As part of International Education Week 14-18 November 2011, the British Council eTwinning team in the UK hosted 2 extremely successful workshops for school leaders, looking at how to raise standards in schools using eTwinning, Comenius and other international programmes offered by the British Council. Over 70 delegates attended each event and heard inspirational stories from practitioners who have used eTwinning and Comenius to successfully motivate, inspire and improve education standards at their schools for both pupils and staff. Find out more about this event and others here.
John Worne, British Council Executive Board, opened the workshop with a thought provoking speech about the importance of preparing young people to live in a global society and work in a global economy, whilst highlighting the British Councils continued commitment to UK schools. We heard inspirational stories from Head teacher Kevin McCabe (Jervoise Primary School) illustrating how schools in special measures have been turned around through participation in international linking programmes. The keynote address was complemented by George Glass (Cauldeen Primary School) and Anne Jakins & Nick Falk (Sackville School) who demonstrated how 2 UK schools have worked together “virtually” with counterparts in Finland and Afghanistan through eTwinning and Connecting Classrooms to support learning and teaching their schools. British Council staff members Michael O’Donnabhain, John Rolfe and Vicky Gough provided further information to delegates on British Council school strategy and programmes. John Warwick (St Luke’s School) rounded up the event discussing international learning journey taken by staff and students at his school, providing a perfect lead into the final session where participants had the opportunity to start planning how their schools can use international linking opportunities to support raising standards for staff and pupils.
Manchester 17 November
John Payne, British Council Account Director, opened the workshop and reiterated the British Council commitment to supporting both UK schools and young people through the continued provision of international linking programmes for schools. During the keynote address in Manchester, assistant Head teacher Rob Ford (Wootton Bassett School) showed how the international dimension has been embedded throughout all aspects of school life to such success that it is now the first state school in England to receive an ‘outstanding’ across the board under the new OfSTED inspections. George, Nick and Anne (pictured) repeated their London presentation which was very well received by all the delegates. British Council staff members Susan Glover, John Rolfe and Alex Abel provided further information to delegates on British Council school strategy and programmes. Our final speaker, Anne Daniels (Carleton House School), concluded by demonstrating how she has used eTwinning to support her own professional development; illustrating how she has moved from a class teacher to Head teacher. The workshop finished with participants planning how to embed international linking opportunities into their schools to support raising standards.
We would like to take this opportunity thank all the speakers, staff and delegates for participating and contributing to both workshops.
The following programmes were featured during both workshops:
British Council Schools Online
