Brokering international connections for children and young people is a key area of work for International Newcastle and our partners at Newcastle City Council (School Effectiveness).
We have had significant success in widening access and opportunities for children and young people from all backgrounds to make international connections, build relationships and have new experiences through travel to other countries.
Connecting Internationally is one of three interconnected workstrands under Our Newcastle Our World partnership framework supporting our priority theme of helping children and young people (0-30) to become confident, global citizens.
Read our brochure and case studies on our approach, progress and impact and the benefits of internationalism, incorporating all three of our interconnected workstrands: Empowering Newcastle’s Youth for a Global Future.
Click on these links to find out about our other workstrands: Newcastle City of Languages and Internationalism in the City
Our ambitions
The ambitions expressed through our consultation with stakeholders, children and young people and those who work with them inform our activities and our partnerships. Our children and young people have aspirations to be able to live, work, study and volunteer abroad, have international experiences, speak other languages and also have a greater understanding of other diverse communities and cultures and to make a positive difference in the world.
To achieve the ambitions to be able to have international experiences, we are committed to:
- enhancing, strengthening and developing meaningful international connections between schools, groups and organisations
- widening access to international experiences and opportunities for children and young people
- promoting children and young people’s agency, empowerment and entitlement to international opportunities and experiences
Benefits and impact of international links
Having international connections and experiences is life-changing for children and young people, staff and the schools. There are a wide range of learning impacts and skills development. International relationships and visits help build confidence and raising aspirations, as well as widen perspectives. They can also have a positive impact on future education and career opportunities. We are developing a series of case studies with schools to explore and share the impact of their international partnership activities.
Supporting schools
A key focus of our work fostering international links is with schools in Newcastle. We help broker new connections, as well as support the benefits of internationalism across the whole school. We also support schools to access funding to visit their partners abroad.
With the City Council’s School Effectiveness Team, we continue to support any Newcastle school interested in developing an international approach and link. Click here for our guide.
Contact sarah.edgar@newcastle.gov.uk in the first instance, if you are a Newcastle school and want to explore a new international link or need support with an existing link.
Follow us online to find out more: X (twitter), facebook, linked in or check our news page and for updates and new opportunities for schools.
Our goals for international connections
The impact of the international links developed already with schools has been incredibly positive. These are life-changing for the pupils, staff and school community, as well as helping develop the curriculum and generating future opportunities. Following the significant success achieved to date, we have ambitious goals for the future:
Progress on Newcastle schools’ international links
Newcastle had very few international school links in 2020. Since then, we have made significant progress in supporting schools to explore the opportunities and establish connections with schools abroad. These partnerships are having a dramatic and life changing impact on our children and young people, staff, parents and the whole school communities involved.
There are now over 80 new international school partnerships and over 1300 children visited or will visit their partner schools up to 2025, supported by funding from the Turing Scheme. These children are often from disadvantaged backgrounds and would not usually have this opportunity, without support.
Schools and pupils work together virtually throughout the year, developing joint projects and activities and building relationships. We support schools who are interesting in travelling abroad to meet their partners to apply for funding from the Government’s Turing Scheme.
Strategic relationships
We have a number of strategic relationships with cities and regions in different countries, where we can easily find international partners for school and where the benefits of linking are multiplied. There are many schools connecting with partners in these areas and we have civic and other connections with them. These links can support language learning, as well as building relationships between schools and children and young people at scale.
A simple process and support is available to any schools interested around any curriculum subject or topic, or as part of a wider international curriculum. If schools are interested in different links, we also have contacts who can support these. In the first instance for all Newcastle school international links, contact sarah.edgar@newcastle.gov.uk in the School Effectiveness team, who is our lead partner at Newcastle City Council working with us on international links, languages and intercultural activities.
We also have a number of partners supporting links in other countries, where we can help broker links. Some schools find their own links and support other schools to connect.
Nancy, France
We work with the external relations education department of Nancy-Metz (DAREIC), to support partnerships between schools and colleges in the two cities. Newcastle has been twinned with this beautiful city in northern France since 1954.
Since 2020, we have supported 25 new education links with Nancy, from primary to Further Education. Newcastle schools have visited Nancy in 2022 and 2023, with support from the Turing Scheme.
Aragón, Spain
We established this link in 2022 with the region of Aragón in north east Spain due to the demand from schools, many of whom are now teaching Spanish. There are now 20 schools links with the region, which comprises three provinces of Huesca, Teruel and Zaragoza.
We support links from primary to Further Education and have a simple partnership form for interested schools to complete.
Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Newcastle has been twinned with the German city of Gelsenkirchen since 1948 and celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2023 with activities in both cities. There have been many civic visits and exchanges with the city over the decades.
We are starting to establish new school partnerships with the city. We can also help access partnership support and funding via UK German Connection and language support via Goethe Institut.
Links with India
Links with India for Newcastle schools have introduced from 2023. Initial links have been established for primary schools with partners in Gujarat on the north west coast of the Indian peninsula, bordering Rajastan. There are also new opportunities to establish links with Mumbai, the capital of the Indian state of Maharashta.
We are fortunate to have an expert in establishing education partnerships with India on our Board, Veena Soni. She is brokering links for schools and colleges. If you are interested in a link, get in touch with sarah.edgar@newcastle.gov.uk in the first instance.
Links with China
Newcastle has civic links with a number of cities and regions in China. Education links and visits to China require specialist assistance. Newcastle schools have a range of links with China organised directly through their own links or with support from different organisations and sometimes linked to language learning.
Global School Alliance (formerly know as True Education Partnerships) supports some school partnerships in Newcastle and offers a range of support for schools at all levels and global online platforms to support partnership working between schools, teachers and pupils.
British Council
We work very closely with British Council and their Schools team to develop activities and broker support for a whole school international approach for schools in the city.
The International School Award programme helps schools foster an international ethos and embed it within the curriculum. British Council School Ambassadors in the North East can provide support for schools interested in introducing the International School Award.
British Council also offers a wide range of teaching and learning resources, online platforms and funding for exchanges and partnerships.
Making the most of international partnerships
With the City Council’s School Effectiveness Team, we continue to support any Newcastle school interested in developing their approach to languages, international links, intercultural awareness and celebrating diversity. Click here for our guide to find out more how international links can be enhanced by our other workstrands.
Follow the links to Newcastle City of Languages, Connecting Internationally and Internationalism in the City workstrands for more information.
Follow us online to find out the latest activities and opportunities for languages in schools and communities: twitter, facebook, linked in or check our news page.
We host workshops and webinars on developing and supporting international links and a whole school approach to internationalism, as well as funding opportunities to support partnerships.
Click here to download a report on international school partnerships with British Council and schools held in Newcastle, which explores benefits of links, sustaining partnerships, the support available and sharing learning.
We have supported schools to access UK Government Turing Scheme funding since 2021. We hold regular briefings when the Scheme is announced each year and work with schools to develop their links (if they do not already have one) and to understand the funding programme. We check and help amend applications.
- Click here to see information about the Newcastle main briefing session for Round 3 applications in February 2023, which we followed up with webinars and one to one discussions with schools
- Click here to see the presentation from the 2nd February 2023 session
What our partners and schools say
We have very positive feedback from schools we have helped develop international links and go on visits abroad. We are grateful to our partners in Newcastle and abroad who enable these connections to be made and to be so successful.
