Elmhurst Junior School clinches International School Award

The Street-based school was honoured for its profound efforts in bringing global experiences into the classroom

The British Council's honour showcases the extraordinary work accomplished by schools for their exceptional commitment to global education.

This perspective, encouraging pupils to understand their place in the world, is at the core of the council's collaboration with schools.

Elmhurst has undertaken numerous activities, helping children draw comparisons with other school environments.

One standout project involved educators capturing images of their classroom views.

(Image: Google Street View)

The children then discussed their use of these spaces, observing differences across seasons, and noting local wildlife.

These thoughts were compared to those of other schools globally.

The children were intrigued by contrasting landscapes, noting, "Some of the schools had their own football pitch, which we would really like!"

While another added: "We are surprised that some schools don't have as much green space as we have."

Other observations included: "Some photographs have palm trees which are different to our trees," and, "the school in Italy are lucky as they have views of mountains."

A wishful pupil stated: "We wish we could see the sea!", while another pointed out: "We love the fact one school has a peacock and would like one too."

Upon the announcement of the award, Mrs Carpenter, implementation and geography lead at Elmhurst, expressed her pride.

She said: "The children were very excited to learn about other countries.

"They were surprised that not all schools have the open space we have at Elmhurst Junior School.

"It created excellent discussions across the school and created a sense of awe seeing views so different from their own."

Shannon West, head of UK schools for the British Council, said: "Elmhurst Junior School’s international work has earned the school well-deserved recognition with the British Council International School Award - Foundation Certificate.

"We are delighted and proud that Elmhurst Junior School is committed to developing a whole school approach to embedding and celebrating international work.

"The dedication from everyone is enriching education and supporting globally aware young people and the development of key skills."

Various countries, including Greece, India, and Nigeria, now have the opportunity to attain the award.

In the UK, over 6000 International School Awards have been given since the program was initiated in 1999.

The British Council encourages schools to foster an international ethos, adopt a comprehensive approach to international work, and involve their wider communities.

The council offers the highest level of the award, the International School Award accreditation, to schools that embed an international ethos.