Information for Parents ...................
Bredon Hill "International School"

     

Bredon Hill "International School"

In this area of our website you will find reference and records of some of our International activities. Items have been added over the years but many are retained to show the breadth of our links. Other European work is featured in the Comenius (European Partner Schools) section of our website.

In 2006-7 there was a Comenius visit to Holland in September (staff and pupils), a staff visit to The Gambia in February, a staff visit to Russia in February, a staff plus pupils visit to Norway in March, a staff plus pupils convoy trip to Belarus in April, staff plus pupils to France in May and staff plus pupils to Italy also in May.

For details of trips so far see "Visits" below.

Our Comenius project work was featured on Teachers’ TV in January when Mr MacDonald’s art room became a global classroom as we linked by web-cam, email, messaging and phone with our five Comenius partners and all did project work together.

International School Award

In September 2005 Bredon Hill Middle School gained the prestigious British Council "International School Award", the kite-mark which recognises the commitment of the school to an“International Dimension” to school activities.

Mr Wells and Mrs Wylie traveled up to London to receive the award from Anna Ford, the television news personality. International thinking permeates many of our school subjects and some of our activities can be seen on the following pages...

Visits

Belarus Convoy Easter 2009

Visit to France May 2008

Visit to Gambia February 2007

Belarus Convoy Easter 2007

Visit to Sochi February 2007

Visit to France July 2006

Belarus Aid Visit Easter 2006

Bredon Bear on World Tour 2005/6

Wesley Junior High School - The Gambia 2005

What does it mean to be an "International School"?
Well, since 1998 the British Council has been looking for schools which it thinks demonstrate good practice in curriculum-based international work. The school must submit a report on current international work and an action plan for the coming year. If the school plan can meet certain criteria the school is allowed to join on a probationary basis and then submit a dossier on the first year to be awarded full status.
The criteria include
1. Curriculum based International activity
2. Range of Year groups involved
3. Range of subjects involved
4. Year round activity
5. Collaborative work with other schools.

Why do we think this venture important?
In our pleasant rural corner of Worcestershire, we feel the need to broaden our pupils' outlook and education. We need to break down barriers, misunderstandings and racial/cultural stereotypes. We want to learn about other countries and peoples and develop our pupils as international citizens.

Our application came back with nothing in the "Criteria to be improved" box and the overall comment "An exciting plan which should generate some interesting evidence in your dossier. Well done!" We are delighted to be in the scheme as only 360 schools within the whole of Britain have gained "International School" status since the award began.

What the plan was...

  1. Continue and strengthen our Comenius European partnership with schools in Hungary, Germany and Holland. Project work to be about wildlife around each school, improvement of the school area, songs and poems, visits between schools by staff and pupils, etc.
  2. Continue our visits by American pupils.
  3. Consolidate our second foreign language.
  4. Fund raising for sick children in Belarus.
  5. Linking with a school in The Gambia.
  6. School trips abroad.
  7. Pen-friends in foreign countries for all Year 6 pupils.
  8. Local and international art web-site for pupils' work.
  9. Publicise the importance of international work through the school web-site, Horizon etc.
  10. Continue with a host of other ventures including World Feast Game, Dance, Art, North American Indian studies, R.E. speakers, Literature, Maths games, Christmas shoe boxes, etc.

CAN YOU HELP?
This is an exciting new venture for our pupils. If any parents or friends of the school can offer any help to enhance our international plans , please contact me at school. Perhaps you can offer skills or ideas or sponsorship to support one of the above or even suggest and help with a new way of enriching our international curriculum. For example, we are looking for someone to help with recording and editing our activities on video. Perhaps you have useful contacts abroad? Our plans can develop as we go along, so please let me know if you can help.

R.Wells. International coordinator (email me on office@bredon.worcs.sch.uk).

THE GAMBIA
Mr Baston has made fresh contact with the Wesley Junior High School in Banjul, The Gambia, West Africa. Mr Wells visited the school in February 2005 as part of a Teaching and Learning course he is doing. He took with him some work by our pupils including letters about our way of life, village studies and computer Powerpoint presentations about our school. See "The Gambia" visit page.