This month, we were delighted to host a visit from Caroline Remont from our twin city of Nancy’s and Nancy-Metz region’s team for international relations in education (DRAREIC). She visited schools in the City and attended a special Erasmus+ briefing session to consolidate existing partnerships and explore new opportunities.
Caroline visited staff and pupils at Wingrove Primary School, Great Park Academy, Lemington Riverside Primary School and Kenton School. In addition, 13 schools attended the Erasmus+ briefing session at Newcastle Civic Centre, to discuss international opportunities and the types of activities available for staff development, joint projects and visits – including with the region of Nancy Metz.
It was a pleasure to visit to primary and secondary schools in Newcastle in June, some of which already have partnerships with schools in Nancy, France and in “Académie de Nancy-Metz”.
This highlighted a strong shared commitment to European cooperation. Despite the challenges of recent years, school leaders and teachers expressed a genuine enthusiasm for reconnecting with Erasmus+ and strengthening international exchanges.
Their determination to offer students meaningful intercultural experiences from next year onwards, demonstrates that educational partnerships remain a powerful way to build understanding, friendship, and a shared European future.
Caroline Remont, CORDRAREIC
Pictured: At Wingrove Primary School, Caroline enjoyed seeing the pupil’s displays and hearing their experience of visits to Nancy
How to get involved
We have a simple process for matching Newcastle and Nancy partners and provide additional support to help partnerships get established and grow and also for getting involved in Erasmus+ opportunities:
- French school links: If your school is interested in developing a partnership, contact sarah.edgar@newcastle.gov.uk
- Erasmus+ Click here to read the presentation (11 June 2026) for a summary and complete the Expression of Interest form for Newcastle schools here: https://forms.office.com/e/d1jEQJ4Yzc or contact sarah.edgar@newcastle.gov.uk
We worked with Sarah Edgar at Newcastle City Council to develop the itinerary for the visit and the enthusiasm from colleagues in schools has been amazing.
We already have around 30 school partnerships established, with more schools interested in getting involved. From working together virtually in lessons and joint projects to the international visits, which have been supported through Turing funding, the relationships with Nancy-Metz have never been stronger. This is all supported by our partnership with DRARIEC.
These links bring so many benefits to both schools and pupils, improving language learning, widening curriculum content and enrichment. They ultimately help build relationships, raise aspirations and open up opportunities for future learning and career choices.
Caroline and DRAREIC have made such a positive difference in establishing these international connections and we are looking forward to exploring new opportunities through the Erasmus+ programme.
Declan Baharini, CEO, International Newcastle
Our partnership with Nancy
Newcastle and Nancy have been twin cities since 1954 and have been building co-operation and collaboration over the years in civic, cultural, business and education relationships.
Since , International Newcastle and the City Council have worked closely with Caroline and DRAREIC to develop many new partnerships with primary, middle and secondary schools.
These partnerships enable teachers and pupils to develop relationships which can be life changing and transformative for teaching and learning languages and across the curriculum, in establishing opportunities to develop new friendships, wider perspectives and new experiences, to build confidence and aspirations and improve future education and career choices.
Many schools have also taken pupils on visits to Nancy with funding for visits every year since 2021 with more being planned for 2027 supported by the UK’s Turing Scheme.
Click here for details about our links with Nancy, the history of our cities’ relationship, information about the city of Nancy and the region of Nancy-Metz and how Newcastle schools and colleges can develop an education partnership.