Students and staff at Teesdale School were delighted to collect the British Council International School of the Year award at a ceremony in London on Wednesday 16th November. The ceremony took place at the HSBC building on Canary Wharf, where students and staff were presented with a cheque for £5,000 in recognition of the extensive work the school has done in recent years to link students’ learning across Europe and beyond.
Marorie Bedwell, Vice Principal, commented, ‘The school has developed numerous projects through Comenius, Hanban and other partnerships which have resulted in internationalism becoming embedded in school the ethos. We take a pride in the International Schools Award and all students have benefitted from specific curriculum projects, International Weeks or through simply having their peers from other countries around.
The links we have developed over the last seven years have had a major impact on this. Through our partnerships, local families have hosted students from France, Denmark, Belgium, Spain, China and Russia and our staff and students have visited these countries. We set out to prove that education is above politics and that gaining experience of other cultures and developing friends in other nations is essential to building a peaceful global community.
Of all our partnerships, however, one stands out. The Bilateral Comenius Partnership with General High School Lyuben Karavelov in Koprivshtitsa, Bulgaria and it was as a result of this work in particular that the school won the award.
The target group for this project was primarily 24 Year 11 boys on our Construction course. However, female work skills students also took part in the Bulgarian exchange this year. Our aim was to raise the horizons of these students, provide opportunities for them to take responsibility and to also use and develop their construction skills further.
Our partner school had similar aspirations. It is in rural Bulgaria and many of the students come from a traditional farming background. They have had few opportunities to travel and meet their peers from other countries. They identified 17 Year 10 & 11 students to take part.
Most recently a group of Teesdale students, who visited Bulgaria in October 2011, are continuing with the project. The project has led to visible products. In Teesdale the eco-materials will be incorporated into the Construction curriculum. Contact has been maintained through e-communication and the partnership will continue after the funding ceases – see the plan for the radio/podcasts.
This has been a life-changing experience for all involved. The most significant long-term impact for the schools is that, given the right project students were can be transformed by the experience. Suddenly they were the most important students in the school with a high profile and responsibility for visitors. The way in which they developed, grew in self-esteem and behaved in a mature and responsible way stunned most of the staff. It provided them with real leadership experience.
We are honoured to receive this award which reflects the outstanding work of staff and students alike and are delighted that our students are such wonderful ambassadors for Teesdale School.’
Collecting the award in london is Mr P Harrison (Head-Teacher) Mr M Briton (International Coordinator)
Students Alex Doyle and Cheri Sowerby
