NEWSLETTERAPRIL 2014

International Education Programme – Northern Ireland

The British Council creates international opportunities for people in the UK and other countries and builds trust between them worldwide. As we come towards the end of the academic year we thought that it would be an ideal time to showcase some of the events which schools in Northern Ireland have been involved in over the past few months.

CONTENTSMock Council of the European Union Northern Ireland .................... 1

International Dimension Seminar and Workshops in Ballymena. ......................................... 2

British Council and the Goethe-Institut ..................................... 2

British Council and W5 launch of ‘Through the Wardrobe’ project............................... 2

International Study Visits ................ 3

Other ways to get involved ............ 8

EU funding for schools through Erasmus+ .............................. 8

Language Assistants ......................... 8

Competition time ................................ 8

MOCK COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION NORTHERN IRELANDWith the event now in its tenth year, the Mock Council of the European Union continues to provide an interesting and exciting experience for over 110 16-18 year olds and an opportunity to develop debating skills as well as increase their knowledge about the European Union.

The event was held on 18 October 2013 in the Senate Chamber in Stormont and brought together students and teachers from 29 schools from across Northern Ireland. Each of the participating schools represented an EU country with teams of three students taking on the roles of government ministers. As in the real Council of the European Union,

students also had the opportunity to debate and vote on topical issues. The event was streamed live online allowing schools to watch their teams perform on the day.

Two topics debated were:

• Democratic deficit? Democracy in the run-up to the European Parliament elections in 2014.

• European energy needs in a global market.

The Mock Council of the European Union is an annual event organised by the British Council in partnership with the European Commission Office in Northern Ireland. The event will take place again on 10 October 2014. Registration will open soon.

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BRITISH COUNCIL AND THE GOETHE-INSTITUTThe British Council in partnership with the Goethe- Institut held an event at Riddel Hall, Queen’s University Belfast on 26 November 2013 to showcase the campaign Smart Choice German.

The event highlighted the importance of languages in our society and identified how the Language Assistants programme could support language policy in terms of: languages for life, languages for prosperity and languages for understanding.

The event marked the beginning of a UK road tour by the Goethe-Institut with further conferences planned during 2014 in England and Wales. Over 40 representatives attended from organisations including Invest Northern Ireland, Lidl, the Education and Training Inspectorate, both local universities, business leaders and head teachers.

BRITISH COUNCIL AND W5 LAUNCH OF ‘THROUGH THE WARDROBE’ PROJECTThis project initiated a unique series of events using literacy and drama as a tool to encourage schools to establish international links and promote other cultures among young people. It was launched on 19 November 2013 and involved 130 Key Stage 2 pupils from across Northern Ireland.

Using the theme of the well-known CS Lewis story The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe, participants travelled through a wardrobe to link to a variety of other worlds and experience alternative cultures through drama, storytelling and writing. Five language assistants selected by the British Council organised short cultural sessions with outreach work

conducted in five schools over a four-month period.

Participating schools included:

• St Mary’s Primary School, Gortnaghey

• Currie Primary School, Belfast

• St Mary’s Primary School, Newtownbutler

• St Anne’s Primary School, Derry

• St Joseph’s Primary School, Antrim

The project concluded with an awards ceremony where an overall winner to a story writing and animation competition was announced. Well done to St Joseph’s Primary School, Antrim.

INTERNATIONAL DIMENSION SEMINAR AND WORKSHOPS IN BALLYMENAIn February 2014 we held a day of seminars and workshops with practical examples of how developing and maintaining international links provides real contexts for meaningful, challenging and enjoyable work across key areas of the curriculum including literacy, numeracy and ICT.

Due to the success of this event we are planning to make this an annual workshop.

‘The teachers gained a greater understanding of the practical ways of using an international dimension in their curriculum. They found the workshops to be an excellent vehicle for sharing their international experiences and learning about what can be achieved.’

Michael McGivern, Department of Education.

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Elaine Steele – W5, Izzy Icicle – W5, Michael McGivern, Department of Education, Karen McCormack – British Council, Pupil St.Joseph’s Primary School, Antrim. © W5

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INTERNATIONAL STUDY VISITSThe beginning of 2014 was a busy time for our Northern Ireland teachers with groups taking part in International Study Visits sponsored by Confucius Institute and Department of Education. Teachers experienced themed educational visits to schools in China, USA, India and Brazil.

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CHINA, JANUARY 2014

In early January 2014 I benefited from an international study visit to China, sponsored by the British Council and Confucius Institute,

to explore aspects of the education system there. The media portrayal of China was foremost in my mind when I arrived but this was vanquished as the experience I had was one of welcome, warmth and friendship.

The Chinese people value education greatly. This was obvious in all the visits to schools and the experience of observing children and teachers at work. Large classes of pupils engaged with their teacher in a work atmosphere. As well as the academic curriculum, there was a focus in the primary school of enhancing and celebrating culture. Examples included song, dance, calligraphy and paper cutting. We were asked to take an active part in the life of the school and encountered very confident children, willing to share their experiences and showcasing their competence of the English language.

The young staff in each school were enthusiastic and highly motivated. They asked about teaching methodologies in the UK and how they could apply them to China. In reality, they were already working through these methodologies; whole class teaching, group work and focused questions to name a few.

Upon my return I was able to share a culture with my class which turned into a useful topic within ‘The world around us’. Children in St Martin’s Primary School will have the opportunity to learn Mandarin later this month through the Confucius Hub based at South West College in Enniskillen.

The phrase ‘think global, act local’ has taken on a new meaning with international dimensions becoming foremost in the minds of primary school children in St. Martin’s in the rural village of Garrison.

Brian McGrath. Principal, St. Martin’s Primary School, Fermanagh

INDIA, FEBRUARY 2014It was with equal amounts of trepidation and excitement that I wandered through Dublin Airport on a Saturday morning in February hoping I would recognise my travelling companion (Roy from Ballymena, met once briefly some months previously) and the thought of a week in India visiting schools in Bangaluru (previously known as Bangalore).

Monday was spent meeting our host teachers at The Army School in Central Bangaluru. In the corridor on the way to our conference room I spotted the first of many inspirational statements displayed around the schools.

Striving for success without hard work is like trying to harvest without planting.

Very true!

I was lucky enough to be paired with a teacher from Global Indian International School (GIIS) called Baishali Sen, an enthusiastic maths teacher who was kind enough to invite me into her lessons and allow me to meet and join in with her pupils.

I spent three days at GIIS and visited classes from nursery age to Primary 7. The children are taught in English, a second language for the majority of them. In every corridor and class I was greeted by ‘Good Morning Mam!’ My overwhelming impression was of children who were highly motivated to learn and attain to the best of their ability.

The classrooms were bare; tables and chairs provided the only colour. The teachers had limited resources, so were creative with how they approached each lesson. The pupils were encouraged to become independent learners from the moment they entered the school. Montessori techniques were used for the first two years but a very formal style of teaching was adapted from Year 2 up.

This study trip to Bangaloru was an amazing opportunity to observe at first hand successful numeracy teaching from an education system that is producing many highly numerate students. It also allowed us to celebrate what we do well, such as teaching children of all educational needs and abilities. Travelling to another country and culture, making friends and contacts was a wonderful opportunity for personal development which I feel privileged to have been given the chance to experience.

In conclusion, I will share another statement I saw on a wall as I walked around a school in Balgaluru;

Knowledge is power, but enthusiasm pulls the switch.

Kathy Browes. Vice-Principal, Taughmonagh Primary School, Belfast

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BRAZIL, FEBRUARY 2014After approximately 33 hours, three flights, several inflight movies and the occasional snore from my fellow passengers my feet touched down at Recife airport in North East Brazil on a balmy Saturday evening, having left a not so sunny Belfast City Airport at midday on Friday. My two trusty companions appeared to wear their unshaven state slightly better than me but at least the three of us in the advance party had made it there. Five more were to follow on separate flights, and as it turned out, the next day due to a cancelled flight!

From my perspective as a principal our school has been involved in several Comenius projects. We are currently in the process of a Connecting Classrooms bid with a school in China and will be seeking International School Status. Therefore this trip afforded the opportunity to examine another education system, measure their progress against our own (on a school basis and at a national level), compare and contrast practice, examine global educational issues and, most importantly, establish links and potential partnerships with colleagues.

As hard as it may be to believe we did actually work an 8.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. day with the exception of Monday when we made it back to the hotel at 3.30 p.m. So by 5.00 p.m. on Friday of that week you could say it was mission accomplished! Encompassed in between Monday and Friday were visits to several types of schools, meetings with Principals and staff, dialogue with pupils and discussions with several key educational officials as well as a presentation from ourselves outlining the educational system in N.Ireland. You can imagine how the latter item is difficult to précis into 45 minutes!

What then were the benefits of such a trip? First-hand opportunity to experience and witness how schools operate in an emerging global economy and the educational issues that are being addressed both at a national level and local level. In particular was the engagement with students themselves, particularly those involved in a ‘Ganhe o Mundo’ programme placing them in English speaking countries for up to five months to boost their spoken English. The positive impact of such a programme on the lives and

educational aspirations for these young people made a lasting impression upon all of us and begged the question why none of them had been placed in the UK itself! We often talk about having a view of ‘the bigger picture’ and it could be said that you can’t get much bigger than Brazil (it’s the fourth largest country in the world), a country of 201 million people and some 200,000 schools. A cursory glance at the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) scores demonstrate the challenges facing this huge nation and yet we were given tangible evidence of how the National Education Plan was making a difference at performance level, in terms and conditions for teachers and in basic infrastructure. So you do get to see the ‘global’ nature of education and the common themes and trends impacting upon diverse cultures and not just our own ‘wee’ part of the world.

As I look out of my office on the grey skies of N.Ireland I can definitely say ‘We’re not Brazil, we’re Norn’ Ireland’!

Derek Harkness. Principal, Carrs Glen Primary School, Belfast

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NEW ORLEANS ‘LEADING EDUCATORS’ VISIT ST PIUS X COLLEGEOn Thursday 10 October 2013 four ‘Leading Educators’ from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States visited St Pius X College Magherafelt. Linda Cushenan, British Council facilitated the visit and accompanied the educators, Julie Bourgeois, Meghan Mekita and Shira Bergman-Cohen on their tour of the college.

‘Leading Educators’ is a professional organisation based in New Orleans which specialises in training middle and senior leaders. Mr Gerard Duffy, Head of Post 16 at St. Pius X College attended the New Orleans Leading Educators ‘Spring Intensive’ course in February 2013, facilitated by the British Council and the Regional Training Unit (RTU) as part of his Professional Qualification in Headship (PQH). The insightful visit, incorporated visits to four schools in New Orleans. As a result effective leadership strategies were disseminated between the schools in New Orleans and St Pius X College.

The New Orleanian educators were greeted by Monsignor O’Byrne, Ms J Bartley (College Principal), Mr G Duffy (E-learning Co-Ordinator), Laura McCann (Headgirl) and Daniel

Maguire (Headboy) – pictured below. The educators were provided with a detailed background regarding the high regard St Pius X College is held within the community.

The educators also embarked upon a guided tour of learning and teaching in St Pius X College, which was led by Year 13 ambassadors. A question and answer session followed the learning and teaching tour, which was attended by members of the student council. All members of St Pius X College were most impressed with the Leading Educators.

‘Our visit to St Pius X College was inspiring. The instructional rigor and the pastoral care are top-notch. Most striking was the degree to which the school leadership supports student’s ownership for their education and school community. From student ambassadors to student council, students are empowered to give voice to the educational and community issues that matter most to them. As a result, St Pius X college students are building confidence and developing important leadership skills for life.’

Julie Bourgeois. Executive Director of leading Educators, New Orleans

As part of this programme, in October 2013 we had a group of Leading Educators visit our schools in Northern Ireland and witness our education system first hand. The leading educators visited St Comgall’s Primary Bangor, Victoria College Belfast, Ballyclare Primary School and St Pius X College Magherafelt.

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OTHER WAYS TO GET INVOLVEDCONNECTING CLASSROOMSLink your school with others from around the world through Connecting Classrooms. Your pupils will gain a unique insight into another culture and develop as global citizens. You can develop the international dimension at your school and enhance your own skills by engaging in the following:

School partnerships

Apply for a £1,500 (per school) travel grant to support your school partnership. You can partner with over 40 countries including: Brazil, China, India and South Africa. The next application deadline to apply for funding is 30 June 2014. Support and guidance is also available for finding partner schools.

Professional development

We offer a number of face-to-face and online professional development workshops across the UK. Sign up to our next

professional development workshops on 30 April 2014 in Omagh and 3 October 2014 in Belfast.

International School Award

Gain accreditation for the international work of your school by applying for the British Council International School Award. Working towards it gives pupils and teachers a new perspective on the world, and the skills to work in a global economy. With three entry points – Foundation, Intermediate and Accreditation – you can access the Award at the level which best suits your school’s existing international work. For more information contact the team directly on isa@britishcouncil.org

Contact us

We have a dedicated team based in Northern Ireland for advice and support: Schools@britishcouncil.org

‘Connecting Classrooms provides opportunities to broaden the links beyond Europe, providing young people with the skills, attitudes and behaviours needed to develop recognition of, and respect for, difference. The programme supports the personal development and mutual understanding/citizenship curriculum but also includes elements of ICT, literacy and science/the world around us.’

Miss R Ferguson, Ballynure Primary School

www.britishcouncil.org/connectingclassrooms

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EU FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS THROUGH ERASMUS+Applications are still open for funding from Erasmus+, the new EU programme for education, training, youth and sport. Schools and other organisations involved in school education can apply for funding for ‘Strategic Partnerships’, which allow partners to work together on issues of shared interest, with the aim of introducing innovative practice or engaging in new forms of co-operation across different fields of education and training.

Applications close at 11.00 a.m. UK time on 30 April 2014 and application forms and guidance are available from www.erasmusplus.org.uk/ key-action-2/strategic-partnerships-for-schools and www.erasmusplus.org.uk/key-

action-2/strategic-partnerships-in-more-than-one-field (for partnerships that cut across different fields, such as higher education; adult education; vocational education and training; and the youth sector).

Strategic Partnership activities could include developing, testing and implementing innovative approaches and practices for pupils, staff and organisations; exchanging experiences and good practice, including through peer learning activities and workshops; carrying out joint research, surveys and studies; facilitating the recognition and certification of skills and competences; training, teaching and learning activities such as joint project work between groups of

pupils, long-term study mobility of pupils, joint staff training events and teaching and training assignments.

Erasmus+ replaces a number of EC funding programmes, including the popular Comenius programme, which provided funding for schools and local authorities. Schools and further education colleges will still be able to sign up to eTwinning to link up with peers across Europe, either as part of an Erasmus+ funded project or independently.

More information, including details about eligibility criteria and levels of funding, can be found at: www.erasmusplus.org.uk/how-to-apply/key-action-2-co-operation- for-innovation-and-exchange-of- good-practices.

© British Council 2014 / E037 The British Council is the United Kingdom’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.

Win an ipad for your school.

Sign up for the British Council Schools Online e-newsletter before 30 May 2014 to be entered into the draw.

http://schoolsonline.britishcouncil.org/ sign-up-to-our-newsletter

COMPETITION TIME

LANGUAGE ASSISTANTSModern Language Assistants work in primary and secondary schools, including sixth form and further education colleges. They support the teaching and learning of languages and cultures in the classroom and across the school community providing a tremendous resource. They are native-level speakers of French, Spanish, German, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, Russian or Irish.

Apply now by visiting the British Council Northern Ireland website www.britishcouncil.org/northernireland-education-studentopportunity-language-assistants