Newcastle schools were successful in accessing around £500,000, with our help, for 15 visits to partner schools abroad this year – and highlights from some of these are included here. We supported schools to submit a further £570,000 of applications in March (results in June) for visits in 2027, in the final round of Turing Scheme funding. The Erasmus+ programme opens in the Autumn for future collaborative projects, mobilities and professional development (and much more) and you can read about that and briefings in June here.
Around 380 children and young people with accompanying staff from primary schools, secondary schools and specialist provision have been taking part in life-changing visits between February and June 2026 to the USA, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. These are opportunities that these children and young people would not be able to access without the support of their schools and Turing Scheme funding, which enables pupils from disadvantaged and underrepresented groups, in particular, to travel to a partner school in another country.
Reports from Walker Riverside Academy (secondary school) and Lemington Riverside Primary School are provided below to provide an insight into their experiences and the impact of these visits.
Walker Riverside Academy’s visit to Atlanta, Georgia USA (March-April 2026)
At the end of March, pupils flew to Atlanta and on their first day visited Dunwoody High School. They had a warm welcome, breakfast, American lessons and attended their first Pep Rally.
Pupils met Reach staff and students who work to keep children in class and out of court and visited the Civil Rights Museum (“emotional and impactful”), before experiencing and American Prom.
The school group were honoured guests at the Martin Luther King Church for the Palm Sunday service with Senator and Pastor Raphael Warnock and having lunch in MLK’s Ebebezer Church (“moving and unforgettable”).
Pupils visited the Atlanta Hawks Stadium for an exciting DECA Business Enterprise event and event getting to play basketball and watch a game in the evening.
More time was spent on Days 5 and 6 at Dunwoody High School, attending lessons and taking part in games, including history ‘speed dating’, learning about American history – and going to the school’s baseball game against local rivals.
Our final day at Dunwoody High School! Students spent their last day in classes before heading outside for a picnic with their buddies and fellow Atlanta students.
There were definitely a few tears, but even more memories, friendships, and connections that will last a lifetime.
Lemington Riverside Primary School’s visit to Nancy in France (May 2026)
A group of Year 6 pupils and staff from Lemington Riverside Primary School had an unforgettable international visit to Newcastle’s twin city of Nancy, France. The visit provided pupils with a unique opportunity to develop confidence, language skills, cultural understanding and global awareness through a range of educational and collaborative activities with their partner school, Boudonville Elementary School in Nancy.
They travelled from Newcastle to London by train before continuing via Eurostar to Paris and then onwards to Nancy on the TGV high-speed rail service. For many pupils, this was their first experience of international travel and an exciting opportunity to travel across Europe by train. They received an official welcome at Nancy City Hall before spending time with their partner school.
Children took part in a golf tournament in the local park, helping to build friendships, teamwork and communication skills across both languages. They gained a pupils fascinating insight into French culture during a visit to the famous Alain Batt Chocolatier. Pupils learned about traditional French chocolate and confectionary making, including a live demonstration from an expert chocolatier!
The group visited the University of Lorraine to participate in a joint bilingual workshop with Boudonville School. Working collaboratively in mixed French and English groups, pupils practised their language skills while learning more about the twin cities of Newcastle and Nancy. The workshop explored similarities and differences between the two cities, encouraging pupils to think globally while strengthening communication and teamwork skills. You can read their full article about the visit on the school’s website here.
The visit built upon the growing partnership between Lemington Riverside and Boudonville, following a successful visit to Newcastle by teachers from Boudonville in April and a previous residential visit in summer 2025.
During the April visit, staff from both schools collaborated and shared ideas around the similarities and differences between the English and French education systems and how the schools can continue to learn from each other.
The project reflects our #WeAreGlobal value at Lemington Riverside and our commitment to widening opportunities for all pupils and ensuring that children from all backgrounds can access meaningful international experiences.
Thanks to funding through the Turing Scheme, the visit was provided at no cost to families, helping remove financial barriers and ensuring all pupils could participate fully.
UK and regional Turing Scheme allocations 2025-2026: Nationally, 148 UK schools were successful from 485 applications, being awarded a total of £7.2m for visits in 2026. The North East was the most successful region (outside London) with 23 successful schools (click here for a breakdown of schools by region). The scheme also funded 147 Higher Education institutions (£42.2m) and 159 Further Education establishments (£24.1m). The details of all allocations were published on the Department for Education’s website here: Turing Scheme Funding Outcomes 2025-26.
Newcastle school visits 2025-26: This year we had schools new to the Turing Scheme with new partnerships and some schools who had previous funding going to new places. Round 5 Turing Scheme supported these 13 schools to go on 15 international visits in 2026:
Primary schools
- St John’s (Barcelona, Spain)
- Lemington Riverside (Nancy, France)
- Central Walker (Zaragoza, Spain and Paris, France)
- St Paul’s (Nancy, France)
- Kenton Bar (Rome, Italy)
- St George’s (Rome, Italy)
- St Teresa’s (Malaga, Spain)
- Wingrove (Nancy, France and Amsterdam, Netherlands)
- Broadwood (Rome, Italy)
Secondary schools
- Excelsior Academy (Zaragoza and Barcelona, Spain)
- Walker Riverside Academy (Atlanta, USA)
- Benfield School (Zaragoza and Barcelona, Spain)
Specialist provision
- Northern Counties School
Support for Newcastle schools
Since 2020, we have worked closely with the City Council (School Effectiveness) and schools to build up their awareness, interest and ability to establish international partnerships and their willingness to participate in the Turing Scheme.
Declan Baharini (International Newcastle) and Sarah Edgar (Newcastle City Council, School Effectiveness) support Newcastle schools to apply to the scheme, including help with international links, developing a strategic approach and checking applications.
We have a strong track record and recommend schools work with us. Our support is provided free of charge.
You can find out more about the importance and impact of international links and visits in our brochure, Empowering Newcastle’s Youth for a Global Future, which includes case studies of local schools who we have supported to access Turing funding.
Newcastle schools report that being part of an international visit has a dramatic, positive impact on the pupils, teachers and families involved. These are opportunities that would otherwise not be attainable for many pupils in the city, especially those from disadvantaged and underrepresented groups.
There is always a high level of interest in this scheme across the UK. It is an important route for schools to access funding to enable their pupils to have life changing experiences by going abroad, as part of a broader strategy around internationalism in schools.
Some schools have existing links with partner schools in other countries, many are just beginning to explore links and thinking about how an international approach could benefit pupils, staff and the whole school community.
Whatever the case for your school, do get involved if you are interested in establishing an international partnership. Contact sarah.edgar@newcastle.gov.uk
A strategic approach to internationalism
We recommend that schools develop a strategic approach to internationalism and intercultural experiences across the school community. International visits supported by Turing Scheme and from 2027, Erasmus+ can be an important part of this approach.
Schools can develop international links without going on visits, thanks to the opportunities of virtual collaboration, including joint lessons, joint projects and enabling children and teachers to get to know each other.
Schools can also participate in the British Council’s International School Award and use international partnership working as a means to progress through the levels. Newcastle encourages all schools to engage with the ISA and also support involvement through Express Yourself: North East Festival of Languages.
What does the Turing Scheme support?
Pupils aged 4-19 years from UK schools can access funding to visit partner schools anywhere in the world (except British Overseas Territories) where pupils spend most of the time in the classroom.
There is a focus on enhancing skills and education outcomes, as well as providing opportunities to pupils who are disadvantaged, from underrepresented groups and those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. We know how valuable this grant is to many of our families as it enables learners to access opportunities which would otherwise be unavailable to them.