Felsted reaccredited with International School Award

Felsted School has been reaccredited with the British Council International School Award for the fourth time, in recognition of its outstanding work in international education, including links with partner schools overseas.

Felsted welcomes students of all nationalities and routinely celebrates cultural diversity. Integrating international and UK students is an extremely important component of the School’s ethos and Felsted is one of only a small number of schools in the UK to be a member of the Round Square organisation, offering exchanges to and from such places as Australia, South America, South Africa and Europe.

One aspect of Felsted’s wider curriculum which really impressed judges was the ‘Building Bridges – Crossing Boarders’ project which saw pupils use the e-twinning platform to connect with a German school, who visited Felsted Prep School for three days earlier in the year. They took part in a carousel of activities including British baking, rehearsal of German and English songs, joint German and English lessons and a cultural trip to Cambridge. Another activity which judges were particularly impressed with was a wellbeing collaboration with an Indian partner school, where Felsted Prep School pupils conducted shared yoga and mindfulness sessions over Skype as part of their PSHE programme.

Sir Ciarán Devane, CEO of the British Council, said: “Felsted’s fantastic international work has rightfully earned this prestigious award. 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 International School Award encourages and supports schools to develop an international ethos embedded throughout the school. Felsted’s Early Years programme includes an ‘are we nearly there yet’ immersive travel experience where the children ‘fly’ to another country, designing their boarding pass, learning about the history and culture of the country and sampling the food! Meanwhile further up the school pupils take part in Model United Nations conferences hosted annually at Felsted and attended abroad, international assemblies, a weekly language café in the library, international themed lunch days and the option of studying the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma instead of A levels in the Sixth Form.

It was another strong year of IB Diploma results for Felsted with a 100% pass rate, maintaining a three year average of 34 points (equivalent to AAB at A Level).

Felsted International Summer School has also gone from strength to strength in numbers, giving students from 23 nationalities the opportunity to learn, share cultural experiences and make new friends during an intensive yet rewarding six-week programme.