An ongoing partnership between Appleby Grammar School in Cumbria, England and three previously disadvantaged township schools in Durban, South Africa has paid off as Appleby was awarded International School Award (ISA) status by the British Council in London recently.

ISA status is awarded to schools that demonstrate commitment towards global education. This award recognises good practice by teachers and learners in schools working to instil a global dimension into the learning experience. According to the ISA website, over 1 000 schools have been awarded this status since the scheme began in 1999.

Speaking about the award, Appleby Grammar School project co-ordinator and deputy head teacher Chris Grimes says that although it is of no financial benefit the recognition is fulfilling.

‘We see it as recognition of the hard work and long-term commitment of staff, students and parents and the local community, without which these activities offered to all staff and students would not be successful.’

Appleby organised visits to and from the South African schools, as well as written projects and other activities.

According to John Cooper, a teacher at Appleby Grammar School, the students undertook a project by themselves where they investigated ‘local prejudice’ in the township. The findings of that investigation were to be used to compare with a community back home, called Eden.

The students also ran a workshop based on their experiences of being hosted in a township during their stay in South Africa.

‘During their visit to South Africa Appleby students also became scholars in the three township schools that they visited and this gave them an opportunity to interact with South African learners in their own environment,’ says Cooper.

Grimes applauded her colleagues and students for their commitment to this exchange project.

‘Such a strong commitment in terms of time and responsibility is increasingly rare in schools, as is the willingness of staff to give up their holidays and other free time to support these projects by raising funds.’

British Council adjudicator John Rolfe describes the school’s scope of activities and portfolio of evidence as ‘excellent’ and praises them for their diverse range of activities such as sports, arts and cultural exchanges, drama studies and joint written projects.

Paul Bishop, principal at Fairvale High School, one of the Durban schools that Appleby learners visited, says he is impressed with the partnership between his school and the English one.

‘They have done tremendous work in the area of sport and have given us a different perspective in terms of projects. When their [Appleby] learners and teachers were here they did a project on pollution and a project on arts and culture.

‘Four of our learners went to visit their school and their learners came here for the weekend, where they were involved in a sports project. This was a great experience because each learner got to experience a different culture,’ says Bishop.

‘When I visited their school I saw the manner in which they run their school and it’s very different from the way we teach here. We have minimal resources and we aren’t as technologically advanced as they are.

‘What stood out for me was their skills-based classrooms, where learners who aren’t academically strong are taught subjects in which they have to use their hands most of the time. They are also way ahead in technology. Every subject has a computer map – as the teacher is talking, the learners can see on the computer what she is teaching and that is outstanding.

‘We have learnt so much from the way they do things. We have contacted neighbouring schools and we aim to implement the knowledge that we received from them,’ says Bishop.

To learn more about the International Status Award and to find out if your school is eligible for this award, visit this page. To read related stories, click here. To read more about British Council events and programmes, please visit this page. Read our latest news here: News in Africa section.