WHAT IS CONNECTING CLASSROOMS?

Connecting Classrooms is a global programme that creates partnerships between clusters of schools in the UK and others around the world. These partnerships bring an international dimension to young people’s learning, to improve their knowledge and understanding of other cultures and prepare them for life and work as global citizens.

Connecting Classrooms partnerships are supported by local authorities/federations of schools (or in some cases, other affiliated bodies) in the UK and district education offices/ministries of education in other countries.* This endorsement, in all countries, provides a platform from which broader, strategic links can be formed between areas or districts in the partner countries.

To ensure sustainability, clusters of schools participating in the programme are also co-ordinated by their local authority/federation of schools, district education office, or other co-ordinating body. Read more about roles and responsibilities (in the UK).*

Partnerships typically last for three years, depending on the countries involved. There is no joining fee, and participating schools and co-ordinating bodies can receive grants to support activities that sustain their links during their involvement in the programme.

*Update, July 2011: Please note that for the current application round for schools in the UK we are piloting a new approach to the management and development of Connecting Classrooms partnerships, in which we are no longer asking for a local authority, federation or other organisation to support or co-ordinate clusters of schools in the UK. This practice still applies to all Connecting Classrooms partnerships that are already operating.

WHAT DO SCHOOLS IN CONNECTING CLASSROOMS DO?

All schools involved in Connecting Classrooms:

- work with partner schools on collaborative curriculum projects, which enable learners to interact across geographical boundaries to enhance their understanding of each other’s societies, languages and cultures.

- receive professional development for teachers and school leaders, which builds capacity to support international partnerships and to lead the school in an international environment.

- are supported to work towards full International School Award accreditation, which recognises the school’s commitment to forming international partnerships and developing global citizens.

- become part of a global online community that enables teachers to network with one another in a range of teacher forums and offers guidance in the use of ICT tools that develop and sustain partnerships. (British Council Schools Online is also open to teachers in schools that are not participating in Connecting Classrooms. Click on the link above to find out more.)

Additional opportunities are available in some regions to address the needs and priorities of different education systems around the world. For example, schools in Bangladesh and England might work together on social action projects, which are designed to enable schools to champion social inclusion in their communities.

HOW ARE PARTNERSHIPS FORMED?

In the UK and many other countries, a local authority/federation of schools or other co-ordinating body applies to the programme with a cluster of schools that want to work in an international partnership. The number of schools in the cluster depends on the country(ies) they choose to work with.*

The co-ordinating body identifies a partnership co-ordinator to complete the application and help the schools in the cluster to develop and manage their international partnership. In the UK, if the local authority/federation of schools is not the co-ordinating body, the partnership co-ordinator will also (in most cases) be expected to obtain the support of the local authority/federation of schools at the time of application. However, this may not always be possible, in which case the co-ordinating body can also fulfil the role of the local authority/federation in working strategically with the education district or ministry in the partner country.*

If the application is successful, the partnership co-ordinator, or a representative of the local authority/federation of schools, and a representative of at least one school in the cluster will usually be invited to attend a contact seminar in either the UK or the partner country. Contact seminars allow cluster representatives from different countries to meet face-to-face and discuss what they hope to gain from their international partnerships. By the end of the seminar, all representatives will have identified partner schools and started to plan projects together.

In some countries, Connecting Classrooms works directly with ministries of education or district education offices, which in turn invite schools to join the programme. If this is the case, these schools will also be asked to send representatives to a contact seminar to meet prospective partner schools and begin to plan projects.

*Update, July 2011: Please note that for the current application round for schools in the UK we are piloting a new approach to the management and development of Connecting Classrooms partnerships, in which we are no longer asking for a local authority, federation or other organisation to support or co-ordinate clusters of schools in the UK. This practice still applies to all Connecting Classrooms partnerships that are already operating.

WHAT TYPES OF SCHOOLS CAN GET INVOLVED?

In general, Connecting Classrooms is open to any school in any participating country. Contact us for more information.

Schools do not need to have experience of working with international partners, but there does need to be a firm commitment to the programme, particularly from the head/principal, and from the supporting body where this applies, i.e. the local authority/federation of schools in the UK (or in some cases, an affiliated body), or district education offices/ministries of education in other countries.

WHAT FINANCIAL SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE?

We offer grants to schools in clusters to support the development of partnerships and to cover project-related costs. Where applicable, we also offer grants to local authorities/federations and other co-ordinating bodies to cover the costs of co-ordinating the project for their cluster of schools.

In both cases, the level of funding available depends on the countries involved in the partnership.

Please note that schools that already receive funding for existing work with their chosen partner country, or have applications pending for funding from another source, are not eligible to participate in Connecting Classrooms.

IS THERE A FEE TO JOIN THE PROGRAMME?

No – participation in Connecting Classrooms is free.

WHICH COUNTRIES ARE PARTICIPATING?

Connecting Classrooms is currently available in the UK and over 70 countries around the world.

HOW DOES CONNECTING CLASSROOMS FIT IN WITH THE BRITISH COUNCIL’S OBJECTIVES?

Connecting Classrooms is central to our work in cultural relations - by which we mean creating international opportunities for the people of the UK and other countries and building trust between them. We have designed the programme in consultation with education bodies, practitioners and policy makers globally to embed an international dimension in education systems worldwide.