British Council. International School Awards 2016-2019

The staff and governors at Haydon School recognise that our students will be entering a world that is increasingly global and they will be citizens in a world in which economies are increasingly interdependent and global communication is a daily reality. This global dimension should be reflected in the attitudes and the values of our students, the work they do in the curriculum and in the international ethos of the school and the community. Our international work with our partner schools abroad has allowed us to do collaborative projects helping the school to develop social, moral and cultural awareness and ensuring that students are prepared for their future. Members of staff at Haydon School are dedicated and willing to give up their personal time with activities such as: -email and internet projects -interacting with visitors from another countries -visiting places of interest in the UK and abroad -preparing student exchanges and foreign work experience placements -working with our partner schools and developing new links -raising awareness of environment issues other than those in our local area, through curriculum projects -encourage interest and motivation through access to first hand experiences in another country -explore opportunities for staff to compare different teaching and learning styles via email and study visits

At Haydon School we strive for our students to know more about global issues, the main focuses of our International ethos are to:

•  Celebrate the multiculturalism of our school, and of the local, national and international community of which the school is a part of -understand the impact which global events and economies have on our daily lives
•  Respect and value different cultures and beliefs -enjoy regular contact with young people living in different countries, in order to provide an informed awareness of countries, cultures and languages other than our own
•  Encourage greater involvement in environmental issues -promote the use of ICT in meaningful contexts to communicate on a global level
•  Provide an added opportunity for the promotion of equal opportunities, racial equality and Citizenship Having students that are from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds makes them learn from each other's cultures on a daily basis, this level of awareness and acceptance are skills they are learning that will be transferable in the future.

The majority of our students love the idea of taking part in worldwide projects and activities, they value this experience and take part in a responsible way. The students from our partner schools abroad also join our school life and community when they visit during exchange programmes and benefit from this experience. This reciprocal partnerships are memorable experiences for our students.

The most valuable experience at Haydon School is to be able to host and learn from other students and cultures. As part of the Modern Foreign languages provision we run residential exchanges in France and Italy where our younger students get to undertake the experience of staying with a family abroad and get involved in the school life of our partner school abroad. Our A level students undertake as well work experience in the local community or abroad (MFL students). Students value this experience as a positive asset for their future and are aware of the skills they are learning which will be transferable when they leave school in the future. We get very positive praise both from the local and international community regarding the behaviour and maturity our students have displayed when undertaking these placements. Having this network of partner schools abroad is an asset to our school which lets us share projects and work in a collaborative way with them. Giving students this choice makes them aware of the local charity work that goes on in the community and makes them inquisitive towards the local issues.