Durham Trinity School is a large special school catering for students between the ages of two and nineteen years, all with statements of educational need; some have profound and multiple learning difficulties, some are autistic, others have severe or moderate learning difficulties and a small group have emotional and behavioural difficulties.
The school delivers a broad and balanced curriculum, enhanced by school partnerships with other countries. This has made learning more meaningful to the pupils. As the deputy headteacher, Ann Southren, puts it,
Durham Trinity School’s first Comenius partnership, the Compass Project, was chosen as one of the best in Europe by the European Commission. It was based on comparing the lives of citizens in Finland, Portugal, Hungary and Durham. Bird boxes were also placed in each of the schools with students monitoring which birds arrived in their school gardens.
Their second partnership, the Rainbow Project, involved schools in Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Portugal and Romania. The schools shared the diversity of their cultures and promoted the equality of European citizens, especially those with special educational needs. In this project, similar seeds were planted in each school garden, with students monitoring growth. At Durham Trinity, the school greenhouse, cared for by many of the senior school population, was filled with seeds collected in all of their European partner countries. Students researched recipes to use the exciting crops. During a project visit to Durham, European partners were surprised when students sang familiar Christmas carols outside a local supermarket with verses in their own languages.
Comenius funded international activities within the school and visits by teachers, support staff and governors to partner countries. Staff, including those in specialist areas such as the sensory learning department, shared experiences and gained expertise.
Learning outcomes have been measured for both students and staff. Curriculum impact has been monitored through collaborative planning and evaluations. The partnerships have motivated students to look beyond the classroom. Ryan, a year 9 pupil, has just completed a project about European football. He researched sport across Europe and shared his expertise with the partner countries.
Ann Southren sums up the impact of her school’s Comenius work:
‘Through Comenius school partnerships we have become a family of special schools working together to enhance the lives of all the children. Both projects have allowed all members of our school community to participate. Friendships between teachers and pupils across Europe have been consolidated by the use of ICT. A special highlight was our European art exhibition, shown in all partner towns and in Durham Clayport Library. We are now planning a third project with our partner special schools, now an integral part of our school community, and are hoping to gain new partners from other parts of Europe’.
Durham Trinity School’s international work was recognised in 2007, when they were the first ever winner of the HSBC British Council Link2Learn award for the best international special school in the United Kingdom. If you teach at a special school and would like more information about Comenius, contact us at comenius@britishcouncil.org
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