Lord Bill’s wins International Schools Award

LORD Williams’s School has once again been awarded the British Council’s prestigious International School Award for working to bring the world into the classroom. The International School Award is sought after worldwide and celebrates the achievements of schools that do exceptional work in international education.

Mrs Sherry Richardson, Chair of Lord Williams’s School Gambia link, attended a celebration in the Houses of Parliament on the December 5, to receive the award on behalf of the school. More than 40 MPs from constituencies across England met with school representatives, presented their awards and heard more about the work of their local schools. The Secretary of State for Education, the Rt Hon Damian Hinds MP, commended the teachers of international schools for their outstanding and ongoing efforts to offer international opportunities for their students and for fostering an international dimension in their curricula.

Head Teacher, David Wybron commented: “We are delighted to receive this recognition for the work the school does with our link school in the Gambia and schools in France, Germany and Spain. It was fitting that Sherry Richardson, who leads our work with the Brikama Upper Basic School in the Gambia, received the award on behalf of the school. We have done some pretty remarkable things through our partnership work, and the cultural links are priceless.

Our school’s international work includes residential trips to Berlin, Munich and Paris, French and German student exchanges and annual Sixth Form study trips to The Gambia. We have a long-standing link with Brikama Upper Basic and Senior Secondary School in The Gambia that continues to grow in strength from year to year. The link has developed an appreciation of the wider world for students from both schools with the aims of forging well-rounded global citizens, gaining cultural understanding and developing skills they need for life and work.”

Sir Ciarán Devane, Chief Executive 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 International School Award encourages and supports schools to develop:
 An international ethos embedded throughout the school
 A whole school approach to international work
 Collaborative curriculum-based work with a number of partner schools
 Year-round international activity
 Involvement of the wider community