Our school community is proud to have been awarded the British Council’s prestigious International School Award – Foundation level, in recognition of the school’s work to develop a global dimension into the learning experience of all young people.

The International School Award celebrates the achievements of schools that do exceptional work in international education, with the aim of young people gaining the cultural understanding and skills they need for life and work in today’s world.

One of the school’s projects involved one hundred students from Year 10 and Year 7 who wrote “lockdown experience” letters to summarise what the surprise benefits of the first lockdown were, and important things to keep in mind for their future. These were digitally sent to students at our partner schools, Our Lady of the Rosary School in Goa, India, and St Marys College, in Kisubi, Uganda. The letters helped the students in different countries understand how the disruption of Covid was being experienced around the world.

In February 2020 Richard Challoner School’s Lay Chaplain, Mr D’Aguiar, travelled to Our Lady of the Rosary School in Goa, India. This was the beginning of the special partnership between the two schools to share experiences and develop a memorable bond. Mr D’Aguiar was able to observe and lead lessons in their school, as well as meet with several staff to share experiences of pedagogy and to promote further development of the education provided.

Reflecting on the success of the Award, Mr D’Aguiar, School Chaplain, said: "We are proud to have been involved in these global projects as part of our ongoing commitment to embed internationalism within our curriculum and in line with our school’s ethos."

Commenting on the school’s application for the International School Award, the Assessor said: "I would like to extend my congratulations to Richard Challoner School on the beginning of their International Schools’ Award journey and their receipt of their Foundation level award. Your letter writing activity encouraged reflection on students' own experiences and those of other cultures. Your developed relations with overseas partners are notable and should prove to be an excellent asset in attaining your Intermediate level award. Well done!"