We started working with the Collège François Mitterrand in 2013 and met through e-twinning. Since then, we have been in permanent contact and have organised different projects each year. In June 2018, Dr Uttley and Mrs Hargreaves visited the school to meet with the teachers and the Head Mistress Madame Decomberousse, to officialise our partnership. We took this opportunity to bring some of our students with us, our ‘French Ambassadors’, who stayed in French families with students from the French school. In June 2019, 30 French students came to visit us and stayed in our students’ families. The experience was a success for both teachers and students. More projects have taken place since, for example last year, where we worked on two projects: pen pal linking some of our Year 7 students to students in 6ème in France, and ‘My town’ linking our Year 10 studying French with their 3ème. This year, we are planning a project around ‘My school’ which will involve making a video of our school.

We began the partnership working with St John Bosco School, Bardejov, Slovakia in March 2016. This came about as Dr Uttley, who began in January of that year, had undertaken a number of projects with the Slovak school and brought the partnership across to us from his former school where he had been Head. This partnership was predicated on an excellent relationship between the two Headteachers, opportunities for staff development and shared good practice, the successful experience of a number of reciprocal student visits. The ethical basis for the partnership was also a desire to tackle xenophobia and small-mindedness when it came to working with European partners, common priorities in terms of improving learning. Every year, some different members of staff in our school are invited to attend and contribute to the Slovakian Educational Leadership Conference organised by our Head and the Head of the Partner School, which is now in its eighth year and enjoys a national profile in Slovakian Bilingual schools. In our school, we have also been welcoming groups of Slovak teachers and students each year, who come to experience the education system in the UK.

Mr Starr is a teacher of Spanish and French at Blessed Hugh Faringdon. Having graduated in 2003, he spent a year teaching English as a Foreign Language at the Languages School at the National University of Central Peru, Huancayo. It was during his time as a teacher there, that he established long-lasting friendships with Peruvian colleagues at the Languages School, who were also teaching English. Since returning to the UK in 2005, and completing his PGCE in 2007, Mr Starr has maintained regular contact with his former colleagues in Huancayo. He joined Blessed Hugh Faringdon in September 2023, and with Spanish becoming a subject in Year 9 for the first time, it appeared a natural step to benefit from his connections with Peruvian teachers. 

As such, after much planning and preparation, Mr Starr visited San Juan Bosco School in Huancayo, Peru, on Thursday 8 August, for formally sign a partnership, on behalf of Dr Uttley, Headmaster of Blessed Hugh Faringdon, and Mrs Elise Hargreaves, the MFL Subject Leader and International School Coordinator.

We are delighted to have started our first project with San Juan Bosco, our new formal link in Peru. This project involves pairing up a class of our Year 9 pupils (approximately 30 pupils) who study Spanish with pupils in the 'tercer grado' at San Juan Bosco. Contact is established between the pupils, via hand-written letters, addressed to their pen pal. The letters are currently being produced and will then be sent via email from Mr Starr to Miss Valdivia Flores, for printing and distribution at their school. The process will be the same, but in reverse, for communication between pupils at San Juan Bosco and our school. As a first letter, our students have introduced themselves and written about their hobbies, in Spanish. The letters will be sent before October half term and we expect their response some time in November. The second letter will be related to Christmas and how they celebrate in their country. As time goes on, the idea is to expand this link, so that a greater number of pupils are offered the opportunity to establish and maintain contact with a pen pal overseas.

For the 8th year, Dr Uttley and the Headmaster of our partner school St John Bosco School is inviting some members of their staff to join them on the Slovakian Educational Leadership Conference, which takes place in Bardejov, Slovakia. This event offers practical strategies to make a difference in the classroom, with top speakers from the UK and US including academics from UCL and the University of London. It is scheduled to take place on the 8th and 9th November 2024 this year. This is a great opportunity for our staff to visit our partner school and meet with other teachers.

Each year, we also welcome a different group of Slovak students and teachers to visit our school and learn about schools in the UK. This usually takes place around Easter. Last year, we started the day with a mass, where some of our students were invited to join in. Then, Slovak students were taken on a school tour by our 6th formers and also attended a range of lessons in different subjects, including PE where they did a match of rounders with our Year 9 students. In the afternoon, we asked 25 of our students to join us all in the Main Hall. Slovak students and our students were put into groups of 5 to discuss a range of topics, such as: school routine, family life and hobbies. It was interesting to see that some friendship had developed throughout the day and students exchanging email address to stay in touch. We will be welcoming more Slovak students in Easter, with a similar programme, as it is an annual event that takes place in our school.

SELC

On Thursday 26th September 2024, we celebrated the European Day of Languages, a day dedicated to the diversity and beauty of languages and a day to promote cultural awareness and tolerance in our school. We combined this event with our ‘Diversity Day’, which took place on Friday 27th September.

To celebrate this year’s European Day of Languages, we invited tutors and all teachers to raise awareness in tutor time and in lessons. In the MFL department, we organised:

Year 7: A treasure hunt

Year 8: Lunch time club: learn Polish or Portuguese

Year 9: A poster competition, based on the theme ‘Languages for peace’

On Friday 27th September, Year 7 celebrated Diversity Day. Special guests were invited to talk about the importance of valuing diversity at school, including cultural diversity, tackling discrimination, promoting equality and fostering good relationships between people. The day began with an assembly followed by a series of practical, interactive sessions, designed to be light-hearted and hopeful, encouraging students to embrace new friendships, appreciate differences, and explore what it means to be a part of a welcoming and inclusive learning environment. Some of our students also contributed by doing a presentation in front of the assembly to talk about diversity. At the end of the event, each pupil received a certificate and a badge.

Mother Language Day is held each year on the 21st of February. In our school, over 350 students speak a different language at home and this occasion is perfect to embrace and celebrate this. During that week, assemblies are taking place in the Main Hall for each year group to raise awareness of our rich heritage and global citizenship. In MFL, we dedicate one lesson, from Y7 to Y10, for students to present their country of origin. Our International School Ambassadors also prepare a range of quizzes and activities to complete in tutor time, for all year group. At lunch time, we play some international music in the Dining Hall and ask students to fill in a form to guess where the music is from. We also ask our staff who work in the canteen to prepare an international menu for that week. Again, the school is decorated with flags to celebrate the event. At the end of the day, all staff are invited to share an international buffet in the staffroom, where everyone can bring their own dish from their country of origin.

PHSE - International Mother Language Day

Kiran, Year 7 Presentation Nepal

The International Week is a traditional event at our school and has been running since 2010. It takes place every summer term and all staff and students are involved. We start to advertise the event a few weeks before, so that everyone is aware and can prepare for it. During that week, teachers are asked to take part and incorporate an ‘international flavour’ to their lessons as well as tutors in tutor time. Here are a few examples of what took place in lessons during that week in previous years:

In History: The French Revolution; in Drama: short stories from various European playwrights; In English: Greek myths; In languages: Francophone and Hispanic countries and in Music: American Rock and Blues/Soul music. As well as international flavours given in lessons and in tutor time, the school is decorated with flags during that week and international food is served all week in the canteen.

Two years ago, we introduced a new event which was one of our 6th formers and International School Ambassador’s idea. The event involves an international catwalk, where students and members of staff come dressed in their country of origin. The event was such a success that year that we decided to include it onto our programme of events during International Week. Last year, we ran the event in our Main Hall and asked our students to buy a ticket should they wish to watch the show. The ticket cost £1 and all the money collected was given to our charity, Alexander Devine. Our 6th formers ambassadors helped on the day by presenting the show and giving some information on each country represented. The event was another success last year and we expect the same enthusiasm and interest for this year.

International Day - Program

Culture Day - Catwalk OK

Our school has chosen one continent a term to be represented.

Term 1 - Asia
Term 2 - Africa
Term 3 - Australia
Term 4 - South America
Term 5 - Europe
Term 6 - North America

Each week, Miss Kurowski, who teaches Spanish at our school, is sending out a poem by a poet representing our continent of the term, for all tutors to use during tutor time. A presentation includes a small profile of the poet, along with some discussion questions which are used to explore the poem in more depth. These slides have been put together with the aim of increasing the cultural capital of our students and exposing them to more world literature.

We have also asked our canteen staff to include a dish representing these continents on their menu.

Ocean Vuong

Mirabai

Yu Kwang Chung

Chiranana Pitpreecha