King’s Ely has received reaccreditation of the British Council’s prestigious International School Award for its “fantastic” international work.
The International School Award is a badge of honour for schools that do outstanding work in international education, such as through links with partner schools overseas. Fostering an international dimension in the curriculum is at the heart of the British Council’s work with schools, so that young people gain the cultural understanding and skills they need to live and work as global citizens.
King’s Ely pupils have been at the forefront of fostering links with children overseas, working with schools in France, Spain, Czech Republic, Latvia, Poland, Greece as well as further afield in India and Réunion Island. In addition to developing language skills, students have worked on various cross curricular projects and participated in the eTwinning programme, gaining European Quality Certificates for their projects. In June, pupils were awarded the prize for best “peer to peer learning” at the National eTwinning Conference.
Sue Freestone, Principal of King’s Ely, said: “Gone are the days when any school could be sufficient unto itself – and thank heavens for that! Our young people embrace their involvement in such far-reaching projects and share in the aspirations of their partners across the globe. They see their membership of the global community as intrinsic to their daily lives and they can never be too young to understand the part that we all have to play in improving our tomorrows.”
British Council International Development Secretary, Justine Greening, commented: “Young people must be at the heart of our work to create a safer and more prosperous world for everyone and we need to ensure their voices are heard if we are to win the fight against global poverty. That is why I am delighted to celebrate the international work of King’s Ely and the energy and passion of the young people involved. The International School Award is a great way of highlighting how young people have the potential to change things for the better. I’m sure that schools getting involved will be broadening the horizons of their students, which will not only help their careers but benefit their wider lives in the future.”
King’s Ely was first awarded the International Schools Award, which lasts for three years, in 2012.