INTERNATIONAL THINKING in association with
Sharing best practice
A three-year
international
partnership
project at
Mounts Bay School has
come to an end, but
as Alison Thomas
discovered, its impact will
last for much longer
AST JUNE, staff from Mounts
L
Bay School and Community Sports
College in Penzance bade farewell to
colleagues from Germany, Denmark
and the Czech Republic.
For three years they had been
exploring ways of creating powerful
learning environments where every pupil would
shine. They had observed best practice in each other’s Rewarding links:
classrooms and visited other educational establishments Mounts Bay head,
to broaden their field of experience. They had held Sara Davey, explains
workshops to examine pedagogical strategy and her school’s rewards
disseminated their findings through a dedicated website system to students at
and regional conferences. Now they were meeting up Møllevangskolen in
for the very last time. The Comenius Staff Development Århus, Denmark
Project had come to an end. Or had it?
The project itself may have run its course, but its
impact will be felt for years to come. Mounts Bay “We drew on the individual strengths of each school the focus was staff development, it was not long before in some way and one of the governors was a key
students now follow a three-period day modelled on the to support development in the others,” explained Jennie opportunities for student involvement began to emerge. participant. The head of ICT facilitated communication
Danish system, which is designed to promote deeper Hick, project co-ordinator and deputy head of Mounts Forty-six young Czechs have already visited Cornwall between partners, a maths teacher travelled to Germany,
learning. In their history lessons, they learn about ancient Bay School. and Mounts Bay students will join Za Alejí on the ski and the science department contributed to the Danish
human remains discovered in Denmark’s peat bogs; in “Wiesenschule in Germany is a special school. The slopes in January (having first studied the language, link. In fact, the next Comenius venture will be a science
PE, they play Czech floorball and Danish bumball. The teaching we saw there was superb and we learned a with the help of a Czech language assistant). project for students on the theme: “Biotechnology. Will
structure of their school leadership team has also changed huge amount from their approach to differentiation and A year 8 history group recently returned from it feed us?”
as a direct result of the project and their tutor groups are communication skills. Møllevangskolen in Denmark Denmark, where they the saw the “bog bodies” at close One piece of advice Ms Hick would offer teachers
based on the principles of co-constructed learning, which gave us an insight into student-centred learning and the quarters, and their counterparts will come to Mounts embarking on their first Comenius project is not
their teachers learned from Danish colleagues. use of ICT in science, and the Czech school shared their Bay next summer to join in the school’s outdoor to worry if they have to revise their objectives as
By the same token, British practice has been expertise in sport and transition. Our contribution was activities programme. Meanwhile an exciting exchange submitted on application.
exported abroad. For example, Za Alejí school in the proficiency in outdoor education and student leadership. project has taken root with Wiesenschule (see below). No-one in her partnership had imagined at the outset
Czech Republic has introduced assemblies and a pupil We have won awards for student leadership, which was Throughout the project, Ms Hick was conscious of that their project would embrace organisational issues
reward system – two practices hitherto unknown in rated outstanding by Ofsted.” the need to secure whole-school commitment. Every as well as best practice in the classroom. In addition, the
their country. The impact endures in other ways too. Although member of the senior management team was involved withdrawal of the original project co-ordinator, a school
with experience of virtual learning environments, led
them to abandon their plan of using this means of
communication. It was this apparent blow that gave
Rietberg calling
birth to the workshops, website and conferences. All
have proved hugely successful.
Mounts Bay has hosted two of the conferences to
date. The first took the form of a staff development
day followed by an evening of international food and
When Jennie Hick of Mounts Bay School organised in class, entertained them on the beach, and took them entertainment laid on by students. The second offered
a class-to-class video link with Wiesenschule in to the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth. They teachers and stakeholders from across the county a
Rietberg, little did she know where it would lead. organised a treasure hunt around town and helped wide range of workshops led by local experts and
“I wanted to give my small group of year 10 them to develop lifeskills by taking them into shops to project participants.
students a chance to practise their speaking skills. To complete a “booty bag”. Three German staff shared their expertise in class
boost their confidence, I explained that the language They even helped to cook their meals and stayed teamwork and the prevention of violence, two Danish
would be simple, as these were children with with them overnight (to keep costs down, the children teachers led a session on co-operative and personalised
learning difficulties. After several conversations, their were accommodated in the school). learning, and two others from the Czech Republic
enthusiasm was overwhelming – ‘when can we go The German pupils gained so much from the revealed the secrets of a high-tech treasure hunting
and see them? They’re lovely!’ – so we put together a experience that it is now a permanent fixture of the game with the potential to unlock learning.
project and applied for a grant from the UK-German Wiesenschule calendar. Moreover, the English lessons John Rolfe of the British Council was also there to
Connection.” they requested in preparation for the trip are continuing outline the support available for international projects
Mounts Bay had recently added Applied Learning in several teaching groups. and inspire delegates to sign up for an International
to its specialist college status and the decision was The impact on their UK partners has been equally School Award (ISA).
made to send the 10 students to Rietberg on work profound. Six of the 10 expressed an interest in German Ms Hick lays great store by the ISA, which has
experience the following October. A level, two would like to become teachers, and one provided her school with the impetus for engaging all
They would spend part of class time working as is attracted by special needs. And although they have departments in international work. She also values the
teaching assistants and the remainder preparing GCSE moved on to college, they intend to join this year’s visit public recognition of the school’s achievements.
coursework and conversation topics. At least that was at their own expense. She said: “People think of Cornwall as a narrow-
the plan. In reality, they became so devoted to their Meanwhile, uptake for GCSE German has doubled, minded backwater stuck away on the edge of the
charges, that they stayed by their sides through every with many students citing the exchange as a reason for country. We prefer to see it as the beginning of the rest
lesson and completed their language assignments in their choice. As a result, Ms Hick plans to embed it of the world. That’s not to deny the value of what we
the evening. into the offer of the Applied Learning curriculum and have at home – our students adored hosting the Czechs
While they were there, they were entrusted with extend the scheme to embrace years 10 to 13 by linking and showing them around and that demonstrates a pride
the important task of persuading parents to let their a 6th form special school in Rietberg with her local in their own community and an interest in others. They
vulnerable offspring travel abroad, something they sixth form colleges. are well rounded, open-minded individuals. That’s what
had never done before. They baked pasties, scones and Perhaps the last word should rest with Hannah, one global citizenship is all about.” SecEd
other treats for 50 guests and delivered a presentation, of the student pioneers.
complete with posters, books, DVDs and songs. “I would love to go back and see the children as well • Alison Thomas is a freelance education journalist.
Every element was designed to reinforce the message: as the school. The different strategies used in Germany
“Send your children to Cornwall!” And they did. were amazing and I believe we have taken away ideas
Further information
Eight young Germans turned up in Penzance at the for both schools. It has also finalised my thoughts • Project website: www.comenius-p3.eu
end of the summer term. of working with children with different disabilities Friendship food: Year 11 students from • Mounts Bay School: www.mounts-bay.cornwall.
By then, year 11 had finished their exams and because I find it simply fascinating. Mounts Bay during a visit to Rietberg sch.uk
put school behind them. Far from seeing this as a “I would encourage anyone with the chance to take when they prepared a Cornish feast • Comenius: www.britishcouncil.org/comenius.htm
problem, they seized the opportunity to give their part in a similar project to grab it while they can. I can’t including pasties and scones for the staff • ISA: www.globalgateway.org/isa
guests their undivided attention. They joined them express how amazing it was. I’ll never forget it.” and parents of the Wiesenschule • UK-German Connection: www.ukgerman
connection.org
SecEd • November 12 2009 15
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