St Peter's Primary School in Netherseal has been handed an award for efforts made to educate children in international affairs.

The school will be handed the accreditation level of the international school award, which it will hold onto for three years and will let them receive further feedback and guidance on how to develop and sustain the work they do to educate their children about international affairs.

This is the second time that the school has received this award, having held the title between 2014 and 2017.

The award is decided by the British Council – a UK-based organisation which evaluates how schools handle educational opportunities and cultural relations.

An assessor visited earlier this year to witness the work being done at the Netherseal School and provide feedback on how they are performing.

The school has been lauded in the report for how it develops spiritual, moral, social and cultural skills, which help children understand the role they play in society.

St Peter’s is linked with schools around the world, including in India, South Korea and Pakistan, which allows its children to understand how different other cultures can be and receive knowledge of other experiences across the world.

Children at the school received temporary henna tattoos, which are popular across India and worn in holiday festivities
Children at the school received temporary henna tattoos, which are popular across India and worn in holiday festivities

The school runs a letter exchange system with the linked schools and exchange gifts in the form of ‘culture boxes’ and presentations educating children from other schools in how they live their lives.

The curriculum includes lessons in aspects from other cultures, like how children travel to school in different parts of the world and picture exchanges from religious festivals from various countries.

‘Water Explorers’ is a project which the school takes part in, encouraging youngsters to realise how precious water is and how it shouldn’t be wasted.

St Peter’s Primary have formed their own ‘Water Explorer’ team, consisting of 70 pupils who take part in a number of talks and activities that spread awareness for correctly using water and not wasting it. The part the school plays in this project has been credited by the assessor.

In the report, the assessor summarised stating: “This is an excellent and comprehensive accreditation impact evaluation which clearly outlines how you embed an ethos which sits at the heart of teaching and learning across the school.”

Head teacher Sue Hart has expressed her pride at the school receiving the accolade.

Mrs Hart said: “I am very proud that our school has been accredited with this prestigious award which recognises the full impact of the long-term, sustained work that we do to bring the world into our classrooms.

“Embedding an international dimension within our curriculum broadens our children’s horizons, enables them to celebrate diversity, draws attention to their potential to change things for the better and helps prepare them for successful future careers in an increasingly global economy.

St Peter's will officially receive the title on September 1, 2017 and will keep it until August 31, 2020 when they can apply again for accreditation. The award will be presented at a ceremony where they can celebrate with other international coordinators and the British Council.