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International Schools

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At Braunton Academy we continue to pride ourselves on the development of the international work we do as we instil an international dimension to all our students, staff and the learning community. The school has a variety of international activities that link us to various parts of our diverse world. The international dimension at Braunton motivates staff and young people alike and it receives great support from the senior management at the school. The wider learning community are included in plans and benefit from the work the school does. Our global work is integrated into the curriculum and addresses real issues from across the globe and world we live in.  The number of international related studies across our curriculum grows with clock projects in D&T using international influence, music genres and styles studied from across the globe and the Art curriculum enhanced with international influence from South America. These combined with the continual development of all other international work historically introduced amongst all other faculties within the academy.  All activities we carry out are strategically planned to fit into the long-term development plan of the school and have a huge impact upon youngsters and adults connected with the school. This strategic planning and implementation has enabled the academy to work with projects initiated in conjunction with the British Council such as the learning sectors F1 work with Indian and South African schools as well as the guided schools’ partnerships programme with Nigerian counterparts.  Furthermore our experienced practitioners continue to develop our own initiated partnerships with schools and learning institutions from across the globe in countries such as Norway, Spain, Uganda and Nepal and all these well-developed partnerships and projects have has been critical in increasing the global citizenship and enrichment of many people in a very rural and politically isolated part of the UK. Our learning community remain fully engaged with the opportunities the international activities we do present, and we are committed to further development of this with more resources available whenever necessary. The development of language learning and expanded international learning we undertake ensures to help that our community is one of enrichment, tolerance and full of global citizens.  


We are currently holders of the prestigious Full International School Award which is recognised and granted by the British Council for the outstanding international dimension we provide through our school activities here at Braunton Academy.  If you want to know more and are interested in helping with future visits from International partners, or if you or your child is interested in being involved in our international work, please see Mr Langmead.

We have a rich history of exchange trips at the academy, often in collaboration with other North Devon secondary schools, which are an established part of our International School program.  The benefits are huge and the experiences for the students are immense. We have run many successful exchanges to Europe in France (Paris and Lyon), Italy (Verona) and Austria (Weiner Neustadt) as well as in the past with our partner school in Las Vegas, USA.  All of these opportunities are because of our international dimension and the desire to provide experiences for our students that go beyond the boundaries of the rural location we are within, aiming to expand the international horizon for all at the academy.  The work to provide such opportunities comes from across many departments at Braunton Academy as we aim to involve all subject areas across the curriculum at every opportunity.

Recently our students have been taking part in a French and Spanish project that looks at the cities of Paris and Barcelona. These students used every opportunity to showcase exceptional creativity and language skills, impressing the judges with their outstanding designs and mastery of French and Spanish.

The academy continues to work with programs that aims to promote cooperation and understanding between different cultures and countries in Europe.  Its main aims are to enhance the international aspect of schoolwork and to help develop language and intercultural awareness and social cohesion.​

We are committed to instilling an outward looking community within the academy and aim to use all opportunities to develop our work on doing so.  We are regularly applying to work on British Council projects that link the academy with schools around the world in all continents where possible.  Our most current projects have been with schools in Nigeria and India looking at issues such as climate change and STEM (Science, technology, Engineering and Maths) careers, particularly amongst females.

Nigeria

Our work with Nigeria linked us with a school near to the capital city Abuja in an area called Gwagwalada.  We shared ideas about our locations and how these areas have been impacted by climate change before teachers in the academy participating in a series of webinars where climate change education was discussed.  As a result groups of pupils were encouraged to develop the climate change tree of justice.  This was where discussions surrounding the root cause of the problem of climate change were shared via online platforms before solutions were suggested and voted upon as to which would be successful.

 

 

India

Recently our students have been linked through a project provided by the British Council on STEM and how in our local environments there is a need to consider STEM to investigate and solve dilemmas faced within our ever-changing environments.  We were linked with Indirapuram Public School in Indirapuram, Uttar Pradesh, India.  Teachers carried out webinars over a four-week period and then shared ideas with students which culminated in an online zoom meeting between our pupils and those in India where we discussed problems and solutions to challenges within our local areas.

 

 

Norway

Another exciting recent development has been a link developed with a school in the Artcic Circle in Norway.  As a result of several of our students being based on the local Royal Marine Base (RMB Chivenor) we linked with the padre at the base to develop a link with the school in Skjold, Overbyg, Norway.  As a result an initial three-way online conversation was developed between the school international coordinator, marine padre and a link in the Norwegian school.  This the developed into online sharing of resources.  As a result of the success of this the contact developed into online zoom meetings and continued email contact.

This partnership is with AMIGOS a locally based national charity and Kira Farm School a vocational centre in Kampala, Uganda. The AMIGOS work we do at Braunton is fully embedded into the school development plan. It has impacts on staff, students and the wider community from governors to parents and the whole learning community. Pupils learn across both KS3 & KS4 about the similarities and differences between countries and people’s lives using real resources from Amigos. In Geography, PSHE and RE they are taught using resources obtained from our extensive experience of exchange trips to Uganda. We have visiting speakers from the charity into school to work with groups and to present assemblies to whole cohorts and house groups. The work continues into KS4 where the focus develops greater understanding of sustainable development and aid. Pupil share their experiences having visited Uganda through dissemination events in school such as assemblies, videos and writing articles for parent newsletters and local media. As a result of the work we do, we now have a regular link with a vocational student who AMIGOS work with at their vocational farm. Kira students that we as a school sponsor to attend Kira send the school regular updates about their progress and work, they have achieved. This again is shared via the school network as well as parents.  Further development of the project with Amigos has seen collaboration on an exchange of pupils who visit Uganda to work with underprivileged, orphaned individuals at the vocational education centre Kira Farm on projects such as farming, carpentry, tailoring and health.  Pupils fundraise for the opportunity to visit Uganda which widens the awareness much further into the local community.  In addition the sustainable nature of this project has seen the use of monies raised to help facilitate the building of two new classrooms for primary school students at Real Standard Primary School, a school where our exchange students work at whilst on exchange.  Throughout this activity across the curriculum and exchange there is reference to working towards provision for the SDGs 1 No Poverty, 4 Quality Education, 10 Reduced Inequalities and 16 Peace, Justice and strong Institutions.