We were delighted to welcome staff and children from Tyneview and Our Lady and St Anne’s Primary Schools to Newcastle Civic Centre’s Council Chamber on 14th June to share their experiences of international visits to Rome and Istanbul in May with our Board.
Over the last year, both schools have developed international partnerships and secured Turing Scheme funding in 2022 for their visits to their partner schools and cities in May 2023. This is part of our Connecting Internationally work with the City Council’s School Effectiveness Team (Sarah Edgar, Lead) to support schools to develop a whole school approach to internationalism and embed international links. This helps widen opportunities for children and young people, enabling them to build international connections, raise aspirations and have new experiences, which will impact on their lives, skills and future education and employment opportunities.
We have supported 60 new international links with Newcastle schools since 2020. We have also supported 16 successful applications to the Turing Scheme for school visits abroad in 2022 and 2023, as well as 9 applications for this year’s Turing Scheme, the results of which will be announced soon. International visits are life-changing for both staff and pupils, but schools also all work virtually together throughout the year to build relationships, explore themes and issues, develop joint projects and widen their experiences. Click here to find out more about how we support schools with languages, international links and intercultural experiences and how to get in touch if you are a Newcastle school interested in getting involved.
Read on to find out about the inspirational stories of Tyneview and Our Lady and St Anne’s Primary Schools and what they experienced and learned.
Tyneview Primary School – Istanbul
Deputy Head Vashti Sergison and Assistant Head Robyn Bonnick from Tyneview Primary School were joined by Zoey, Marley, Jazmine, Amelia and Hetty, 5 of the children who went on an incredible visit to Istanbul in May.
They spoke about how they have forged links with their Turkish community and celebrated Turkish culture in school since 2022. They also changed their curriculum to learn more about other faiths and traditions to build understanding and intercultural awareness to reflect the increasing diversity in their school and Newcastle.
The school did lots of work in advance to prepare the children for the visit. This included lessons on travel, what to expect, trying Turkish food and learning about cultural etiquette.
A year of building relationships with their partner school, Bilim Koleji in Istanbul, culminated in a 5 day visit to the Turkish city in May. For many it was their first time leaving Newcastle, travelling by train, plane and boat, going to a mosque and eating out. A real adventure!
They explored the city, visiting famous sites and experiencing Turkish hospitality and culture. They went to mosques, heritage sites and the football stadium.
The group spent time at their partner school, Bilim Kolegi, learning Turkish, playing, having picnics, sharing experiences and had a wonderful time sailing down the Bosphorous together. They now all have Turkish pen friends and are looking forward to welcoming them to Newcastle next year.
Click here to see the Tyneview Primary presentation
Our Lady and St Anne’s Primary – Rome
Jake Midgley, Higher Level Teaching Assistant, represented Head Teacher Sam Henzell from Our Lady and St Anne’s who had accompanied a school group of 27 to Rome in May.
Pupils Lewis, Rhema and Jamie, had prepared an excellent presentation on their experiences, which they presented to the Board.
Out Lady and St Anne’s is a Catholic school, but has many Muslim children. They have developed a strong partnership with San Pio X Primary School in Rome and the visit was a special opportunity for all the children to meet, make friends and to explore a new city abroad. The school did lots of preparation in advance to help the children get ready for such a new experience.
When they arrived, the group received a warm welcome at their Italian partner school. They learned, played and sang together – both the Italian national anthem and the Geordie classic, ‘Meet me on the Corner’ by Lindisfarne.
Lewis, Rhema and Jamie shared their experiences of visiting the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and the Collosseum, as well as what they had learned about each of these historic sites. The group also visited the Vatican and were able to see the Pope giving an address in St Peter’s Square, with translations into English, Arabic and other languages, which was a special moment.
The children also interviewed their peers and staff about what they enjoyed about the visit and prepared a pop quiz about the facts they had shared about Rome’s historic landmarks and history.
Click here to see the Our Lady and St Anne’s presentation
Both schools and the children were keen to continue to develop their international links and the children shared their ambitions to keep travelling, exploring and making new friends. The Board were incredibly impressed by the children’s presentations and inspired by their experiences. They were applauded and thanked for taking the time to come and speak to us.
Thank you to the children and staff for sharing your amazing experiences. These relationships can last a lifetime, as I know from my own experience of visiting France many years ago. We look forward to working with you to make your dreams come true.
Neil Barker, Board member, International Newcastle
It is wonderful to hear how these international partnerships have had such an impact. We are committed to supporting all schools in the city to develop links to enable children from all backgrounds be able to access these opportunities.
Declan Baharini, Director, International Newcastle