International Professional Development
Teachers and headteachers who have taken part in the many international programmes which are available to school staff have commented on how the experience allowed them both the time to reflect on their own practice and be inspired by work which was taking place in schools in other countries. The chance to be away from school and home, to look at different approaches and to discuss ideas with new colleagues is both stimulating and invigorating. School staff who have participated in the programmes have commented on the excellent teamwork which has resulted from such visits and courses.
Below you will find a list of some of opportunities which are available to you. If you wish to find out more about a particular programme or how to access funding, please call the international office on 0191 383 3631.
LECT Study Visits
Immersion French teaching in Canada, Citizenship in South Africa, Maths and science strategies in India. These are funded study visits to other Commonwealth Countries. Morag Wilson from Park View Community School has taken part in the study visit to Canada where she saw how non French speakers cope in French speaking schools. Since returning to the UK the teachers from a number of different schools have met twice to develop their co-operation, reflect on the visit and to look at good practice in our own country as well as maintaining the excellent friendships which were forged in Canada.Further information: www.lect.org.uk/programmes/study/
Teachers International Professional Development
Theme based study visits for teachers to experience good educational practice across the globe. Schools can apply to join a LEA led visit ( contact John Carey ) or if they can identify good practice in another country , they may develop their own funded visit. Teachers from Timothy Hackworth Primary School in Shildon have viewed classroom practice in India as part of a school determined project. For more information visit: www.tipd.specialistschools.org.uk.International Placements for Headteachers
Theme based study visits for groups of Headteachers to examine their own practice; organised with NCSL. The Crook/Willington ICT testbed cluster travelled out to Canada to look at innovative use of ICT in school and the home.Further information: www.britishcouncil.org/education/headteachers
Comenius 2.2
Multinational training courses which have many themes; including MFL training, held across Europe. Applicants receive a bursary towards the cost of international travel, accommodation and course fees. Teachers from Chester le Street CE Primary school have taken part in a French for young learners course in France as part of this programme. The course catalogue may be viewed at www.socrates-uk.net/comenius/comenius222.htmArion
Headteachers and their deputies can take part in a 5 day visit to another country to investigate various aspects of education.Further information: www.socrates-uk.net/arion/index.htm
Teacher Fellowships
Teachers can spend two weeks at a German school undertaking research or developing curriculum materials. Greencroft School’s Head of Music, Joyce Shaw, spent two weeks looking at the place of arts in the curriculum, teaching folk songs and keyboard lessons. Joyce travelled out to Burgdorf and was able to pursue her own agenda with regards to folk music as well as developing an understanding of how German pupils can air their problems with a trained counsellor in a special mediation room in school. She also noted that the emphasis lay with the pupil rather than with the school with regards to attainment.Further information: www.britishcouncil.org/education/teachers/fellowships.htm
For those teachers who are looking for extended periods in other countries there are opportunities to swap posts with teachers in Galicia in Spain (2 week job swap), with other MFL teachers in France, Germany or Spain and with teachers in the USA for periods of between six weeks and the full academic year.
If your school wants to set up a link with a school in a different country or if you want to have a face to face meeting to develop your link, there are funds available to support a staff visit around the world. Kevin Radford from St Bede’s in Lanchester and Erica Smith of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs RC Primary Newhouse have both taken part in a linking visit to curitiba, Brazil and Kostroma, Russia respectively.
Like all of the work which the international office undertakes, these opportunities are mostly reciprocal; if you would like to welcome a colleague from a different country into your school in order that we can share our excellent practice and provide inspiration for colleagues from Central and Eastern Europe, we would be delighted to hear from you.
