We were delighted that our partners at British Council offered all North East schools participating in any activities during this year’s Festival immediate qualification for the International School Award (ISA) Foundation Certificate. 169 schools achieved the award of the 206 North East schools who took part and who did not already have an ISA. All schools have been sent certificates for participating.
The British Council’s International School Award (ISA) team is excited to be collaborating with Express Yourself: North East Festival of Languages. We are proud of the schools that have participated in the festival events. We commend their dedication to opening their classrooms to internationalism and broadening the global knowledge of their pupils.
All schools who have achieved the International School Award Foundation Certificate are welcome to contact the ISA team to get more information on how to move to the next level of the award.
Irina Gecheva, Manager International School Award for the British Council
This is a fantastic achievement for schools across the North East. We are grateful to the British Council for their support and enabling so many schools to start their ISA journey.
Exploring different languages and cultures is an important part of helping children and young people understand and appreciate the wider world and spark their curiosity to learn more. We encourage schools to progress through the ISA levels and internationalise their curriculum and if they haven’t started yet, to get involved at the Foundation Certificate level.
Declan Baharini, CEO of International Newcastle and Co-ordinator of Express Yourself: North East Festival of Languages
Schools achieved the ISA by participating in one or more Festival activities, including world language and culture events, language taster sessions with universities, languages and careers webinars, creative projects (Festival song, Mother Tongue Other Tongue children’s writing activity and Peace Cranes), as well as pre-recorded language activities which could be delivered in schools and community settings. In total, 37,633 children and young people participated in the Festival (click here to find out more).
Festival Participation and the ISA
British Council has been a partner and contributor to Express Yourself: North East Festival of Languages since its inception in 2021. They offered North East schools participating in any activities during this year’s Festival to immediate qualification for the International School Award (ISA) Foundation Certificate. This meant that schools did not need to go through the usual online application process to achieve this.
Details of schools registering for activities were sent to British Council and certificates have been issued and emailed to the contract provided at the school, if they did not already have an International School Award.
The Foundation Level of the award simply requires schools to do at least 1 International activity linked to the curriculum (with or without an international school partner) and there is no requirement on the number of pupils involved or the duration of the activity. The certificate does not expire.
Progressing with ISA levels and Festival activities
Schools can apply for the ISA Intermediate Level and Accreditation Level, depending on the stage they are at. These do require engagement and activities to be undertaken with an international partner school. The applications for these levels is online through the Submittable portal.
Festival activities can be used these as part of your application.
Intermediate level requires a minimum of three activities with international focus and linked to the curriculum. One of those activities must be in collaboration with partner school abroad. Roughly half of the UK pupils should be involved in the activities as a whole. The activities must have taken place in the 12 months prior to the application date. The application can be submitted any time.
Accreditation requires more international engagement and is a two stage process.
Click here to find out more about the International School Award, guidance on how to apply, criteria and benefits.
About the International School Award
British Council’s International School Award (ISA) provides a framework for schools to develop international activities across the curriculum, including collaborative work with international partner schools and opportunities to involve the wider community. Schools can start at Foundation level and then achieve accreditation as they develop through the levels.
The International Schools Award celebrates and recognises the international work that schools do. The programme encourages schools to open their classrooms and bring the world in, teaching pupils about other countries and cultures.
- No cost for applying, some staff time is needed
- A supportive and motivational framework to guide the school’s international learning activities
- Can be adapted to any curriculum at any level from nursery to 6th form colleges and special schools
- Any school in the UK that is delivering one of the national curricula can apply for the International School Award (3 to 18 years) and there is a lot of flexibility to suit students’ abilities
The International School Award:
- prepares young people for life in a global society by increasing their understanding of other countries, cultures, and global issues
- provides a motivational framework for teachers to develop themselves professionally (Leading on this work in school gives more opportunities for professional development, working with colleagues in other countries and supporting progression)
- recognises a school’s commitment to developing global citizenship in young people, and gives opportunities to raise the school’s profile through local and national media (Media packs are provided to schools to share news with local media)