International

In 2003 Beauchamp College was first awarded the prestigious International School Award by the British Council in recognition of its success in introducing a Global Dimension to teaching and learning at the College. We have developed our international programme considerably since the first award and have been reaccredited three times, the latest being September 2012.

The international programme covers a diverse range of activities including collaborative curriculum work with partner schools worldwide, yearly language exchanges to Germany and various departmental study visits overseas. Beauchamp has worked closely with Wilhelm Raabe Schule in Lüneburg, Germany for over twelve years. In the last three years the exchange has incorporated a joint curriculum project with the History department. Partnerships with Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan Senior Secondary School (PSBB KK Nagar) in Chennai India and Stanger Secondary School in South Africa have grown in strength over the last seven years. Since we first developed our links with PSBB KK Nagar we have taken three groups of 6th form students to visit India and our partner school.

In October 2010 a group of 6th form students took part in the first football/literacy project to help Lower Tugela Primary school learners develop their literacy skills. Many students speak English as a second language in South Africa and their English literacy skills are below average. Given the popularity of football the project combined improving football skills with literacy development activities. In October 2012 we returned to South Africa with a group of 6^th form students to run the project for a second time.

In the last three years we have also developed links with Spyken Secondary School in Sweden and the NYC i school in America. In October 2012 the annual International Students Leaders Conference took place in Lund, Sweden for the first time. The Swedish students were joined by representatives from Beauchamp and our partner schools in Germany and South Africa.

Yvonne Rooney

International Links Coordinator