International Links

International School

Our school is deeply committed to fostering a global outlook among students and staff, embedding internationalism into our curriculum, partnerships, and professional development. This ethos is reflected in our policies, collaborative projects, and diverse learning experiences that promote intercultural understanding, linguistic competence, and global citizenship.

Mandarin Lessons

Newcastle University offer our school Mandarin lessons with a native Mandarin speaking teacher. Our partnership started back in 2020 and our sessions were held remotely for our KS2 children. From 2021 we moved the Mandarin sessions to Year 1 and Year 2, which take place once a week for 45 minute sessions. The Mandarin lessons aims to provide early exposure to Mandarin Chinese for our Key Stage 1 students, fostering foundational language skills during a critical stage of cognitive development. By introducing a world language through weekly sessions led by native Mandarin-speaking teachers, the programme enhances our curriculum and promotes linguistic diversity. A key goal is to cultivate cultural awareness and global citizenship, encouraging students to appreciate different cultures and perspectives.

Yanwu Penpals

Through our connection with Newcastle University, we were able to continue our link with Yanwu Primary School. The children in Key Stage 2 have exchanged letters, photographs and videos, showing what life is like at their school. The children are enjoying learning about what life is like in a school in China. The children have developed a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and school life, enhancing their global perspective. They have also improved their communication skills by writing letters and creating multimedia content. The exchange has sparked curiosity and enthusiasm for learning Mandarin, as students enjoy sharing and practicing the language with their peers abroad.

British School of Brussels - Belgium Pen Pals

The communication began with a visit from Mr Coyne (a teacher from BSB) coming into school to hand out the children's first letter from the pen pal. He showed the children videos and photographs of their school to see what life in Brussels looks like. The children have then continued to exchange letters each month via email and post. As a result of the ongoing communication, students have developed a deeper understanding of life in Brussels and have become more confident in expressing themselves through written correspondence. The regular exchange of letters has improved their literacy and language skills, while also sparking enthusiasm for learning about another culture.

Lunar New Year

We celebrated Lunar New Year as a whole school. Each class arranged their own activities including, storytelling, arts and crafts and learning new things about the Chinese culture. Reception and Year 1 had Durham University come in and they created a lion dance together and a fantastic dragon they brought with them. Year 1 and 2 also had a celebration with their Mandarin teacher, who shared more information about the celebrations. Year 3 also created cards that were posted to Yanwu Primary School. As a school we also shared a Chinese inspired lunch and decorated the hall the lanterns and red cloths.

French Lessons with Lingtots

We have partnered with Lingotots to deliver high-quality, specialist French lessons to our Key Stage 2 children each week. Through engaging, carefully planned sessions, pupils build confidence in speaking, listening, reading and writing in French, while developing a deeper understanding of language and culture. Learning a modern foreign language helps to spark curiosity and broaden children’s awareness of the wider world, supporting them in becoming confident communicators and global citizens. As part of this collaboration, Lingotots have also launched an exciting after-school initiative: WOW Club (World of Wonder). WOW Club takes our children on a global adventure—without ever leaving the classroom. Through engaging, specialist-led sessions, the children explore new languages, discover fascinating cultures, and “travel” to exciting destinations around the world.