ORMISTON Park Academy in Aveley, has been awarded the British Council’s prestigious International School Award in recognition of its work to bring the world into the classroom.
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.
Ormiston Park Academy international work includes sharing folk stories and songs, preparation of presentations based around the Bhopal disaster, exchanging emails, SKYPE sessions and joining in each other’s festivals.
John Rolfe from the British Council, said: “Many congratulations on your well deserved success in being accredited with the British Council International School Award. The school’s fantastic international work is not only giving the young people a better understanding of the world around them, but it’s really making a difference to their future prospects too.
“Employers are telling us that international skills are just as important as exam results – so everything the school is doing is vital preparation for life in a global society and work in a global economy. 2012 is a big year for the UK on the world’s stage, and the school deserves a gold medal of its own for all its outstanding commitment to a range of fantastic international work’’
On hearing the news that Ormiston Park Academy had received the Award, Collette Hunnisett, Assistant Principal said: “This is fantastic news for our Academy. The students have been so engaged in the projects and live styles of our friends and colleagues in India.
“I was blessed with the opportunity to visit Bhopal and have enjoyed sharing my experiences with the Academy students. The next stage of the project is to take some of our students out to India and experience the fantastic country first hand. This is heavily dependent on finances and we are seeking additional support.”
2012 has seen more than 700 schools receive International School Award accreditation nationwide. This includes a wide range of schools from a variety of different backgrounds and areas across the UK.
The Award is now available worldwide in countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Lebanon, Cyprus and Pakistan as part of the British Council’s Connecting Classrooms programme. Around 4000 International School Awards have been presented to successful schools in the UK since the scheme began in 1999.
The ISA encourages and supports schools to develop:
An international ethos embedded throughout the school
A majority of pupils within the school impacted by and involved in international work
Collaborative curriculum-based work with a number of partner schools
Curriculum-based work across a range of subjects
Year-round international activity
Involvement of the wider community
The British Council Schools Online website is a ‘one stop shop’ to help schools find international opportunities, including the International School Award. Any school can find out how to apply by visiting http://schoolsonline.britishcouncil.org
