College gains British Council award for international provision
14 January 2021
Burton and South Derbyshire College has been awarded Foundation level of 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 and colleges 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 and work in today’s world.
The award encourages and supports schools and colleges to develop an international ethos embedded throughout the school/college, a whole school/college approach to international work, collaborative curriculum-based work with a number of partner schools/colleges, year-round international activity and involvement of the wider community.
Burton and South Derbyshire College is a global college and a leading exporter of international further education, working on projects with partner institutions in a range of countries, including India, China, Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, USA and Japan. This work supports the development of home students by helping them understand different practice and cultural expectations linked to their vocational programmes. Students also have opportunities to take part in cultural exchange programmes with countries such as China and South Korea.
Dawn Ward CBE, Chief Executive and Principal of BSDC commented: “We’re delighted to have been recognised by the British Council with a prestigious International School Award. We have worked hard to realise our ambition of becoming a global college to the maximum benefit of our learners, staff and local community. We have embedded international experiences into our learner journey, enhancing learners’ skill set, cultural and business understanding and global outlook, better preparing them for success within a globalised economy.”
John Rolfe MBE, Schools Outreach Manager at the British Council, said: “Burton and South Derbyshire College’s international work has earned the school well-deserved recognition in the form of the British Council International School Award - Foundation Certificate.
“We are delighted and proud that Burton and South Derbyshire College is committed to developing a whole college approach to embedding and celebrating international work. The staff dedication is enriching education and supporting globally aware young people and key skills development.”
The award is now available worldwide in countries such as India, Greece, Egypt, Lebanon, Nigeria, and Pakistan. Around 6,000 International School Awards have been presented to successful schools in the UK since the scheme began in 1999.
Photo taken November 2019