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‘Connecting Classrooms’ Project Develops with Upcoming Visit to Saudi Arabia

Two teachers are set to visit schools in Saudi Arabia as part of a programme that has been introduced to encourage internationalism at KSA.

Connecting Classrooms is a British Council initiative and has seen students link up with their peers in Saudi.

Teachers Natasha Franklin and Jason Mitchell-Bunce will fly out to Riyadh in February to develop future project ideas and to explore how the links between the schools can be strengthened.

Miss Franklin will be visiting a girls' school while Mr Mitchell-Bunce will spend time in a boys' school, as girls and boys are taught separately.

They will both deliver some training on behaviour management strategies.

Miss Franklin said: "The idea is to continue the links and come up with new ideas, such as increasing video conferencing and sharing work online.

"I don't know a huge amount about what to expect in the schools so I'm going with an open mind about how lessons are taught.

"There are various things I will have to do to fit into their culture - one is to wear the abaya covering dress."

Last year, a group of teachers from Saudi Arabia visited Kettering Science Academy to learn more about the education system in this country.

Miss Franklin said: "They took away some examples of how we assess students' progress because they said that is something they don't do as much over there."

The Connecting Classrooms project was just one of the initiatives which helped KSA to secure the International School Award 2011-14.

The partnerships set up through Connecting Classroom bring an international dimension to students' learning, improves their knowledge and understanding of other cultures and prepares them for life and work as global citizens.