Festival participation and British Council’s International School Award
Festival organisers promote the involvement of schools with British Council’s International School Award (ISA) as a means to embed internationalism across schools and enrich the curriculum and broaden children and young people’s horizons. This is a motivational framework for schools to embed internationalism across the curriculum and help prepare children and young people for life in a global society. Participating in Festival activities supports schools’ progression through the ISA levels.
A webinar we recorded in November 2025 provides information for schools from British Council’s International School Award Team, shares the experience of a Newcastle school that has achieved Accreditation and hears from the Express Yourself North East Festival of Languages Co-ordinator about how Festival 2026 activities can support and inspire schools to progress through the ISA levels from Foundation Certificate, to Intermediate and Accreditation levels. Click here to watch the webinar recording.
ISA Foundation Certificate
To qualify for the ISA Foundation Certificate, schools need to provide evidence of participation at least one 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.
Click here to find out more about the Foundation Level and apply.
ISA Intermediate Level and Accreditation
Schools can apply for the ISA Intermediate Level or Accreditation Level. Both require engagement and activities to be undertaken with an international partner school and involve languages.
Festival activities undertaken with international partner schools can be used as part of your applications.
Multilingual creative projects which run from January to March are a great way to engage with international partner schools as they can be done in any language: Festival Song (available in 25 languages), Mother Tongue Other Tongue writing project, Together We Fly art and global friendship project, or the Calligrams Celebration.
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. Half the school’s pupils should be involved in the activities. The activities must have taken place in the 12 months prior to the application date and be cross curricular. The application can be submitted any time.
Click here to find out more about the Intermediate Level and apply.
ISA Accreditation requires more international engagement and is a two stage process, including the development of an action plan. Schools should embed the international ethos and work across the whole school and be working with international partners on a range of projects during the school year – with three of five international activities being done with partner schools abroad. Activities need to incorporate one or more of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and one of the five activities must have an element of language learning (not standard MFL provision).
Click here to find out more about ISA Accreditation.
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)
Further information
Click here to find out more about the International School Award, guidance on how to apply, criteria and benefits.
