The following article comes from Emmanuel Osei, a teacher at Uphall Primary School.
Why is global education important to you and your school?
Uphall Primary School is a remarkably diverse educational community where our incredible children communicate in over six distinct languages! We are passionately committed to fostering their growth as global citizens, equipping them to adeptly confront the continuously changing global issues they encounter, including migration, technological progress, and fair trade. Our Right Respecting values inspire the children to broaden their knowledge and understanding, emphasising the vital significance of building friendships, respect, and alliances not only within their local neighbourhoods but also throughout the country and across the globe. This is why establishing international connections and forming global partnerships is so crucial for preparing our children for the promising future that lies ahead! It enables them to develop essential lifelong skills to address some of the challenges posed by globalisation, such as effective communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and decision-making.
How can the Global School Alliance benefited you as a teacher and the opportunities for your school?
There are numerous advantages for teachers and the school, such as fostering awareness about the significance of global citizenship and enhancing the school’s reputation. For our school, learning Spanish in collaboration with Chile, a nation in South America, is both inspiring and provides our children with the chance to develop an international network, paving the way for their future. The children have come to value the significance of diversity, cross-cultural connections, and collaborative learning, which are essential tenets of dialogic teaching. Additionally, we have been actively involved in the planning, creation, and evaluation of various projects, including video conferences, webinars, presentations, and the exchange of ideas with schools abroad. Collaborating as teachers with diverse expertise has significantly increased our confidence in learning unfamiliar subjects and has encouraged our professional growth.
In summary, the Global School Alliance has served as a motivating platform for teacher professional development, improved collaborative learning in the classroom, and opened up global opportunities for our students and the wider school community.
What benefits do you think this award will have on the whole school community?
By being celebrated as a member of a wonderful global educational alliance, our entire school community is thriving while getting the children ready for success in a connected world. This award builds strong friendships with other schools worldwide, ensuring that our students enjoy a variety of learning experiences, resources, and cultural insights that enhance their educational adventure. Also, it emphasises the value of inclusivity and diversity, creating a warm and welcoming space for pupils from all walks of life, while promoting respect and understanding for different cultures. I truly believe that earning this award acts as a motivating force, inspiring both our pupils and staff to reach for the stars, embrace creativity, and take pride in our school’s accomplishments.
How will you use this award to motivate students and staff?
At Uphall Primary, we’re super excited to align the criteria for this award with the values we cherish as a school, such as friendship, respect, kindness, perseverance, and celebrating collective success. We love encouraging our children and staff to view the award as a wonderful way to acknowledge their progress, while also shining a light on the significance of effort, improvement, and perseverance in reaching their goals.
What are your plans to develop your international work?
In the future, we are excited to explore deeper collaboration with our wonderful Chile partner school, and perhaps create more connections with other fantastic schools and institutions across the globe! This could open up delightful opportunities for exchange programs or virtual collaborations, along with wonderful professional development for our amazing staff. We would also love to weave more global perspectives into our curriculum, which would beautifully enhance the children’s global exposure and experiences. By taking these cheerful steps, our school can not only enrich the educational journey for our children but also shine brightly as a place that nurtures a globalisation.
