CALEDONIA Primary School has been awarded the British Council’s prestigious International School Award in recognition of its work to bring the world into the classroom.

The International School Award celebrates the achievements of schools that do exceptional work in international education.

Fostering an international dimension in the curriculum is at the heart of the British Council’s work with schools, so that young people gain the cultural understanding and skills they need for life work in today’s world.

Caledonia Primary’s international work includes a valued partnership with Katawa Primary School in Malawi which provides an impetus for introducing and delivering international work to inspire pupils. Caledonia pupils have been learning about life in Malawi through collaborative work with their partner school.

Fair Trade projects have helped pupils experience the impact educational resources make to the life of children in developing countries. Caledonia Primary were commended at introducing Spanish in the Early Years and a second language in the upper school.

Head Teacher Gillian Crangle said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have received this recognition. We’ve made a real, concerted effort to add an international flavour to the classroom and the pupils have loved learning about different cultures and ways of life.

“It’s an important part of their learning and development. We want all our pupils to be knowledgeable, respectful and good global citizens and working with them at a young age goes a long way to helping us achieve that.

“A huge well done to all our teachers, support staff and, of course, pupils who have all played a part in helping us get the award.”

Sir Ciarán Devane, CEO of the British Council, said: ‘The school’s fantastic international work has rightfully earned it this prestigious award. The International School Award is a great chance for schools to demonstrate the important work they’re doing to bring the world into their classrooms. Embedding an international dimension in children’s education ensures that they are truly global citizens and helps prepare them for successful lives and careers in an increasingly global economy.’

The award is now available worldwide in countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Lebanon, Cyprus, and Pakistan. Around 5,500 International School Awards have been presented to successful schools in the UK since the scheme began in 1999.