Schools of the world
Schools of the World is Kingswood Academy’s international school partnerships and global learning program.
We have four partner schools with whom we take part in joint projects and activities each year. DAV Public School is our partner school located in the city of Gurugram, India. Our partner school in Bangladesh is Nishat Jute Mills Adarsha Bidyalay, located in the garment district of the capital city Dhaka. Our partner school in Germany is the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Gymnasium in Salzwedel. This year, we have added a new partner school - Val de Voise Secondary School in Gallardon, France.
Global learning involves improving one's knowledge and understanding of social, cultural, political and environmental concerns whilst developing an ability to use multiple perspectives and think critically. Students do this by partaking in enrichment sessions focused on learning more about other cultures and ways of life. Developing these competencies will enable our students as a minimum, to grasp and make sense of the complex issues in the news and on social media, or, if they so desire, to compete and thrive on a global stage.
We have a group of Student Ambassadors that represent the Schools of the World program. They are responsible for collecting student feedback and delivering assemblies and enrichment activities.
We have a group of Student Ambassadors that represent the Schools of the World program. They are responsible for collecting student feedback and delivering assemblies and enrichment activities.
Last year we set up a Pen Pal project with all of our partner schools. Kingswood students have sent letters to students in India, Bangladesh and Germany. The images show students at DAV Public School in India writing their letters to us.
Students have also taken part in a lantern making enrichment project to celebrate Chinese New Year. There were some fantastic designs and it was great to see so many students taking part!
We celebrated Eid following the month of Ramadan. Imam Mizan Choudhury visited the Academy to deliver presentations to each year group. Students took part in a celebration on the atrium, involving traditional food eaten during the 3 day celebration.
Students have also taken part in a lantern making enrichment project to celebrate Chinese New Year. There were some fantastic designs and it was great to see so many students taking part!
The aim of the Schools of the World initiative is to develop the cultural and global awareness of all Kingswood Academy students, providing opportunities for students to engage with a wide range of cultural events and topical issues. The partnerships that we have developed with other schools around the world are integral to this. Currently, we have 4 partner schools, in India, Bangladesh, Germany and France.
We have established a Pen Pal project to create long lasting connections with students from our partner schools. Communication between students is a fantastic opportunity to develop empathy and understanding of other cultures.
The Schools of the World Ambassadors have a crucial role to play in promoting global and cultural awareness around the Academy. They attend regular meetings to discuss their ideas and ways to enhance global awareness. All of our Ambassadors are identifiable through the globe badge on the lapel of their blazer.
We recruited new Student Ambassadors. The interviews were conducted by current Ambassadors. They asked each candidate questions and made notes on their answers, as well as making a judgement on their answer for each question. They then discussed the interview process with their peers and recommended candidates for the new Ambassador roles. This was a great leadership experience for the Ambassadors, allowing them to develop their decision making and communication skills.
The Ambassadors have delivered an assembly to students on the significance of International Partnerships and the partner schools that we currently have. They were responsible for the planning and delivery of the assembly, as well as fielding questions about our partner schools and enrichment opportunities.
More recently, the Ambassadors have been responsible for the introduction of the Cultural Events slides that are delivered through AM notices. The purpose of the slides is to highlight the importance of culturally significant days. Recent additions to the AM notices have included slides on the significance of International Women’s Day and the Hindu Festival of Holi.
Some of our Ambassadors have led the planning of an AM lesson about Ramadan. They have created a video to explain Ramadan and its significance. They have also shared information about their own experiences of celebrating Ramadan to enhance the understanding and awareness of other students.
This year we celebrated Eid for the first time. The event was a fantastic experience that built on students’ prior knowledge of Ramadan and Eid from their Academic Mentoring lessons.
Imam Mizan Choudhury from Pearson Park Mosque visited the Academy to deliver presentations on Eid. The presentations were extremely informative and engaging; students learnt about the significance of Ramadan and Eid and how and why they are celebrated by Muslims around the world. They were given advice on how to support others in the local community when they are fasting during Ramadan. Students engaged really well with the presentations and showed an interest by asking follow up questions.
Students also took part in a celebration in the Atrium, involving food, music and decorations. They sampled different snacks eaten during the period of Ramadan and Eid.
The day was a fantastic introduction to religious celebration. This was the first school event of this scale that Imam Mizan had taken part in to celebrate Eid and he complemented student engagement and enthusiasm. Students should be proud of the way they represented the Academy during the celebration.
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