A ROMSEY school has collected a prestigious award in recognition of its work to bring the world into the classroom.

The British Council’s prestigious International School Award was presented to The Mountbatten School for its international work, which includes ties with overseas partner schools in India and Zambia, as well as creative opportunities across the curriculum.

In developing a student-led ethos of internationalism, the school has worked alongside staff and students from Halterworth, North Baddesley and Braishfield Primary Schools as part of a Global Learning Partnership.

On hearing the news Andrew Portas, senior deputy headteacher at Mountbatten, said: "We are absolutely delighted to learn that we have been re-accredited with the International School Award for the third time. Internationalism is woven into our curriculum and it has been a privilege to watch our young people driving the agenda in school using the United Nation’s ‘Global Goals for Sustainable Development’ as a structure for their work.

"The students have been able to benefit from really great experiences, both in and out of the classroom, thanks to the time and energy that the staff devote to internationalism."

Sir Ciarán Devane, CEO of the British Council, added: ‘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 range of international learning experiences is diverse from students creating aerobics videos for their peers in Egypt, to Skyping fellow students around the world on shared curriculum projects.

The International School Award is a badge of honour for schools that do outstanding work in international education, such as through links with partner schools overseas. 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 to live and work as global citizens.

The award is now available worldwide in countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Lebanon, Cyprus, and Pakistan. Around 5,500 International School Awards have been presented to successful schools in the UK since the scheme began in 1999.