What is Connecting Classrooms?
British Council Connecting Classrooms is a partnership programme for schools in the UK and around the world. It focuses on young people and through the development of sustainable, mutually beneficial partnerships it aims to develop their skills and cultural awareness so they can contribute positively, in life and work, to our global society.

Visit www.britishcouncil.org/connectingclassrooms for more information about the British Council’s global Connecting Classrooms Programme.

What does the Programme Offer?
Connecting Classrooms has three core components:

Collaborative curriculum projects

Collaborative projects are central to every school partnership and are embedded in the schools’ curricula. These projects instil a global dimension in young people’s learning, giving learners access to other cultures and languages and direct experience of working with people in other countries.

Professional development for internationalising education

The Connecting Classrooms programme ensures that school leaders and teachers have the professional capacity to lead an institution in an international environment, to embed the global dimension in the curriculum and ethos of the school, and to benchmark their practice against high standards around the world.

International School Award

Through accreditation, the Connecting Classrooms programme will recognise schools’ commitment to developing global citizens. This will be the first time the award has been offered worldwide. In England the award is already well-established and is seen as a kite mark of excellence.

How does it work in the Middle East?
Connecting Classrooms partnerships bring together ‘clusters’ of 3 or more schools from the UK and the Middle East. Teachers and school leaders from partnership schools receive support and professional development opportunities to build skills in leading internationalism in education.

Partnership schools initially meet at a Contact Seminar held in the Middle East. Teachers develop joint curriculum project plans so that classes in their respective schools can learn about each other whilst exploring a mutually relevant topic together.

The Connecting Classrooms partnership is school to school. As the partnership matures and embeds, students throughout the school will learn about the cultural differences and similarities of their peers in their partner school.

The Contact Seminar is followed by a Study Visit to the UK for the Middle East partnership schools. Teachers spend time in their UK partner school sharing knowledge and experience and developing the partnership.

In partnership with local education ministries and authorities, the British Council is launching the International School Award in the Middle East. Connecting Classrooms schools will be eligible to work towards this prestigious award.

Connecting Classrooms schools are provided with support and advice from their local British Council office and have priority access to relevant activities and opportunities.

For more information about the British Council Connecting Classrooms programme please contact you local British Council office.

Interview with Priya Nandagopal

Know more about this programme directly from Priya Nandagopal, Project Manager for Connecting Classrooms at the British Council in UAE.

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