International School Sports Partnerships

www.britishcouncil.org

InternatIonal schoolsport partnershIps

UK and IndIa

Showcasing impact in the UK and IndiaThis booklet highlights the results achieved during the first three years of international sport partnership projects undertaken by schools in the UK and India.

Involving 50 schools across the two countries, the partnerships were created as a result of the International Inspiration programme, London 2012’s official international sports legacy programme. Aiming to use the power of sport to enrich the lives of children and young people around the world, there will in total be 600 schools from the UK and 20 countries around the world partnered through the initiative.

International Inspiration in India is delivered in partnership with the Government of India. Delivery is supported by the British Council, UK Sport and UNICEF, with the Youth Sport Trust providing specific expertise, as well as local Indian partners, such as the Ministry of Human Resource Development and State education bodies.

The partnerships themselves are designed to enable schools to share good practice and adopt an innovative approach in the use of Physical Education (PE), sport and play to benefit children, young people and the wider community.

Having had the opportunity to meet face-to-face to share best practice, understand each other’s educational and cultural context and explore possible areas of collaboration, each school in the UK and India selected a relevant project that would help address existing priorities in their school, using sport as the tool.

Led by the teachers and the young people themselves who are empowered to become ‘Young Leaders’, the projects highlighted here demonstrate how the partnerships have led to new and innovative approaches to the use of PE, sport and play for achieving wider objectives.

As a result of the partnerships many of the schools have become hubs for surrounding schools in their area, enabling them to spread what they have achieved through their local community. The hope is that these partnerships will continue to develop and expand up to and beyond the Olympic Games in 2012.

InternatIonal school sport partnershIps UK – IndIa

contents

Cirencester College .....................................................................................4

Kendriya Vidyalaya No.2 Colaba ..........................................................4

St John’s Church of England School ..................................................5

Jawahar Narvodya Vidyalaya Faridabad ..........................................5

The Cotswold School ..................................................................................6

Zilla Parishad Upper Primary School .................................................6

Sunnydale School .........................................................................................7

Gopal Boro Government Higher Secondary School .................7

Woodham Community Technology College ...................................8

Kendriya Vidyalaya Khana Para ............................................................8

West Hatch High School ...........................................................................9

Dr Rajendar Prasad Sarvodaya Vidyalaya .......................................9

Baxter Business and Enterprise College .....................................10

Government Model Senior Secondary School .........................10

The Oxford Academy ..............................................................................11

Purulia Zilla School ...................................................................................11

Barking Abbey School ...........................................................................12

Kendriya Vidyalaya AGCR Colony ....................................................12

Davenant Foundation School .............................................................13

Kendriya Vidyalaya J.N.U. .....................................................................13

Christ College .............................................................................................14

Jawahar Narvodya Vidyalaya Medak .............................................14

Sedgefield Community College ........................................................15

T.C. Government Girls Higher Secondary School ...................15

Stourport High School ...........................................................................16

Government Girls Senior Secondary School .............................16

The Aylesbury Vale Academy ............................................................17

Nimpith Sri Ramkrishna Ashram Type High School ................17

Greenfield School Community & Arts College ..........................18

Jawahar Narvodya Vidyalaya Dibrugarh ......................................18

King Charles I School .............................................................................19

Jawahar Narvodya Vidyalaya Muktsar ..........................................19

Sir William Romney’s School ..............................................................20

Colaba Municipal Secondary School ............................................20

Haybridge High School & Sixth Form ............................................21

Kendriya Vidyalaya AFS .........................................................................21

Chadsgrove School & Specialist Sports College ....................22

Behala Parnasree Bidyamandir ........................................................22

Cirencester Kingshill School ..............................................................23

Jawahar Narvdoya Vidyalaya Chandrapur .................................23

Kingstone High School .........................................................................24

Kendriya Vidyalaya Garden Reach .................................................24

Kher Nagar English Municipal School ..........................................25

Zilla Parishad Jubilee High School .................................................25

Bankura Zilla School...............................................................................26

Winchcombe School ..............................................................................27

Kendriya Vidyalaya Picket ...................................................................27

© Anoop Guha / British Council / India 2011

3International School Sport Partnerships UK–India

Our story so far...Through our reciprocal visits with our partnership school we saw how we could learn from one another to achieve our mutual goals. On our visit to India we were inspired by their work in the community.

Inspiring results• We have created extra leadership opportunities for students by

founding a Sports Leadership Academy at our college, which is a forum to share their new found knowledge with others

• Inspired by our partners we added an activity leadership qualification at our college. So far, all the students that enrolled on the course have stayed and we expect all of the class to complete the course

• The qualification is entirely vocational so students have led sporting activities in local clubs and primary schools for children of different ages and abilities

• We have seen the self-esteem of some challenging students improve significantly

• The four internet conferencing sessions we have had with our partners have been superb and helped build a stronger relationship. They have even attracted publicity from the local newspaper!

Looking ahead• The Activity Leadership course has been a hit with the students

here so we’re anticipating continuing the course next year and sharing the syllabus with our partners in Mumbai

• We want to run a Sports Industry Week to show the career opportunities that are available to students after they leave college. We would record talks given by guest speakers and send them to Mumbai

• More internet conferencing! The live interaction is priceless • When we visited India we were fascinated with their use of

yoga in the classroom. It’s something we are considering implementing here.

Using sport as a form of inclusive education that improves knowledge, engagement and confidence

cirencester college, Gloucestershire

Our story so far…We decided with our partners upon a project that would look at the bigger picture and deliver more than just physical benefits. By engaging students in sports leadership not only were we promoting the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, we were also boosting self-esteem and showing the different career pathways available. The project was fuelled by the enthusiasm generated from our cross-cultural learning experiences with our partner college.

Inspiring results• The Young Leaders exchanged views and opinions with their

counterparts in the UK through internet conferencing. As a result of the discussions on the environment the Young Leaders introduced organic farming to the school

• Participation in the programme has inspired a youth-led approach to organising events in and out of school that have allowed them to celebrate and raise awareness of global issues

• Through cascade training, 150 Young Leaders have been trained and ten teachers were trained as local tutors. Furthermore, ten students and two teachers from two neighbouring schools have also been trained as we seek to create a legacy that reaches other parts of the community

• Our Young Leaders developed skills for working with children with disabilities and raised awareness around issues of inclusion in society on World Disability Day.

Looking ahead• Our biggest goal is to sustain the programme into the future

and inspire more neighbouring schools to join us in enabling youth leadership through sport

• Teachers are adapting to a new way of teaching and are learning how the values taught in PE can be applied in other subjects.

Kendriya Vidyalaya no.2 colaba, Maharashtra

StudentCirencester College

“ It’s interesting talking to someone so far away. It’s amazing that football is growing and they are so nuts about cricket. It’s also great that they are also now starting to lead sport in their schools in the same way we are.”

Ravinder Student, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Faridabad

“ I am associated with this for last three years and this programme has helped me in my growth as a student and a world citizen.”

Our story so far...The main focus of our International Inspiration project has been to engage the young people of St John’s and Jawahar Narvodya Vidyalaya Faridabad in both positive and constructive activities that will benefit the community. The project has provided an ideal opportunity to develop community cohesion and cultural awareness.

PE has been adapted to include indigenous Indian sports and the success of this has had a knock-on effect to other subjects in the curriculum. Geography, History, Art, Science and Student Leadership have all undergone a revamp due to our partnership.

Inspiring results• Kabbadi has been introduced into PE for Years seven – nine (11 – 13

year olds) with the view of rolling out kho-kho in the near future• In November 2010 we were accepted into the London

2012 Get Set programme, as we demonstrated that we fully embraced the seven London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games values through coursework

• Year nine (13-year-old) Geography students have completed an eight-week unit entitled ‘Incredible India’ which focuses on India’s place within the global community and in particular the links to the UK

• Our Art department has explored the individual cultures of India and communities which inspire and influence artwork. Partnership links have been made with three schools in Epping Forest, allowing us to collaborate in unique activities

• Our History department has investigated the involvement of Indian soldiers fighting with the British Army in the First World War, as well as exploring the expansion of British involvement in India.

Looking ahead• Through the project students have been inspired to volunteer

for the London 2012 Games.

Using Physical Education to enhance English language skills and cultural exchange to broaden the curriculum

st John’s church of england school, essex

Our story so far…Our project is based on the hypothesis that learning takes place more effectively in an uncontrolled situation than in a controlled situation. We felt that this project would help develop social skills and bring desired behavioural change among the targeted group of students. The last football World Cup held in South Africa had stirred students’ interest so we took this opportunity and used it for constructive purposes. We started by carefully selecting a group of 30 students. All the children were at different stages in their learning and development so each child benefitted from the training in different ways.

Inspiring results• Our football project explored issues such as fair play, equality,

cultural diversity, inclusion and communication • The Young Leaders showed an aptitude for teaching English

language. In the first lessons with the target group the Young Leaders used small sentences like, ‘pass me’ and ‘run fast’. Gradually the target group’s understanding of English improved and their spoken English is also improving

• The Young Leaders organised a mini-sports festival for 90 primary school children of mixed abilities. It was a sports and fun games festival in which painting, musical chairs, hit the bucket, point the tail and some other games were conducted by the young leaders

• The learning has been fun and provided students with a new motivation to learn and interact with people from different backgrounds. Now they have a better understanding of what is important and what they want the future to be like.

Looking ahead• We are considering introducing the Young Leadership

programme into our curriculum• Local schools have seen what we are doing and are taking an

interest in our achievements. We hope to inspire many of them to join us!

Jawahar navodaya Vidyalaya Faridabad, delhi

4 5International School Sport Partnerships UK–India International School Sport Partnerships UK–India

Our story so far…As a school we try to enable every student to be their best in their academic and personal development and in International Inspiration we saw the opportunity to develop their leadership skills through sport. The project with Zilla Parishad Upper Primary School gave us the added benefit of promoting international and cultural awareness.

Inspiring results• Our Young Leaders created innovative video guides to

coaching netball that we shared with our partner school, while we learned the traditional Indian games of kabbadi and langadi

• By taking responsibility and developing a variety of resources for our partner school to learn netball, we have seen our students flourish as Young Leaders

• We shared the insights taken from the visit to our partner school at special school assemblies, which inspired more of our pupils to learn about Indian culture and sport

• Pupils and staff have felt encouraged to understand different attitudes, approaches and practices in regard to sport around the world.

Looking ahead• Our lasting friendship with Zilla Parishad Upper Primary School

will continue as we offer each other support with resources and advice

• We have seen the benefits of learning new cultures through sport and are looking at other subjects where we can continue to do the same.

Our story so far…Through the International Inspiration programme we saw an opportunity to improve the learning of the children at our school. We wanted to promote the spirit of sharing ideas among global Young Leaders, other students and the wider community. Learning through sport provides the additional benefits of promoting good qualities, such as leadership, co-operation and discipline, while also promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Inspiring results• Pupils are encouraged to participate in different sporting

activities in school and have subsequently developed a real interest in sport

• They are eager to take part in sporting activities and they deliver training programmes for students from other schools using the resources developed by our partners in the UK

• The Young Leaders have developed a sense of independence, responsibility and self-confidence. They are proud to represent the school in the community

• They have become role models in the community, organising a sports and cultural mela (fair) as well as raising awareness about the environment.

Looking ahead• The Young Leaders continue to communicate with their friends

in the UK and learn new sports, such as rugby and rounders • We are hoping to expand and involve more local primary and

secondary schools in the project.

Our story so far...Our International Inspiration objectives are to improve student self-esteem through involvement in leadership activities around sport. Pupils in Gopal Boro participate in track, field and netball activities, while they in turn introduced us to indigenous Indian sports, kho-kho and kabbadi. By encouraging students, pupils actively raise their profile in the school which benefits the way they feel about themselves.

Inspiring results• Our college has a very low percentage of students from ethnic

minority groups. This exchange has given pupils a greater depth of cultural awareness

• We have created an opportunity for staff and Young Leaders in our partner school to share resources, ideas and dialogue via our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)

• Students involved in the leadership programme have improved their confidence and inter-personal skills and are contributing creative ideas to group work. They are fantastic ambassadors for the school during primary school festivals organised through our community programme

• Two teachers from our link school visited us in November 2010, and observed teachings of a wide range of subjects

• The second pairing of teachers to visit Gopal Boro departed in November 2010 and further developed the sporting activities and supported the English language teachers there.

Looking ahead• Having established an inter-school kabbadi competition,

we would like to continue and extend this to our feeder primary schools

• We aspire to use VLE as a vehicle for Young Leaders in both countries to communicate and plan other festivals.

Our story so far...Our combined initiative for our International Inspiration project was to empower young people with leadership skills through sport and cultural exchange.

Inspiring results• As learning capacities differ from student to student we

have found sport to be an educational and inclusive tool that reaches a wide audience

• We held an ‘English Language Day’ in our school to help students develop communication skills through reading, recitation and improvised speech activities

• Two teachers and six Young Leaders attended a sports and games training programme at Sarusajai National Stadium from March to April 2009. These skills were then cascaded to a further 24 Young Leaders in our school

• We hosted a mini-festival at our school which centred on sports leadership and as a result we now have over 50 Young Leaders

• 30 of our students attended a seven-day sports training course, led by our partnership school at a local stadium, whereby teachers and Young Leaders were introduced to netball and track and field events

• Students have demonstrated improved self-esteem, confidence and interpersonal skills since the programme started.

Looking ahead• Our students will gain greater cultural awareness about the

North-East of England• Pupils are enthused about teaching netball to different year

levels and to our neighbouring schools • An internet connection is to be installed in order to

share teaching resources, ideas and dialogue with Virtual Learning Environment.

Developing student mentors using Physical Education

the cotswold school, Gloucestershire

Zilla parishad Upper primary school, Maharashtra

sunnydale school, durham

Gopal Boro Government higher secondary school, assam

Using sport and leadership to engage young people

DikshaStudent, Zilla Parishad Upper Primary School

“ Before this I was shy and never dared to come before the people, but now I feel free to talk to our teacher and the other students.”

Biki Student, Gopal Boro Government Higher Secondary School

“ I learnt netball attending the ‘sports training course’. Netball is like basketball played by hand, but there is a difference. Previously I only heard of the game, but now I know it and want to expand it to other schools too.”


AnielaStudent, Woodham Community Technology College

“ I love discovering Indian culture and noticing the change between our societies. I enjoyed exchanging information about each other’s sports, culture and hobbies.”

Our story so far...Within this project our main aims are for our students to develop a sense of the wider world and feel empowered to tackle issues that are important to them. We aim to develop our Young Leaders’ skills while at the same time learn about India’s traditional sports like kho-kho and kabbadi and introduce them into our curriculum.

Inspiring results• We have utilised the momentum of the Commonwealth Games

in Delhi and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games to arrange reciprocal visits with our partner school

• International links with Dr Rajendar Prasad Sarvodaya School have enriched pupils’ learning and encouraged interdependent and global communication

• Students have increased self-confidence to achieve their fullest potential

• Pupils have a new awareness of their own national and international identity.

Looking ahead• Six Year 11 (15-year-old) Young Leaders will visit India in

February where they will be responsible for organising a local sports event for the surrounding community

• We have aligned ourselves with Magic Bus, a local Indian-based organisation, to broaden our community education programme in Delhi.

Our story so far...Our schools devised a sporting cultural exchange, where we taught West Hatch High School kho-kho and kabbadi and we learnt how to play rugby. To complement this work and develop English language skills, we encourage our students to be business focused and read newspapers to follow company reviews and share prices.

Inspiring results• Initially run with 12 young students, our project has increased

to involve nearly 60 Young Leaders and has benefitted from the help of volunteers

• Our students have demonstrated a remarkable improvement with their grades and have become more disciplined and enthusiastic when faced with new challenges

• We have established ties with a deprived community local to our school and are teaching them literacy skills and healthy habits

• Truancy numbers have reduced as students enjoy the different approach to learning through activity and the responsibility of teaching others

• Our programme has been expanded to include three neighbourhood schools, to which we impart our new found knowledge.

Looking ahead• Sport is to be integrated into our curriculum as the benefits

of participation have been reflected across all subjects• We hope to increase the number of students involved in

our youth sports leadership programme and develop innovative activities

• Our students will improve their cultural awareness as they continue to share best practice with students at West Hatch.

Our story so far...Together with Kendriya Vidyalaya Khana Para, we strive to use sports and technology as vehicles for students to exchange cultural experiences. Sport remains the main link in our partnership, with KV Khana Para teaching us the values of kabbadi and yoga, while in return we share our knowledge of rugby, football and American football.

Inspiring results• Using a dedicated group page on Facebook, our students are

able to make friends and communicate with their counterparts in India. They engage in discussions about priority areas of the programme as well as more diverse issues related to their individual cultural experiences. English language skills are enhanced through this dialogue and students use a wider vocabulary in an informal setting

• Links between the music departments within our schools were established in order to investigate activities that we could add to the joint programme

• Representatives from both schools had the opportunity to meet while officiating at the UK School Games in Cardiff, 2009

• Students have opted for kabaddi to be added to the curriculum • Pupils have demonstrated their leadership skills in the

management and organisation of sports festivals• We shared knowledge of strategic evaluation methods

used in each of our schools.

Looking ahead• We have discussed the possibility of student exchanges and are

keen for Indian students to visit our school sometime this year • We will add Indian music to our syllabus.

Our story so far...Our partnership with Woodham Community Technology College is based on an exchange of sports, cultures and learning methodologies. Diverse activities are designed within these areas that focus on the qualities of leadership and encourage wide participation in our young students. We aim to cascade our new found knowledge to the extended community, shaping the identity of our pupils as global citizens.

Inspiring results• Our teachers and students have gained confidence and

leadership qualities. They can identify the best ways to build rapport within the wider community

• We introduced kabaddi to our linked school and in turn they taught us how to play and coach football

• We established a club called ‘Shreshtha’, which undertakes volunteer work and peer guidance activities. Our Young Leaders collect books and clothes to donate to the underprivileged

• Our students have developed strong leadership qualities and have organised regional and national level sporting events by interacting with other Young Leaders

• Our students have been able to engage with Woodham students via Facebook. They have the opportunity to hone their English language skills through exchanging their experiences of the programme

• A representative from our school officiated at the UK School Games in Cardiff, 2009, and met a fellow member from Woodham Community Technology College.

Looking ahead• We hope to establish further partnerships with charitable

organisations - Xavier Foundation and Jyoti Snehalaya (an orphanage)

• We would like to schedule a visit with our partner school to strengthen the relationship.

Young Leaders active in the community through sportEnhancing leadership qualities through international relations

West hatch high school, essex

dr rajendar prasad sarvodaya Vidyalaya, delhi

Woodham community technology college, durham

Kendriya Vidyalaya Khana para, assam

AshrafStudent, Dr Rajendar Prasad Sarvodaya School

“ This project has been a very good learning experience for me. All the information I received was really enriching. It was very encouraging.”

9International School Sport Partnerships UK–India8 International School Sport Partnerships UK–India

Our story so far…Since our involvement in International Inspiration began we have seen the confidence levels of previously disengaged students increase beyond our expectation. By talking to our partner school we were able to identify common problems and implement innovative solutions. We were inspired by Baxter College to introduce Healthy Schools Week. We raised awareness of the physical, mental and social benefits of taking regular exercise and in making healthy diet choices.

Inspiring results• Seeing our Young Leaders grow in confidence and numbers!

Eight Young Leaders trained 70 new students through a variety of activities

• After the training the Young Leaders organised a mini sports festival for 100 students introducing ultimate frisbee, which they had learned from the UK

• The Young Leaders have bonded through teamwork and learned the virtues of co-operation and tolerance

• It’s not just the students that are finding new ways to work together. Teachers from PE, Fine Arts, English and Biology are sharing their ideas and teaching practices

• The students have totally changed! The eight Young Leaders are excelling academically, while the 70 new Young Leaders who were disengaged before are now actively leading activities

• We are proud of the influence our students are having on their peers from the UK. Students from Baxter College want to visit again and again.

Looking ahead• We are planning activities with Baxter College this year and will

continue to plan for every following year• So far, we have formed two partnerships with local secondary

schools. We hope to make more and continue teaching ultimate frisbee.

Government Model senior secondary school, punjab

Our story so far…Before this partnership we had already introduced leadership activities in our school, which were a good way of building confidence and improving attendance. The link to another country helped make our pupils more globally aware, while the project provided opportunities to pass their knowledge on to other students at home and abroad.

After achieving ‘Healthy School’ status (a government-backed project) we felt the initiative had lost its focus. But we were inspired by our partnership to raise attainment by facilitating regular exercise and emphasising healthy eating. The impact throughout the school has been very positive.

Inspiring results• Students and teachers participated enthusiastically during

Healthy Schools Week by exchanging recipes, organising competitions and creating art work that we shared with our partners

• Our Young Leaders were inspired by what their peers in India achieved with minimal resources. They understood how a small amount can go a long way and felt confident they could achieve as much

• Students applied for the opportunity to represent the school and support a Young Leader from our partnership while they participated at the UK School Games in Gateshead 2010

• We’ve introduced a Creative Arts module dedicated to India. Meanwhile our Young Leaders have taught Indian dance to local primary schools and invited the schools to participate at our summer dance festival.

Looking ahead• Staff and student visits are being planned for next year.

Many of our students rarely get to visit another country so this is an unprecedented opportunity for them to experience India in person

• We’re going to create more joint learning resources and continue the flow of information between the UK and India

• Now that we’ve learned kabbadi and kho-kho we want to teach them to more schools and one day play them and win!

Increase the confidence and self-esteem of students by participating in new sporting opportunities

Baxter Business and enterprise college, Worcestershire

RohitYoung Leader, Government Model Senior Secondary School

‘ Now I am a believer and achiever. Now I always say “I can and I will!”’

MrityunjoyTeacher, Purulia Zilla School

“The project opened my eyes to many new things.”

Our story so far…International Inspiration inspired us to share teaching and knowledge with another school and motivate the students to take an active interest in the world around them. We wanted to develop a link that would improve cultural understanding among a group of students so that they can pass their new knowledge onto others. Our students created teaching materials for rugby and basketball that we exchanged for materials that helped us learn more about gymnastics and yoga. Now our students are more enthusiastic and eager to learn new sports as a result.

Inspiring results• Both schools were enthusiastic about learning from each other

by sharing teaching methods and showing how they taught other subjects, not just PE

• We were inspired by our partners to create a DVD telling the story of ‘a day in the life’ of a student at our school

• Our students are more curious about the wider world after creating displays in the school showing images provided by our partners.

Looking ahead• We want to introduce our students to a more diverse range of

sports and increase the number of students getting involved as Young Leaders

• We’re looking forward to continuing our partnership by visiting Purulia Zilla School later in 2011.

Our story so far…At our school we believe that sport can be used to transmit positive values to children through PE, such as discipline, healthy eating habits and control over body and mind.

By working with The Oxford Academy on the International Inspiration programme we hoped to introduce new learning elements to our sporting activities. We set out to develop leadership qualities in our students and empower them to become active citizens in their community. The additional benefit of working with an international partner means our students gain exposure to a different culture.

Inspiring results• Ten Young Leaders kick-started the project by starting their

own sports leadership club. Soon they persuaded 62 new members to join them and since then they have organised a programme of social events celebrating different Indian and UK occasions

• With our partners the students created activities and equipment that can be accessed in both countries. They displayed resourcefulness in creating different learning materials

• The teachers have shown more interest in the project after observing positive changes in behaviour among students. Teachers’ understanding of PE has changed for the better.

Looking ahead• We want to develop our relationship with The Oxford Academy

further and strengthen the bond between us• We would like to begin training more Young Leaders and

engage them in a wider range of activities• We’re looking forward to empowering our students to pass on

their experience to other schools in the area and little by little improving the whole community.

Improving young peoples’ communication and engaging them through sport and language

the oxford academy, oxfordshire

purulia Zilla school, West Bengal


Our story so far…Through our school link we have drawn from our strong cultural heritage, to run arts focused workshops that develop students’ leadership skills. This has also been developed with a number of different sporting activities including aerobics, PE lessons and basketball. We aim to encourage our students to develop their respective understanding of cultural differences and become role models within the community.

Inspiring results• Aerobics lessons amalgamate Indian and Western dance,

making fitness familiar and challenging• The famous epic drama, the Ramayana, became the text for

our drama class and gave UK students an insight into our cultural heritage

• Young Leaders from both schools prepared story telling sessions to the primary school wing at Barking Abbey

• Upon learning technical computer skills and the art of blogging, some students are excelling in this field

• English teaching methodology was exchanged during school visits from Barking Abbey in July 2009

• We taught students the ancient art of Rangoli, with our creations exhibited to the wider community at a culture night, which families of the students were invited to attend.

Looking ahead• We look to continue regular e-mail correspondence

between schools• A new joint project involving Economics and the Arts is

in the planning stages• Grammar lessons are due to feature in new and different

games, following the success of previous sports combining English skills.

Kendriya Vidyalaya aGcr colony, delhi

Our story so far…Barking Abbey school is in the borough of Barking and Dagenham, which has the lowest national percentage of households where members attend further and higher education. We were inspired to offer leadership opportunities for a much wider range of students within the school and its communities, creating a generation of pro-active global citizens who can be role models in a wide range of contexts. Sport was the driving force, but now our partnership is flexible enough to incorporate other areas of the curriculum.

Nowadays technology like video conferencing can create a face-to-face dialogue between students across the globe. By promoting opportunities like this for intercultural dialogue students have become more confident at relating to people from other countries, while teachers have shown more enthusiasm for international school partnerships.

Inspiring results• In Geography we set up a blog, which enabled pupils from both

countries to post messages comparing flood systems in the UK and India. Both groups learnt about the floods in the UK and in Bihar, India. Following this we had a video conference where pupils presented their findings to each other

• Pupils swapped poems from their English curriculum and we held a video conference where they shared what they had learnt about the poems. They prepared presentations and took questions from each other which they then had to answer as ‘experts’ on particular poems

• Together with teachers from our partner school the Dance department choreographed a dance which fused together Indian and Western dance styles. The pupils performed this at Cultural evening the same week, which allowed parents and members of the community to meet our Indian friends.

Looking ahead• The opportunity to work collaboratively with our partner

teachers and students from India was an extremely rewarding and culturally enriching experience. So much so that we have established a second international school partnership with another school in India.

Exploring new cultures through sport, Dance, the Arts and blogging

Barking abbey school, essex

StudentBarking Abbey School

“ They taught us how to do arts and crafts . . . With these skills we made a trip down to Manor Infants and taught the kiddies to make print blocks, bags and other handmade Indian goodies.”

Our story so far…Building on the strengths of our Sport College and Kendriya Vidyalaya J.N.U.’s volunteering links with the Scouts and Guides, our project aims to develop leadership skills in young people through sport for the benefit of the community.

In 2009 a visit exchange took place where Kendriya Vidyalaya J.N.U. students established links with our English department and were introduced to our Sports Ambassador Programme and Leadership Academy. Sports leadership activities were designed and taken back to Delhi to be applied there.

Inspiring results• Young Leaders from Kendriya Vidyalaya J.N.U. enhanced their

English language skills by taking part in English debating and wrote articles for our school newsletter

• Our students possess a greater cultural awareness by hosting link school students during their time in the UK. This has inspired them to get more involved in volunteering opportunities

• Our international involvement has been extended by establishing links in Delhi and Faridabad with partner secondary schools in the local area

• New charity links are being set up with Magic Bus, an Indian-based organisation, to further community sport opportunities in Delhi.

• An outward-looking curriculum has been implemented at our school as a result of our cross-cultural experience.

Looking ahead• We will visit our link schools in February 2011 to further

embed sports leadership at the heart of community sport• Our English and Science teachers will be among those

travelling to Delhi with the view of investigating further cross-cultural education

• We are organising an ‘Olympic-inspired camp’ in 2012 to coincide with the London 2012 Games. 150 students will be invited with a number of strategic partnerships supporting this.

Our story so far...Our partnership looks to harness the potential of young people by increasing their self-confidence through extra-curricular activities and providing them with leadership qualities. We and our partner school share a rich sporting culture, which has been explored and adapted to the requirements of our school.

Inspiring results• Our school is a hub of various sports and extra-curricular

activities which have been orchestrated by young people• Local tutors and staff co-ordinators have given pupils the

freedom to run their own meetings without teacher involvement and have witnessed students opening up among their peers

• Academic performance across all areas of the curriculum has improved considerably since the implementation of International Inspiration

• Our students have honed their English writing skills through regular contribution to Davenant’s school newsletter

• Self-confidence has increased as students develop a sense of responsibility

• Students utilised their leadership skills to conduct mini-festivals on Education Day, Teacher’s Day and Republic Day.

Looking ahead• We will continue to investigate how to support young people

to build upon their leadership qualities.

Developing Young Leaders to enhance sport in the community

davenant Foundation school, essex

Kendriya Vidyalaya J.n.U., delhi

Linda Parent, Davenant Foundation School

“ Hosting our Indian visitors was a real pleasure. The whole family gained so much through the whole experience. It was amazing to learn about how other families live and work. My children are inspired to find out more about Indian culture and are really excited about the school’s future plans.”


Our story so far...The rationale behind this project is to develop cultural awareness through the power of sport and leadership. Our partnership identified the need to build friendships and support through this project. The development and sharing of resources and expertise for both staff and students is a high priority for both schools.

Inspiring results• Since our involvement in International Inspiration our students

have a greater appreciation of different cultures• 900 of our students took part in “International Inspiration Day”

that gave them a greater understanding of our linked school’s geography, history and traditional music

• We recorded conversations about various key themes in English and sent them to our partnership school, to incorporate in lesson plans

• All subjects within our curriculum have been influenced by Indian culture

• PE staff have used traditional Indian games to engage youngsters in sport, moving away from the delivery of traditional sports. An example of this is the use of kabaddi and kho-kho to teach students the principles of outwitting an opponent

• We have shared resources with local feeder schools to support their cultural awareness programmes.

Looking ahead• We intend to incorporate an India-centred project into our

Personal Social and Health Education (PSHE) curriculum for Years Seven to Nine (aged 11–13)

• We will open our “Culture Days” to the local community so our programme experience can be shared

• Leading by example, we will cascade our community education programme to local primary schools.

Our story so far...This project with Sedgefield Community College builds on the relationship between sport leadership qualities in young people. We are doing this by introducing kabbadi and kho-kho in our partnership school and will in turn learn netball and rounders in India. This exchange will not only empower young pupils with new skills but will increase their cultural awareness.

Inspiring results• Our students improved their English language skills through

activities such as debating, recitation and group sing-a-longs• We formed a relationship with our neighbouring school

and have invited them to take part in our community development programme

• 76 Young Leaders have been trained through various activities at the school

• Our local newspaper has featured an article from our Principal and has also noted the various competitions conducted at our school

• Students are more attentive and have greater time management skills

• We have learnt the importance and impact of various games on the physical and mental health of our students.

Looking ahead• In the future we will generate team spirit and capacity building

for Young Leaders by increasing awareness of sport among students and teachers

• We hope to continue visit exchanges with our partnership school as they have been successful

• We aim to cascade our experiences to other schools in the community.

Linking cultures through the medium of sport

sedgefield community college, durham

t.c. Government Girls higher secondary school, punjab

Our story so far…Since the reciprocal visits to our partner school we have supported each other in developing our project, providing students with leadership opportunities that will increase their confidence and engage the local community in sport.

Inspiring results• The Young Leaders demonstrated their motivation for the

project by raising an additional £5,000 in sponsorship to support the partnership. They approached local businesses and organised fundraising events like ‘the row along the Ganges’

• Our students have demonstrated new leadership skills since teaching tag rugby and rounders to nearly 360 children in several rural primary schools identified by our partner

• We were inspired by our partner school to organise a sports festival. We experienced Indian culture and sport by teaching kho kho, kabbadi and an Indian art form, Rangoli, to Year Five (aged nine to ten) students in Cheltenham.

Looking ahead• We would like to extend leadership work into other subjects

across the school• We have identified other subjects, including Geography,

Art and Science, where we can link to our partner school.

Our story so far…We chose this project to widen our students’ life experience through our partnership with Christ College. We involved Young Leaders from our school to organise sports festivals for pupils of local primary schools with the aim of seeing them develop as better team players and leaders.

Inspiring results• We have seen our students evolve into independent,

self-motivated and social learners who are able to develop the same skills in others

• The Young Leaders demonstrated improved organisational skills in co-ordinating sports festivals for five local primary schools

• Our pupils showed entrepreneurship by analysing the needs of each school and creating a programme of PE that suited the teachers and students

• At one primary school they designed a programme that gave children with disabilities the opportunity to play safe and fun activities alongside able-bodied children

• Working together with our partners the Young Leaders came up with the idea of introducing a cultural element to our sports festival. The highlight of the programme was a scene from William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice staged by the Young Leaders.

Looking ahead• We don’t see this as the end of our journey, but the beginning

as we strive to develop leadership qualities through sports and games in all our students.

Inspiring students to take on new responsibilities and become global Young Leaders

christ college, Gloucestershire

Jawahar narvodya Vidyalaya Medak, andhra pradesh

TeresaHead Teacher, Christ College

“ It is so valuable for our pupils to have the opportunity to travel to another continent and affect so many other young people in such a positive way.”

StevenTeacher, Sedgefield Community College

“ As we strive to prepare our students for life after Sedgefield, having the opportunity to see and experience ‘the real world’ is crucial in their social and moral development.”


Our story so far...For our project we decided to encourage children from hard to reach families to participate. These students often do not take part in trips or exchanges and frequently do not get the opportunity to benefit from international partnerships or new cultural experiences.

The draw of sports has encouraged all of our students to have a global outlook, fostered cross-cultural understanding and helped dispel racial prejudices. Our International Inspiration partnership with Government Girls Senior Secondary School has helped us continue delivering a rich, vibrant and diverse learning experience to all our students.

Inspiring results• More than 150 students from five different schools visited our

school as part of a one-day festival of sports and languages, which we now host annually

• The Art faculty in our school now teach Tanjore painting for our Year Seven (11-year-old) students. They have produced beautiful Tanjore icons, now proudly displayed in school

• Staff and students have been swapping recipes with our partners in Hoshiarpur and started a healthy cooking club. The pupils love cooking together with their family and neighbours!

• 12 boys and girls were inspired by learning Punjabi via internet conferencing

• 1,300 people from the community attended a ‘Fun Night’ which included Henna painting and food tasting. It also gave our students the opportunity to exhibit their amazing artwork.

Looking ahead• We now include kabbadi and kho-kho in the curriculum and are

working hard to ensure that there is a greater variety of sports to reflect the global community we live in

• We will continue to break down cultural misconceptions in the minds of the students by linking with schools abroad and in the UK.

Our story so far...Working together with Stourport High School we aimed to develop a team of Young Leaders from disengaged groups in both schools who would emerge as vibrant students with leadership qualities. However, since International Inspiration we have seen their family members’ attitudes change for the better as well. We have shared the students’ learning with the parents who were excited to see how the activities taught in PE play an important role in the children’s development. Now more people in the community want to be a part of the learning.

Inspiring results• 100 students who were shy and submissive have grown in

confidence during the mini-festival held in our school• Students, parents and teachers across four different schools

have come together for the first time• We have integrated English language and leadership skills

learning in PE, which has increased participation of our students in class

• Young people from the UK and India are exchanging more than ideas about sports. Students sharing beliefs and culture has enhanced our understanding of each other

• We celebrated Christmas by creating different decorations and other holidays too while our students taught Bhangra and Punjabi to our partner school.

Looking ahead• The main target for our Young Leaders is to raise awareness

of pollution in the environment and global warming• We want to give our students the opportunity to learn more

new sports • We have seen the interest parents are taking in the learning

of their children and are holding classes for them to learn the same skills.

Using sport and art to encourage healthy living among children from hard to reach families

stourport high school, Worcestershire

Government Girls senior secondary school, punjab

Ellie Student, Stourport High School

“ I learned Punjabi via [internet conferencing] for a year and the Punjabi teacher, Ravi, was so friendly and encouraging. What has impressed me the most is the work ethic of the students in India.”

Our story so far...We set out to find a partner school that we could develop a strong relationship with for current and future students to explore cultural differences and global issues. An international partnership was attractive because it provides our students with the opportunity to communicate with people from a different culture and country. In doing so it has opened their eyes to the wider international community and how they can affect it. Ultimately our students have realised that a child in another country has the same interests, ideas, and thoughts

Inspiring results• Teachers and students threw their full-support behind

International Week in the school. The lessons allowed the teachers to try something a little different and experiment with their normal teaching practices

• The cultural aspect of our visit to West Bengal was most impressive. The students wrote, directed, acted and choreographed a play in English which was incredible

• Our students have developed a warmth and friendship towards the students and staff at Nimpith, which has helped with their engagement and awareness of global issues (e.g. cyclone Aila in 2009).

Looking ahead:• We would like to bring more of Nimpith’s agricultural knowledge

to our school perhaps through a small garden project• Maintaining regular contact with our partner school remains

one of our key ambitions. We hope to develop our link by encouraging regular discussion between students.

Our story so far...The pupils within our school have a strong reputation for athleticism and have achieved fantastic results in national and district football tournaments. This success inspired us to use sport as a tool to capture the attention of all of our students and those of our partner school The Aylesbury Vale Academy.

Inspiring results• Twice a week our Young Leaders meet with 60 other students

aged between 12 and 15 and engage in cultural, English language and computer learning activities

• Through our partner school we have learnt how to play rugby, rounders and cricket. The sessions we take part in encourage team work, healthy competition and self-esteem

• A team of ten of our students were responsible for creating the school’s medicinal garden to help teach Science and provide a positive learning environment. They will become environmental leaders in their class and will introduce this project to The Aylesbury Vale Academy

• Our students’ academic progress has been outstanding since becoming involved in International Inspiration. The school no longer encounters drop outs and all students have been graduating from classes on their first attempt

• From the reciprocal visits we have realised that sport is a great vehicle for all round student development.

Looking ahead:• 20 e-mail accounts will be set up for our pupils to initiate

e-mail communication between students• Our Young Leaders will coach students from neighbouring

schools and organise regional championship competitions• We will design a schools newsletter in Bengali and English

that reports of progress within sports, partnership updates and local news.

Using sport, PE and cultural activities to engage young people in all aspects of the school curriculum and increase awareness of global issues

the aylesbury Vale academy, Buckinghamshire

nimpith sri ramkrishna ashram type high school, West Bengal

Pauline PE teacher, The Aylesbury Vale Academy

“ I was amazed at the talented students and their enthusiasm for sport, their confidence to speak English and particularly for learning new skills and teaching them to others. I have made many new friends and will continue to follow and support their progress.”


Our story so far...The spirit of inclusion was at the heart of our school partnership. Through creative and engaging joint working the project aimed to raise aspirations, confidence and self-esteem of staff and students as well as the wider community. We wanted to empower students to become independent, responsible learners while encouraging them to make positive choices for a healthy lifestyle. Initially the project engaged staff, students, parents and the wider community in sport and PE themed activities, but later on the link inspired teachers of other subjects to get involved creating more opportunities for partnership working between departments from both schools.

Inspiring results• The Young Leaders really challenged themselves by working

with hard to reach groups. For instance, they engaged 35 ‘quiet girls & boys’ through an extended speaking and listening project linked to the programme as well as 80 ‘inactive pupils’ through the new and different shared sports activities

• The whole school participated in ‘Deep Learning Days’ where every department worked with pupils on the theme of India. We shared our experience with our friends at JNV Muktsar in the form of a DVD and a recording of a radio broadcast that was produced by ‘quiet girls & boys’ who acted as young reporters

• Young people in the school are dealing with challenges and overcoming problems in a positive way. The Young Leaders showed determination to organise their trip to India and learned many new skills from tasks like fundraising and planning risk assessments

• Both schools engaged in a full cultural programme including trips and visits. Our students went with students from JNV Muktsar to the Houses of Parliament in London to meet our local MP and discuss the future of PE in schools.

Looking ahead• Currently Young Leaders here and in India are working together

to learn how to lead a session of kho-kho so that it can be delivered to all of our local feeder schools

• We’re looking forward to maintaining the lifelong friendships and working partnerships between staff and students at JNV Muktsar that have developed.

Our story so far...Our link with JNV Dibrugarh, seeks to develop Young Leaders as global citizens, equipping them with leadership skills learnt through sports, arts and culture. This is achieved through an exchange of sports drawn from our cultural context. Students from JNV Dibrugarh have learnt to play netball, while our students have discovered the delights of kabbadi.

Inspiring results• Interschool kabaddi tournaments have kicked off in

JNV Dibrugarh• Pupils who were disengaged now have an increased interest in

new sports• We have witnessed how sport can bring enjoyment alongside

high academic achievement• In addition to introducing new sports to local partner schools,

we have encouraged the role of female involvement by setting up a ‘Girls Active’ group.

Looking ahead• A joint PE newspaper will be produced, giving young people

an opportunity to add to their understanding of their partnership school

• The ‘Girls Active’ group will contact the Young Leaders from JNV Dibrugarh School to compare their experiences of learning netball

• We hope to continue developing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of sport and PE from India.

Our story so far...As a result of our partnership with Greenfield School Community Arts College, we seek to develop leadership qualities in games and sports taken from our own cultures.

We then decided to expand the project to incorporate English creative writing, dance and art to promote these new sporting skills and activities.

Inspiring results• Greenfield students were taught how to play kho-kho and

kabbadi and are now setting up an inter-school tournament• Exchanging ideas with our partner school let us reflect on our

teaching methodology and implement a more child-centred approach to learning

• Our students are now able to act locally and think globally from this cultural exchange experience

• Through this project we have developed local relationships with our neighbouring Assam schools

• English language lessons have incorporated activities such as sports commentary and match reports

• Four key visits between schools have occurred since 2009, from initial planning stages to implementing the project

• Interpersonal relationships within our school have benefitted and we have added foreign sports to our curriculum.

Looking ahead• We will endeavour to build a football centre of excellence in the

local area• Both schools will be contributing to a joint newspaper that will

sustain our cultural exchange into the future • Our students will conduct netball training with our neighbouring

schools and will run a netball inter-house competition.

New sports, new approach, new inspiration

Greenfield school community and arts college, durham

Jawahar narvodya Vidyalaya dibrugarh, assam

HollyStudent, Greenfield School Community Arts and College

“ What a fantastic game! We love kabaddi! Can we start a club, please?”

DilpyasStudent, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Muktsar

“ I have got a great sense of achievement from the programme as well as having lots of fun solving maths problems.”

Our story so far...We chose this project because we wanted to improve our students’ perceptions of Mathematics and we thought that showing the relationship to sport could help us achieve this.Key to the project was getting the children to see themselves as members of a team who can support and trust each other.

The benefit of linking to an overseas partner also allowed us to introduce activities that could develop students’ international and cultural awareness. We liked the aims of the International Inspiration programme and agreed that sport is a universal language.

Inspiring results• We focused on a small group of pupils who underachieved

in Maths and assigned each of them a Young Leader to work with. The games we played stimulated interest and we found that students grasped the problem and implemented a solution quicker than before

• There are fewer students dropping out of Maths classes as a result of the Young Leader led activity

• Students and teachers trust each other more now and school is a happier place for everyone to learn.

Looking ahead• Having seen the success of the project we want to expand

by training more Young Leaders and involving more teachers from other subjects

• We would like to share our work with teachers in India and the UK.

Sport as a vehicle to improve achievement in Mathematics

Jawahar narvodya Vidyalaya Muktsar, punjab

King charles I school, Worcestershire


Our story so far…At our school, internationalisation is a chance to broaden the horizons of our students, the majority of whom have an insular view on the wider world.

We are a small performing arts school and we saw the link with Colaba Municipal Secondary School as an opportunity to stimulate cultural awareness in a different subject area. Allowing our Young Leaders to experience PE from an international perspective was an additional benefit.

On visiting India we were extremely impressed with two different art styles, Rangoli and Mehendi, which we saw pupils performing.

Inspiring results• School assemblies have raised awareness and understanding

of Indian culture and the students have gained a clearer understanding of education in a very different context

• The Year Ten (14-year-old) Young Leaders organised and ran a regular lunchtime club teaching kabbadi and kho-kho

• We participated in an India Link Festival at a neighbouring school. Year Seven (11-year-old) boys and girls competed in kabbadi and kho-kho tournaments against other schools

• We created an international art exchange with our partner school. This involved 15 Year Nine (13-year-old) students sending outlines of their hands to Colaba for the students there to complete with Mehendi patterns before returning them to our students.

Looking ahead• Continue to exchange art! Our Young Leaders are creating

materials that can be used by the pupils at Colaba to learn and subsequently teach rounders to others

• Kabbadi is now a permanent option in PE for 14–15 year olds. Young Leaders in Years Ten & Eleven (14 and 15-year-old) will learn the game before teaching younger pupils in a lunchtime club.

Using sport to reach new levels of cultural awareness and improve confidence and self-esteem in young people

sir William romney’s school, Gloucestershire

Ramchandra Teacher, Colaba Municipal School

“ I teach maths and science as a school subject. Now I teach learning by doing method. Due to sports my approach to teaching has changed.”

Our story so far…Many of our 2,600 students come from poor families in Mumbai. Parents are not well educated and in most cases students here are the first from their family to attend school.

The project with Sir William Romney’s School created new and different opportunities for students to become well-rounded individuals. Meanwhile, teachers here have seen the benefits to children of learning by doing.

Our group of Young Leaders started by identifying 24 students, aged 10 to 13-years-old, from across the school that lacked confidence or persistently demonstrated disruptive behaviour in the classroom.

Inspiring results• We have seen a positive change in attitude. They have shown

more confidence in their work and they take ownership of activities. More girls are participating in sport as a result of International Inspiration

• Young Leaders are less afraid of public speaking than they used to be. Two Young Leaders gave a speech in English in front of VIPs from the Mumbai Municipal Corporation

• Young Leaders and students have shown how helpful they’ve become. They got involved in the community by working with different groups to raise awareness of water conservation

• Parents are taking more interest in school activities and are donating more time to attend meetings at the school

• One student has been selected to play football at national level based on the training he received through International Inspiration.

Looking ahead• Our Young Leaders want to do more work in the community

and we want to support them by helping them establish partnerships with local organisations

• We want to train more Young Leaders and teach other children the rounders and tag-rugby games that we have learned.

colaba Municipal secondary school, Maharashtra

Harpreet,Student, Kendriya Vidyalaya AFS

“I got a chance to participate in UK School Sports as a volunteer from Punjab, I learned how International Inspiration work to motivate young people to be an independent individual.”

Our story so far…When we were planning our project with Haybridge School, we were inspired by the global language of sport. We soon saw that we could solve some of our mutual problems, such as indiscipline, by working together. Over time we realised that the opportunities created for children in PE were helping their confidence which improved their behaviour and made them good role models for the younger children. We targeted children with an interest in sport, but who under-performed academically.

Inspiring results• Our Young Leaders promoted inclusion in sport by organising

sporting events for children with disabilities at a local school. Their attitude towards people with disabilities positively changed and this has influenced their behaviour in the school

• Students are gaining a better understanding of each other’s cultures by learning the significance of Christmas in the UK while teaching our partners about Deepavali

• Training the Young Leaders has seen them learn how to earn other’s respect. As a result there has been a decrease in juvenile behaviour across the group

• Through organising six mini-festivals the Young Leaders showed levels of organisation we had not seen in them before

• We have seen some pupils show remarkable progress in public speaking and overcoming their fears. Everyone is becoming more confident and less shy about sharing their ideas

• We introduced daily aerobics sessions after assembly for primary students and noticed a decline in restlessness in class.

Looking ahead• Working in partnership we will explore the possibility of using sport

to teach languages, mathematics and environmental studies.

Our story so far...Through our partnership with Kendriya Vidyalaya AFS we wanted to encourage cultural awareness and highlight our similarities and differences through the sports we play. We aimed to reach a wide range of students and young people in the community through inclusive sport initiatives. This gives Young Leaders from both schools the opportunity to put their training into practice by organising and co-ordinating these events.

Inspiring results• We invited local Sikh leaders to take part in school assemblies

so that the whole school could learn more about Indian culture• During our visit to India in 2009, KV AFS arranged a teacher’s

conference which allowed us to share best practice and build on these achievements

• They also taught us about one of the most important five-day festivals in India called Deepavali, “festival of light”

• As a result of International Inspiration, Indian sports now feature on the timetable for Year Seven to Year Nine students (13 – 15 year old)

• Seven Year 11 students (17-years-old) helped co-ordinate an inclusive sports festival held locally in January this year. Over 300 students with different levels of ability took part in activities focused on agility, balance and speed!

Looking ahead• Students were inspired by the visit from KV AFS school and our

reciprocal visit. They are keener than ever to learn about Indian schooling and sport!

• We want to build on the success of our partnership with KV AFS and continue to establish links with local secondary schools near us

• One day we hope to take our students across to India so that they can sample the culture and lifestyle for themselves.

Testing the impact of Physical Education on learning and behaviour in the classroom

Kendriya Vidyalaya aFs, punjab

haybridge high school and sixth Form, West Midlands


Our story so far…Our international school partnership with Chadsgrove is built on the belief that through sports and physical activities positive qualities like leadership, co-operation and social awareness will grow in all young people. After reciprocal visits to India and the UK it was clear that a strong relationship was going to be built up between our two schools. From the beginning we have tried to take up various activities that include students that are energetic and also those students that are shy and introverted.

Inspiring results• In 2009 – 10 as part of the Golden Jubilee Celebration of the

school the Young Leaders and members of the after school club volunteered to get involved in the organising and running of various successful activities, like: inter-school sit and draw competition, blood donation camp, inter-school table tennis and football tournaments and Science awareness day

• The Young Leaders and members of the after school club have proactively engaged in various programmes in and out of the school. The members took part in a tree plantation programme in and around the school campus, while the school sports in 2010 saw their energetic participation.

Looking ahead• We are keen to arrange another visit to our UK partner school• There is still lots we want to do. A volleyball club will be set

up as an after school activity for boys who previously had no interest in sports. Young Leaders will develop the club and maintain a training programme

• We have thought of two neighbouring schools that we want to inspire by sharing what we have learned with them.

Behala parnasree Bidyamandir, West Bengal

Our story so far…We have been a designated sports college since 2005 and we gained a second specialism in 2009. The aim of our school is to strengthen communities through excellence in education. The communities stretch to all continents. Our link to Behala School in Kolkata was established very quickly and in our plan we emphasised Hockey skills, Paralympics Sports and a desire stay in touch via the internet. The project is still continuing and staff at both schools keep in regular contact with each other.

Inspiring results• We were welcomed by our partners like we had known each

other for years! Sport is an international language and it was apparent very quickly that we both shared the same passion for it. Language wasn’t a barrier when a hockey stick was produced

• Sharing our resources between schools and creating a vision of how we can work together. The Indian teachers experienced our trampoline, swimming and our ability to develop movement programmes.

Looking ahead• We want to plan more visits! • Developing an area on our virtual web page for children from

Behala to keep in touch with students from Chadsgrove is something we want to achieve in the future

• We want to continue training Young Leaders and using the After-School Activity Club to engage students who previously had no interest in sport.

Engaging disaffected children through sport

chadsgrove school and specialist sports college, Worcestershire

Liz, Teacher, Chadsgrove School & Specialist Sports College

“ With the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012 we are very excited about the prospects this partnership will bring.”

Georgia,Student, Cirencester Kingshill School

“It’s opened my eyes to different things - now I know how to organise something and what to do to make it successful.”

Our story so far…In planning our partnership with Cirencester Kingshill school, we wanted to address the lack of self-belief in our students. We think this attributes to low academic performance and felt sport could play an important role in shaping the character of our students.

Inspiring results• A number of our Young Leaders and Dreams & Teams club

members represented our school at a Youth Parliament session. Our students demonstrated their leadership skills and were awarded for their outstanding performance at regional level

• We were inspired by our partner school to learn new activities and decided to learn new ways to dance! About 40 Dreams & Teams club members participated in extra-curricular dance activities where students learnt how to samba, belly dance and even locking and popping

• Eight Young Leaders and 60 Dreams & Teams club members, along with two link teachers, organised an AIDS awareness rally in our neighbouring village of Talodhi. They enlisted the help of a local doctor to spread awareness of the disease. Our confident students performed a play in the middle of the market place to help bring the message home

• Through our reciprocal school visits we have been introduced to different teaching methodologies, which has allowed us to share best practice and look at new approaches.

Looking ahead• In the future we are planning to introduce rugby within our

curriculum. We are also looking forward to celebrating a UK-India festival which will reflect the cultures of both countries

• We are able to include various PE activities in our lesson plans for numerous subjects. One day we hope to adapt this in our Science and Maths classes.

Our story so far...Through our link with JNV Chandrapur we wanted to develop an understanding of Indian culture. Gaining exposure to people from different backgrounds is a benefit from the partnership that our students wouldn’t otherwise have had. Although sport was the basis for our partnership we soon thought of opportunities to incorporate other Indian influences into school life, like after school clubs teaching ‘Bollywood dancing’.

Inspiring results• Our Young Leaders displayed determination by planning and

managing their own event, the International Inspiration India day, that celebrated our partner school

• The Young Leaders were so enthused by the games they had learnt from our partners that they wanted to teach them to students at neighbouring schools

• Students at seven different secondary schools were motivated by our Young leaders to participate in kho-kho and kabbadi tournaments

• Through events such as these we have seen the Young Leaders grow in confidence, for example, they are comfortable speaking in public to large groups of people.

Looking ahead• To train more Young Leaders and give them the capacity to

drive our partnership forward• We want to share more sports with our partners and learn more

from them• We shall continue seeking out opportunities to embed our

enhanced cultural awareness into the curriculum.

Sports as a vehicle to improve confidence, self-esteem and behaviour among students

Jawahar narvdoya Vidyalaya chandrapur, Maharashtra

cirencester Kingshill school, Gloucestershire


Our story so far...At our school we are proud of our international work and the benefits it brings to our students. We’ve achieved Specialist Language College status and International School status as a result of our commitment to preparing our students for adult life in a global community. The international link with our partner school in West Bengal has provided the opportunity for real-life engagement with new people from a different cultural context and enriched our students’ learning. Although our partnership with KV Garden Reach is still in its early stages we’re already seeing Indian culture influence other areas of the curriculum besides sport.

Inspiring results• We were inspired by our partners to develop a Bollywood-

themed creative arts project. This has been designed by teachers from different faculties and will be delivered for the first time in June 2011

• Students have produced ‘how to’ videos demonstrating rounders and tag-rugby. This was a different style of leadership project for them and they have risen to the challenge superbly by demonstrating new ways of thinking

• We have seen our students organise themselves in achieving tasks and learning that a sense of pride and achievement comes with a job well done!

Looking ahead• We would like to learn indigenous Indian games by visiting

our partner school and exchanging rounders and tag-rugby with them

• Sharing our international experience and learning from Indian culture with a local primary school is one of the next steps we’d like to take

• We’re looking forward to seeing the results of the innovative Bollywood arts project next term and introducing Dance into the curriculum.

Our story so far...The majority of our students belong to middle class families. Our goal from the beginning was to develop a sense of co-operation and innovation among the children. Along the way we would exchange cultures and resources with our UK partner school and make inclusive education the practice of the day. We were inspired by our friends at Kingstone High School to allow the children to learn by doing. It has been a wonderful learning experience of the innovative application of games and sports in teaching. In addition the international exposure has encouraged a new way of self-evaluation in education.

Inspiring results• Ten Young Leaders from our school were inspired to launch

their own Dreams & Teams club, which enrolled 40 students from classes VI to VIII (14 to 16-year-olds)

• With the introduction of this project, a marked difference has been noticed in the attitude and behaviour of the children. They have become more responsible, loving and caring and innovative

• A spirit of co-operation has been fused into the community. Teachers from our school, and teachers from six other cascade schools agree that they have learned a lot from their involvement in International Inspiration. We appreciate the importance of a child-orientated approach to teaching.

• The Young Leaders Community Development Programme has brought them into contact with people from less privileged backgrounds. As a result we have seen them demonstrate a number of moral values like compassion, sharing and sacrifice.

Looking ahead• We hope that as time passes this project will gain momentum

and will spread to more directions of life. Maybe the community and the rest of society will extend their support and many other countries will also get directly involved.

Developing student leadership through sports and Dance

Kingstone high school, herefordshire

Kendriya Vidyalaya Garden reach, West Bengal

Parent,Kendriya Vidyalaya Garden Reach

“ This programme has undoubtedly increased [my son’s] mental power apart from the enhancement of moral integrity and leadership.”

Our story so far…We chose this project to develop a change in behaviour among students in the areas of truancy and respect for each other. International Inspiration allowed us to investigate the socio-economic conditions that could affect a child’s attendance at school and find solutions to these problems.

Inspiring results• Our Young Leaders organised a programme of outreach

activities for the community near our school. The themes of the programme were chosen as prominent issues affecting the people that live there

• Our participation in International Inspiration has improved the standing of our school in the community and in turn, the goodwill shown by parents

• Through organising activities that demonstrated the connection between sport and discipline, we have noticed an improvement in student behaviour and a positive change in attitudes towards sport

• Once involved in the project the Young Leaders showed their eagerness to take on new responsibilities. Since then other students have developed a more helpful nature.

Looking ahead• Although the problem of truancy hasn’t been entirely

eradicated we continue to consult the community to enable better attendance at school by involving parents in activities

• We want to encourage pupils involved in this project to share their experiences with other pupils within and outside school.

Sports as a vehicle to improve attendance and behaviour in students

Kher nagar english Municipal school, MaharashtraIn partnership with Farmor’s School, UK

MangeshTeacher, Kher Nagar English Municipal School

“ [International Inspiration] is a great opportunity for students to improve their skills. The activities are really useful for the all-round development of the student. My own confidence has increased.”

Our story so far…Our participation in the International Inspiration project and our partnership with Deer Park School inspired us to increase the profile of PE and sport among our students. We did this through forming a sport leaders club at our school. The club provides the opportunity for young people to explore together different issues relating to sport and the wider world. There are 60 Young Leaders in the club and they have become role models for other children in the school who look up to them.

Inspiring results• There is an increased interest from students to participate in

sport even without teachers persuading them. For example, the students can be seen playing the games they’ve learnt during the holidays

• The formation of the sport leaders club has led to the students working together to raise awareness of key issues affecting our society, such as: AIDS, donating blood and climate change

• We have formed a new partnership with a local school who have established their own club with 50 Young Leaders.

Looking ahead• We still have a lot we want to achieve and our participation

in International Inspiration is only the beginning• With the help of a local body our Young Leaders

want to organise and host a one-day youth festival• In the future we will organise a school sports day.

Improving co-operation, teamwork and understanding through sport

Zilla parishad Jubilee high school, MaharashtraIn partnership with Deer Park School, UK


Our story so far…The driving force behind our international school link was to enrich the lives of our students by creating opportunities for them to engage with people from communities beyond the Cotswolds. We tried doing this in the day-to-day curriculum, but International Inspiration gave us the opportunity to do it on a global scale. Reciprocal visits to Hyderabad and Winchcombe gave our project the momentum it needed. Soon the concept was embraced by other parts of the curriculum and eventually the entire school was celebrating its first ever ‘India Day’.

Inspiring results • Working together with the Young Leaders at KV Picket 12

students from our school organised a mini-Olympics for 200 primary schools in Hyderabad. Now no challenge is too big or too difficult for them to overcome

• Before we found it difficult to empower students to take on leadership roles in the school, but since International Inspiration they have got involved in day-to-day school life by establishing a Student Parliament with elected MPs and ‘Prime Minister’

• A leadership ethos has been embedded into other areas of the curriculum. Not only do we have Young Leaders in sport, but there are also Young Leaders in Science and Drama

• We’ve seen a marked improvement in terms of attainment and attendance from students involved in leadership programmes. More students, around 92 per cent, go on to further education

• Because of our positive experience with India we have sought new opportunities to engage with people from other countries. Last year 30 Chinese students studied at Winchcombe and stayed with host families from our school for three months. It’s hard to imagine this would have been possible before International Inspiration.

Looking ahead• Now we want to form more international partnerships. We’re

fostering a new link with a school in Normandy, France• We’re very keen to continue giving as many students as

possible the opportunity to get involved in leadership activities. The number of applicants to student leadership roles continues to increase.

Our story so far…Over the last few years sports and extra-curricular activities in our school have been attracting fewer students than we would like.

We piloted the project with a group of ten students aged between 11 – 12 years who were identified for their disruptive influence in the classroom. Through this project we tried to address recurring behavioural problems with the aim of improving the student-teacher relationship. Our partner school experienced behavioural problems with its students too and we decided to work together on this common platform. Our project is in its early stages, but it’s beginning to bloom.

Inspiring results• The Young Leaders of our school mentored the students and

identified the causes of their behaviour. By following the Young Leaders’ example the students have learned the virtues of good manners and punctuality

• This bond has helped the Young Leaders encourage the students to participate in various school sports and cultural activities. These have provided opportunities for the students to get involved in the decision making of our school

• As the project continues we have seen the school attendance rate improve in some students. We have also generated new interest in extra-curricular activities across the school.

Looking ahead• Although our project isn’t finished we are seeing improvements

already. In the future we would like to bring more students into the fold

• We would like our PE classes to be more inclusive in their nature and we’re keen to learn new teaching methodologies that can help us. New approaches in PE could be applied to other classes.

Engaging truant students and students with behavioural problems through sports

Bankura Zilla school, West BengalIn partnership with Northfield Special School, UK

Our story so far…Our participation in the International Inspiration project and our partnership with Winchcombe School inspired us to work on increasing the profile of PE and sport among our students. In our school we used English language and leadership skills as a means of achieving this aim.

Inspiring results • We have integrated English language and leadership skills

learning in PE, which has increased the participation of our students in lessons

• The students involved have enhanced their English vocabulary by using new words in their warm-up exercises

• We noticed that their confidence in speaking improved when they were asked to discuss the game and how they have played in groups

• The Young Leaders played a vital role in delivering PE lessons in English. As a result we noticed an improvement in their public speaking and organisational skills

• Throughout the project we have seen how the students have slowly lost their inhibitions and started to use English at school with enthusiasm and confidence.

Looking ahead• The success we have witnessed in this project has encouraged

us to expand the programme to involve other students• We are excited at the prospect of integrating science learning

with PE and see our Young Leaders continue to flourish.

Using sports to improve learning, increase leadership and raise awareness of Global Citizenship

Kendriya Vidyalaya picket, andhra pradesh

Winchcombe school, Gloucestershire

Koushik,Student, Bankura Zilla School

“International Inspiration has taught me how to work in a group, and have fun while studying.”

Neil,Headteacher, Winchcombe School

“ This has been the best experience of my teaching career. It’s in our culture now, we are a welcoming, more positive and open-minded community.”

© Anoop Guha / British Council / India 2011


© British Council 2011 Brand and Design/B096The United Kingdom’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.

For more information on the International Inspiration programme, visit

http://www.london2012.com/get-involved/education/international-inspiration/index.php

www.britishcouncil.org

Documents

International School Sports Partnerships