INTERNATIONAL THINKING in association with
Birmingham goes for ISA
More than
10,000 schools
have registered
for the
International School Award
in its 10-year history. Even
entire local authorities are
now signing up for full
accreditation of all their
schools. Alison Thomas
reports from Birmingham,
the latest authority to take
on the ISA
Global feast: The ‘You are what you eat’
LYMOUTH AND Haringey have made project saw students from Kings Norton
P
the grade. Durham and Sunderland are using ICT to share food diaries with their
on their way. Now it is Birmingham’s friends in Harrismith, South Africa (left).
turn to take up the challenge. Kings Norton also hosts Our World Day,
To help the British Council when year 9 students take primary children
celebrate its 75th birthday and the 10th around country-specific workshops, where
anniversary of the International School their ‘passports’ are stamped (above)
Award (ISA), it has pledged to encourage every school
in the city to sign up to the ISA. children’s services and international development with “I also know from first-hand experience the impact spurs you on to do more. You are given lots of support
For John Rolfe, manager of the ISA at the British Birmingham local authority. that international links can have on motivation and and as long as you keep a record, administration is
Council, the city’s commitment is a significant “We will be making sure that all schools engaged in aspirations, which in turn improves standards. So our relatively straightforward. When you get your award,
landmark. He explained: “Over 10,000 schools have programmes such as Comenius, Connecting Classrooms strategy has two objectives. Raising achievement and it lasts for three years, so you must bottle the good
registered since the scheme was launched. or our own linking projects sign up if they haven’t helping young people to understand their place as feeling! Then you can come up with new projects and
“Now we have the largest local authority in the already done so. Then we will build on the momentum global citizens,” she added. new ideas for your next application.”
country working with us to take a strategic approach. by disseminating more information through bulletins, Someone who shares her enthusiasm is Susan Her own school’s current portfolio contains a
It demonstrates their belief in the importance of the magazines and headteacher conferences.” Nicklin, co-ordinator of the language college and the diverse mix. The theme of this year’s annual cross-
international dimension and the value they place on the It is no mean undertaking, but she is convinced that international dimension at Kings Norton Girls’ School. curricular day is 20:20 cricket, which by implication
ISA as a way of supporting it.” it is well worth the effort. She has found the ISA to be a catalyst for moving involves several nations. Another regular event is Our
To set the ball rolling, the two bodies will co-host She continued: “It is through education that we raise international activities beyond their traditional modern World Day, when year 9 students take primary children
a major event in November. The aim is to showcase awareness of the relationship between different parts of languages base and out into the rest of the school. on a tour of country-specific workshops, where their
the achievements of schools that have earned an award the world. The idea of interdependence, of cause and “It gives you a cause and an opportunity to achieve,” “passports” are stamped with each completed activity.
already, and inspire others to follow their lead. effect, environmental issues such as climate change she said. “At first you think: ‘Help! What are we Passports feature again in a new global citizenship
“It’s a fantastic way of celebrating international – we all have our part to play in helping each other and doing that’s relevant?’ Then you carry out an audit and initiative, but these documents stay with the students for
work,” said Nargis Rashid, senior advisor for helping ourselves. discover that you’re actually doing quite a lot. That the duration of their secondary school career.
“They enter everything they do. It might be recycling,
Fair Trade, visiting a mosque or a German market. In
South African friends at Kings Norton Girls’ School
year 12, they can look back on their record and see how
When it comes to forging friendships abroad, Susan Nicklin, the international co-ordinator at Kings Norton, believes there is a lot to be said
they have changed,” Ms Nicklin explained.
for old-fashioned snail mail: “Handwritten letters with a stamp make a welcome change for today’s children. They show that someone has
Extra-curricular activities include lessons in
taken time and care,” she explained.
language and culture delivered by a Chinese student
from Aston University. The school has also linked up
And in the case of the school’s South African link, the touching content makes them all the more precious. Sometimes the authors’
with a school in China, although at the start Ms Nicklin
parents are dead and they live with extended family. Or maybe they themselves care for family members. “It’s very different from life as our wondered if this particular venture would ever bear
girls know it, yet they embrace each other,” Ms Nicklin added.
fruit. Emails rejected by filters failed to reach their
The South African partnership owes its origins to a British Council Dreams and Teams secondment, which took a biology teacher from
destination, staff changes and cultural differences led to
bustling, modern Birmingham to a mountainside near Harrismith in South Africa. Ms Nicklin continued: “He taught classes and introduced
frustrating delays.
However, thanks to her perseverance and the
practical science, making the best use he could of limited resources. It was an immensely enriching experience. I think they have missed
unswerving support of British Council staff on the
him since he left and he certainly misses them. He is going back in September on his own initiative.” ground, these hurdles have been overcome. Students
The intention from the outset was to build an enduring relationship, and through his diaries and emails and Ms Nicklin’s weekly phone
now exchange information on their respective lifestyles
calls, colleagues back home were able to follow his progress.
and both schools have held special days devoted to their
As a result, when he reported that a free school meals programme was about to close, they put their hands in their pockets without
opposite number’s country.
Kings Norton girls have also made an international
being asked. “He was devastated. It quite literally meant that some children would go without food. Within a week, most of the staff had
terracotta army and sent postcards of their handiwork
pledged a couple of pounds a month and the programme was rescued. That’s when I knew that the whole school was engaged,” she said. to their Chinese friends. Like so much of the school’s
Since then, the former headteacher and a small group of students have spent a week in Harrismith and shared their experiences with
international work, this was a cross-curricular project
the rest of Kings Norton. More recently, the link has been integrated into the curriculum through a humanities project for year 7.
and involved input from art, maths, English, geography
“You are what you eat” was the theme, and students exchanged food diaries, analysed their findings, and displayed their conclusions on
and photography.
Closer to home, abundant opportunities are
classroom walls. Pie charts incorporated an element of maths, art came into play through the visuals, written work developed students’ English
available right on the doorstep thanks to the diversity of
skills, while their geographical studies revealed the differences between food in South Africa and food at Birmingham’s multicultural population. Chinese New
home. On this occasion, the benefits of modern communication methods came to the fore. Email gave our
Year is a major event and St Patrick’s Day is the biggest
students immediate, tangible results based on what their friends in South Africa had eaten the previous
celebration outside Ireland.
day. Ms Nicklin added: “One lesson they learned was that while people in South Africa have less access
In addition, Birmingham City Council’s international
team offers schools boundless encouragement and
to food and rely mostly on cereals and rice, they have a healthier diet! That came as quite a shock.”
support to host visitors, and also brings in guests of its
The strength of the bond continues to grow and the latest development is an imminent visit own from all over the world.
from nine South African teenagers. The whole school community, including parents, has worked
Ms Nicklin added: “It is really proactive and has
tirelessly to raise the necessary funds to supplement a British Council grant.
excellent links with universities and other organisations,
Local organisations are also playing their part, including Cadbury, which has invited the
which makes life for visitors so much more rewarding.
It shows Birmingham as a gateway, a welcoming place.
visitors to experience Cadbury World, and Aston Villa Football Club, which has offered to host a
So an international outlook becomes the norm.”
football match. Ms Nicklin can barely contain her excitement. Evidently, the British Council ISA team has chosen
“Imagine what playing in a modern stadium will mean for children who are used to kicking
its latest strategic partner very wisely.
a ball around on a patch of dry ground. And for our students too, witnessing their reaction.
“The same applies to Cadbury World, which will be a huge culture change compared to
• Alison Thomas is a freelance education journalist.
their industries at home. They are staying with the families of some of our girls, which will add Further information
to the experience on both sides. I’m so looking forward to it!” she said. For more on the International School Award, visit
www.globalgateway.org.uk/isa
14 SecEd • June 25 2009
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