International School Partnerships
International School
We are very proud to have achieved the International School Intermediate Level Award in recognition of our commitment to providing pupils with opportunities which raise their awareness of their national and international identity and which support pupils to become global citizens with a Rights respecting perspective. We believe that it is important that our pupils develop an understanding of the views of other children around the world and appreciate that there are similarities and differences between them.
We have a number of international partnerships with schools around the world with whom we participate in collaborative projects. Our most recent, collaborative work has been with Marmara School in Istanbul, Turkey. We have enabled live pupil conferencing opportunities via Skype in which pupils from Ashbury Meadow and Marmara School are able to talk about global themes together which have included environmental issues and the values of what makes a good British citizen and a good Turkish citizen. The pupils were pleasantly surprised to find that many qualities are in fact the same! We also provide more informal opportunties for pupils to chat to each other so that they can compare childhood in the two countries, talk about their interests and develop friendships. The children have really valued these opportunities!
By having an international dimension as part of our ethos, we can provide children and staff with a wider variety of experiences both within, and in addition to the curriculum by:
- developing links with schools in other countries in Europe and further afield
- raising awareness of environmental issues other than those in our locality through joint projects
- encouraging interest and motivation through the provision of first hand experiences of life in another country
- promoting communication through writing letters and speaking to friends abroad
- providing staff with opportunities to compare different teaching and learning styles
- raising awareness and appreciation of other environments and what is happening in the world
- developing cross-curricular activities with an international theme for all children
International learning is threaded across the curriculum through the following global themes:
Identity and Belonging: Identity and belonging encourages students to explore the concept of social identity, the identities they have, and how the groups they belong to inform those identities. In promoting an appreciation and understanding of global cultures, the theme brings an awareness and respect of diversity.
Sustainable Living: Teaching young people how to live in harmony with their surroundings will help them become more eco-aware and informed about sustainability. This theme encourages students to think about what causes climate change and how we can be more ecologically and environmentally aware.
Conflict and Peace: Conflict occurs when ideas, beliefs and attitudes clash. In order to resolve, avoid or work through conflict it is essential to understand it. The conflict and peace theme develops skills and attitudes that are essential in a globalised world, where young people will almost certainly need to work and build friendships with people who hold different beliefs.
Fairness and Equality: The fairness and equality theme covers topics such as equal opportunities, freedom, and discrimination. These topics should lead to lively discussion around why equality should exist and an exploration of why it doesn’t. The theme encourages attitudes and mind-sets that will be vital for young people who want to shape the world they live in and become positive global citizens.
Rights and Responsibilities: The rights and responsibilities theme has pupils engage in discussion on whether human rights can be absolute or conditional, and how we are all responsible for upholding the rights of others. This theme encourages thinking about what it is to live in a society, where rights in one country are different to those in another. This theme complements our ethos as a Rights Respecting School.
Our International School Intermediate Award certificate awarded by the British Council can be found below.