from London, who spent a life-changing six weeks in India over the summeras a Prime Minister’s Global Fellow.

Every year, the scheme sends 100 youngpeople to live and work in India, China orBrazil. Kawsar, who achieved three A-gradeA-Levels from City and Islington College, hadonly ever traveled to Bangladesh before July.

“I come from a community in TowerHamlets in east London where economic

deprivation is rife among the Bangladeshipopulation, who are often very narrow inseeking to learn about different cultures andmaking the most of education,” he says.“After returning [from India], I am even moredetermined to make a difference for studentsin the UK to work hard and dream big.”

Kawsar’s trip began in New Delhi with anintroduction to the language, politics andeconomy, and trips to historic landmarks.This was followed by a stay with a host family,where Kawsar researched the differences

Worldlywisdomfor all

To boldly gowhere fewschools havebeen before

TES editor: Gerard KellySupplement editor: Fiona SalvageProduced by TSL Education Limited to a briefagreed with the British Council and the DCSF.Paid for by the DCSF.All editorial content commissioned by TSLEducation Limited.To give us your feedback or to suggest ideas,contact fiona.salvage@tsleducation.comFor sponsorship or advertising opportunities,contact keith.dalton@tsleducation.com

BCS.2-3 mh:Layout 1 26/10/09 16:03 Page 2

All too often, the internationaldimension in the curriculum isconfused with an emphasis on

modern languages. But there are plentyof ways to incorporate it into non-obvious subjects such as science and ICT.

Dr Eric Albone, director of the charityClifton Scientific Trust, has organisedscience workshops since 2001 that bringtogether over-16s from Japan and the UK tolive and work together (in either country).Past projects include sleep patterns,invertebrates, immunology and lasers.

“It gives meaning to what they’re doing,”Dr Albone says. “They get to know eachother and share an understanding of eachother’s culture. Some people ask whether itis science or a cultural exchange? It’s both,and they work well together.”

Funded by the EC, eTwinning is a freeonline collaboration tool for schools, run bythe British Council in the UK. Over 60,000teachers have registered so far. BurnhamMarket Primary School in Norfolk used thesite to run a project on Vikings with aSwedish school.

www.rafi.ki is a similar site toeTwinning, though most of the 33 projectslisted have been devised by charities, sothe resources are useful for raising pupils’awareness of global issues. It’s free forteachers but they have to pay for pupils.

eLanguages is a free web platform,funded by DCSF, for schools tocommunicate globally and is available in23 languages. For key stage specific work,the east Asia strand of the British Councilprogramme Connecting Classrooms linksKS3 teachers and students with partnersin eastern Asia to develop joint projectsand explore curriculum similarities.

Helen Trilling is international links co-ordinator for Leicestershire County Council.She set up relationships between 12 localschools with partners in Thailand andMalaysia. At Limehurst High School inLoughborough, pupils have been using theConnecting Classrooms IT platform toconnect with their partner schools inEnglish, citizenship and science.

“It’s a textbook example of how theprojects make something you’re studyingin the curriculum real and exciting.”

Beyond borders

between English and Indian schooling, whichhe will use to lobby for change in TowerHamlets (he’d like every school to have freenewspapers, as they do in India). His last twoweeks were spent working at Shell.

“I don’t think I see things the way I usedto,” he says. “Everything is now in the contextof the UK in the wider world and our newcompetition – the likes of India and China.”

It’s not just secondary pupils that benefit

from an international perspective. At TollgatePrimary in Plaistow, east London, 80 per centof children are from minority backgrounds.But rather than using its diversity as anexcuse for differences, the school hasembraced it through an international-basedcurriculum “that reflects our diversity, sokids are better motivated to learn”, headTom Canning explains. It’s an approach thathas gained the school accreditation twicewith the Department for Children, Schoolsand Families International School Award.

In geography, pupils have looked atcontrasting localities in Somalia and India,two of the communities represented in theschool. In RE, they’ve focused on religioustolerance across faiths. The school also hasclose ties with Green Village School inBangladesh and links with schools in France,Germany, Sweden and Turkey.

Mr Canning disputes the notion it iseasier to offer an international dimension in aschool where more than 40 languages arespoken than in an all-white rural school. “It’sreally important we reflect modern Britain,”he says. “Attainment has gone through theroof, and the international dimension hasbeen a real contributor to our success.”Victoria Furness

Applications are now open for the 2010Prime Minister’s Global Fellowship scheme.The deadline for submissions is December18, 2009.

To be eligible for a place on the project,candidates need to be:

l 18 or 19 years old on July 1, 2010l Resident in Englandl In full-time education at a state-maintained school or college, in training orapprenticeship, active in the youth sector inEngland or currently on a gap year.

l For more details go to:www.global-fellowship.org

‘Some people askwhether it’s scienceor cultural exchange.It’s both, and theywork well together’

The fellowship of learning

STR/

AFP/

GETT

YIM

AGES

BCS.2-3 mh:Layout 1 26/10/09 16:03 Page 3

Adding an international dimension doesn'tjust make learning more exciting. It can alsobroaden horizons, open minds and turnyoung people into global citizens.

For children who are getting to grips witha foreign language, overseas links give a realsense of relevance and purpose. At CrontonCofE Primary School in Cheshire, lessons ina range of subjects are sometimes conductedentirely in Spanish or German – then sharedwith partner schools in Seville and Berlin, aspart of an EU-funded Comenius project.

“In PE, for example, our pupils devised awarm-up exercise,” explains teacher IanThomas. “They filmed it with instructions inGerman and sent the DVD to our partnerschool for them to try out. When childrenknow they’re doing something for anaudience it gives them a boost. They’vebecome more engaged and more interestedin what’s going on in other countries.”

Beth Humphreys, of City of LondonAcademy - Southwark, agrees working with a

link school is a real motivation. As part of theTransatlantic School Innovation Alliance, agroup of Year 10s have been collaborating witha high school in Brooklyn, New York. Theyregularly use email and video conferencing toexchange work and deliver presentations.

“If something is going to be seen on anothercontinent, our students invest more time init. It’s also made them appreciate the valueof standard English, because if they speakBermondsey slang and the New Yorkersspeak Brooklyn slang, no one understands aword! They’ve become confident dealing withpeople from outside their circle.”

Email, webcams and Skype have made iteasy for schools to work together. But whenpupils actually visit a partner school, theimpact can be even greater. Carolyn Briggs,of Stubbin Wood School in Derbyshire, tookchildren to visit their partner special schoolin Shanghai, thanks to DCSF funding forChina links, accessed through the BritishCouncil. During the trip they worked on

joint arts and sports projects, and caught anovernight train to Beijing’s National Stadiumto study its disabled access.

“Many of our pupils had never been abroadbefore,” says Ms Briggs. “Yet suddenly theywere travelling on planes and trains, visitingthe homes of Chinese families and eatingwith chopsticks. It was an unbelievable boostto their confidence, and that’s had a positiveimpact back at school.”

As well as helping pupils feel good aboutthemselves, the trip also changed the waythey see others. “Stubbin Wood isn’t verymulticultural and going to China gave pupilsa new perspective. They understand how itfeels to be in a minority and appreciate thatunderneath people are pretty much the same.Those lessons will stay with them for life.”Steven Hastingsl www.britishcouncil.org/comeniuswww.globalgateway.org/tsiawww.britishcouncil.org/schoolpartnerships-china

Partner up for smart netgains and webbed feats

The internet has opened doors for schools all over theworld to collaborate on projects, exchange valuable skillsand information, and broaden their pupils’ horizons

GETT

Y

BCS.4-5 mh:Layout 1 27/10/09 15:50 Page 4

A world of goodideas out there

Be inspired by a brainstormingstudy visit overseas andgive your teaching new impetus

Since registering with Global Gatewayin April 2008, Gurney Pease PrimarySchool in Darlington has established

five successful links around the world.“We have a number of Polish children,”

says teacher Maureen Hobbs, “and thatgave me the idea of linking there. I went toa Global Gateway taster session, talked itover with the head, then registered online.

“We had a lot in common with one school,and exchanged emails and photos. Otherschools saw our profile and got in touch.We now have links with France, Uganda,Georgia and a second school in Poland.

“It’s worth spending time on your profile,because you never know what people pick up

on. The Georgians noticed we were foundedin 1874. The Ugandan school liked the factwe were strong on dance and music.

“Earlier this year a colleague and I visitedour partners in Uganda, thanks to a DFIDGlobal School Partnerships grant, and soontwo Ugandan teachers are coming here. Inthe future, it might be possible to organisean exchange involving pupils as well.”

“I’m not surprised Gurney haveestablished so many successful links,” saysLiz Hitchcock, editor of Global Gateway.“They posted a great message, and log onregularly, keeping them near the top. We’vehelped by suggesting potential partners,assisting with visas and funding advice.”

Going global

The Australians do great things with giftedpupils. Finland has a unique approach toliteracy. South Africa excels at raisingachievement in its inner cities. For teacherswanting to develop new skills, studyingalternative practice overseas offers freshideas, a change of perspective and a chance toreflect.

The DCSF Teachers’ InternationalProfessional Development (TIPD) programmeorganises study visits to more than 80countries, including a recent visit to observehow Canadian schools promote thinkingskills. “It was brilliant,” says MichelleBrayford, of Brunswick House Primary inKent. “It highlighted what we were doing wellbut also gave me inspiration. There werestrategies and games I’ve integrated intolessons, and I still share ideas with teachersin Toronto.”

Overseas professional development givesyour teaching new impetus and makes youmore confident in the classroom. At WilburyPrimary School in north London, RobertTweddle found that he didn’t have a sufficientlevel of German. So he took advantage of aComenius in-service training grant.

It meant a week’s intensive training inBerlin, with language lessons in the mornings,followed by afternoons speaking German in

explore changes in three emerging economicgiants – Brazil, China and India – and howthey will affect the UK. Away from theireveryday lives, they will gain first-handexperience of the challenges andopportunities presented by these countriesand return full of inspiration, ready todisseminate their learnings across thesecondary school system.Steven Hastingsl www.globalgateway.org/tipdl www.britishcouncil.org/comenius-in-service-trainingl www.ssatrust.org.uk

The TIPD programme is funded by theDCSF and delivered by theBritish Council, the Specialist Schools andAcademies Trust, HTI/Merganser and theLeague for the Exchange of CommonwealthTeachers/CfBT

Want to develop an international dimensionand find an international partner? DCSFGlobal Gateway (www.globalgateway.org)has all you need to know…l School links can focus on one subjector be curriculum-wide, whole-school oryear-specific, long-term or short-term. The‘Getting Started’ section outlines the options.l You should provide contact details,information about your school, and a briefprécis of your ideal partner.l Ask the team for suggestions, browse thedatabase yourself, or simply sit tight andwait for schools to get in touch.l As well as finding new partners, you canlook into funding opportunities and ideasfor projects.l You can also apply for the DCSFInternational School Award.For more information, emaileditor@globalgateway.org

Exchange is in the air

CHRI

STOP

HER

SCOT

T/GE

TTY

real-life situations. After that, he spent a weekat a school developing links and gatheringresources. “It’s changed the way I teach,”he says. “Now I’m able to conduct wholelessons in German. It’s more enjoyable foreveryone.”

Sixty teachers from the Specialist Schoolsand Academies Trust leadership programmesare taking part in a new DCSF-funded schemewith the Global Teacher Project. They will

BCS.4-5 mh:Layout 1 26/10/09 16:02 Page 5

Now we live in a global society, studentsneed to improve their skills and culturalunderstanding to equip them for the world ofwork and life. But bringing an internationaldimension to lessons can seem daunting whenfaced with time constraints, funding concernsand an already crowded curriculum.

Several initiatives have been establishedto help schools overcome these barriers sostudents and teachers can share knowledgeand gain a greater understanding of howchildren in other countries live and learn.By fostering an appreciation of languages,lifestyles and cultures, these schemes help tobreak down barriers within local communities.

Schools can have an impact on communitycohesion by exploring multicultural andinternational issues in the classroom. TheBritish Council’s Connecting Classroomsprogramme helps schools foster interculturalunderstanding within their own communitiesand between different societies. Throughthese partnerships, the scheme aims to create“a safer and more connected world for thefuture”, says Olga Stanojlovic, directorschools in education at the British Council.

Since 2006, a cluster of schools in Bradfordhave been partnered with schools inPeshawar, Pakistan. The partnership focuseson improving community cohesion, as well asdeveloping leadership and raising standards.Three schools in Bradford and five inPeshawar, including one faith-based school,share information about life in the twocountries, dispelling stereotypes “such as allpeople in the UK have blonde hair and wearsuits”, says Rizwan Rehman, cohesion andinclusion lead cluster co-ordinator forBradford Metropolitan District Council.

“Teachers from Bradford who saw thechallenging conditions in Pakistan weremoved to tears,” says Mr Rehman. “Teacherswho visited the UK saw the effort involved in

Why hands across the water

An exciting range of initiatives are helpingschools overcome barriers to improving multiculturalskills by linking with their counterparts abroad

Schools can get their international workrecognised through the framework providedby the DCSF International School Award.They must send a portfolio compiled acrossthe academic year that highlights theircommitment to encouraging students tobecome global citizens and show evidencethey are doing collaborative work with apartner school overseas. Schools receiveaccreditation for three years, becomeambassadors of the scheme and helpsupport others in their international work.www.globalgateway.org/isa

Take your partner by the hand

British Council Connecting Classroomslinks clusters of UK schools with schools inover 60 countries around the world.Schools taking part are coordinated by alocal authority or similar body.

Partnerships last two to three yearsinitially, there is no joining fee andparticipating schools and coordinatingbodies receive grants to support activities.

Get international

meeting inspection standards. They are livingparallel lives where ultimately the goal is thesame: to get the best education for everyone.”

He says the partnership is also helpingschools “win the hearts and minds” of localparents who have links to Pakistan byencouraging a greater understanding of theirculture and heritage.

Lincolnshire County Council is one of 39local authorities taking part in the newComenius Regio scheme. Schools, educationauthorities and local organisations such asuniversities, the police and youth groups areteaming up with counterparts in Europe totackle social problems and raise standards.Launched last year by the EuropeanCommission and managed by the BritishCouncil, the programme funds partnershipsbetween local authorities in the UK and otherEuropean nations so they can addresscommon issues such as bullying andunderachievement of immigrant pupils.

Lincolnshire has a large number ofmigrants from Eastern Europe and needs tohelp children from these countries settle in toschools in the area. In contrast, Poland hasbeen affected by the number of people leavingthe country and needs to support thosechildren who return after spending time inthe UK education system.

This August, Lincolnshire council formed apartnership under the Regio scheme with itscounterpart in Lincoln’s twin city ofRadomsko, Poland, collaborating on migrationand education issues. The partnershipcomprises three schools in Lincolnshire, thecouncil, voluntary youth services and familysupport organisation Home-Start, along withseven schools in Radomsko, the city’sgoverning body and similar support groups.

During reciprocal visits the partnership willdiscuss issues, then pool findings through weblinks and personnel exchanges. Towards theend of the two years there will be conferencesin each authority to publicise the project,display findings and highlight good practice.

Chris Williams, special projects consultantat Lincoln Christ’s Hospital School, says he

hopes it will “give us a better understandingof issues facing people as they migrate andhow communities adapt to those challenges”.

Arabic is a recent addition to the languageassistant programme. This year St Peter’sChurch of England Aided School in Exeterwas one of the first in the UK to have anArabic British Council foreign languageassistant. These assistants can bring a freshcultural perspective to language learning, aswell as providing access to authenticteaching materials and improving studentconfidence in communication.

Exploring languages can help schools workmore closely with their local communities.This initiative, funded by the Department forChildren, Schools and Families (DCSF), allows

BCS.6-8 :Layout 1 26/10/09 16:00 Page 6

reap benefits at home

foreign language assistants from 20 countriesworldwide to work in English schools, offeringFrench, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian,Chinese, Urdu, Arabic, Irish and Japanese.The scheme also enables English languageassistants to teach overseas, with 2,100people visiting countries all over the world inthe last academic year alone.

As a specialist language college, St Peter’shad previously benefited from havingassistants from France, Germany and Spain.But Alison Sykes, its assistant head, says itwas “crucial” to introduce Arabic to thecurriculum, not only because Exeter has anIslamic community, but also working in aglobal village means “people need to betrained in languages other than the usual

French and German”. So in 2008, when theBritish Council asked if the school would liketo employ the first Arabic-speaking assistantfor a year, it was keen to take up the offer.

With funding from the British Council andExeter University, Aisha Al Badawi fromOman was appointed as a language assistant,helping to run Year 7 introductory classes inArabic and a 10-week module focusing on anunderstanding of the Arabic-speaking worldas part of Year 10’s citizenship lessons.Students produced a brochure to help Islamicfamilies settle in the area, and the school ranArabic classes for residents, which hasstrengthened links with the local community.

Staff need to be prepared to support alanguage assistant by, for example, “helping

them to find accommodation and making surethey don’t feel homesick”, Ms Sykes says.

Schools that contact the British Council totake part in the scheme will find the benefitsare “immeasurable”, Ms Sykes says. “Havingan Arabic language assistant at the school

l SSAT www.ssatrust.org.ukl UK-German Connectionwww.ukgermanconnection.orgl Development Education Associationwww.dea.org.ukl Plan International www.plan-international.orgl LECT www.lect.org.uk

Other useful organisations

RUSS

ELSA

CHS

BCS.6-8 :Layout 1 26/10/09 16:00 Page 7

l DCSF Global Gateway – the one-stopshop for the international dimension

www.globalgateway.orgl Collaboration through ICT

www.britishcouncil.org/etwinningwww.elanguages.orgwww.rafi.ki

l Funding for collaborative curriculumprojects

www.britishcouncil.org/comeniuswww.britishcouncil.org/

connectingclassroomswww.britishcouncil.org/globalschoolswww.britishcouncil.org/schoolpartnerships

l Language assistantswww.britishcouncil.org/languageassistants

l Accreditationwww.globalgateway.org/isa

l Community cohesionwww.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/

communitycohesionl BBC World Class

www.bbc.co.uk/worldclassl London 2012

http://getset.london2012.com

has been a life-changing experience. It givesstudents an insight into other people’s cultureand is a great motivating influence. It alsohelps break down prejudices.”

This year marks the 10th anniversary ofthe DCSF International School Award (ISA),an accreditation scheme run for DCSF by theBritish Council that celebrates excellence inembedding an international dimension in theschool curriculum. The scheme helps schoolssupport the idea of young global citizens andalso aims to encourage community cohesion.

“The award is a fantastic way of celebrating,recognising and embedding the internationaldimensions of teaching and learning acrossschools,” says John Rolfe, ISA manager.

All schools are eligible for the award,whether multicultural or monocultural,urban or rural, primary or secondary. Size isno obstacle, as Stogumber and Crowcombeprimary schools in Somerset have proved.Stogumber has just 24 pupils and is federatedto Crowcombe, which has 49. But their workduring the past four years on joint projectswith a school in the Gambia earned them ISAaccreditation in 2008.

It took Penny Phillips, a part-time primaryteacher and multicultural coordinator, six

months to find an overseas school to linkwith. A letter to Gambia’s Tanjeh Lower BasicSchool led to teacher visits and joint work,funded by the DFID Global SchoolPartnerships scheme, managed by aconsortium including the British Council.

The school has no electricity, which makescommunication difficult but possible, withchildren sharing pen pal letters and schoolnewspapers, staff sharing teaching methods,and the three schools working together onsuch projects as “how we use waste”.

“The partnership has enriched thecurriculum, exposing children to widercommunities and cultures,” says Ms Phillips.Receiving ISA accreditation has spurredStogumber and Crowcombe to do even more.They have created a DVD to show the life of afamily in Tanjeh, the sales of which will helpfund future projects, and hope to form acharity to support their work.

Ms Phillips believes it is possible to forgelinks with other countries, whatever aschool’s size. “Don’t be put off if you’re asmall school – that doesn’t matter. Makingthese partnerships work is about effort,passion and a shared commitment.”Kathy Oxtoby

‘It has exposed childrento wider communitiesand cultures’

Resources

BCS.6-8 :Layout 1 26/10/09 16:00 Page 8