Prince’s Gardens Preparatory School in Kensington has been awarded the Intermediate level of the British Council’s prestigious International School Award in recognition of its work to bring our international world into the classroom.
The International School Award celebrates the achievements of schools that do exceptional work in international education. Fostering an international dimension in the curriculum is at the heart of the British Council’s work with schools so that young people gain the cultural understanding and skills they need for life and work in today’s world.
Prince’s Gardens Preparatory School’s international work includes:
- Termly video calls with children from El Colegio Europeo de Madrid School to practice speaking Spanish through conversations, poems, stories and songs. As well as this, both schools stay connected via a Global Pen Pal Scheme which has improved children’s motivation to write in the target language
- Letters and video messages with the Hannan School in Morocco (a small UK charity and Prince’s Gardens chosen School Charity)
- Maths projects with the International School Zurich North
- Cross-curricular work between art and history about the Aztecs, Mayans and Incas
- Learning songs and carols in music lessons from other cultures to perform in assemblies and concerts
Prince’s Gardens Preparatory School also holds an annual International Day. This event was created to emphasise to the school community the values of tolerance, unity and acceptance. On a day like this, the students understand that being different is a good thing and that if we embrace our differences the world will be a better place.
Throughout the week, there were opportunities for students to do Show and Tells, presenting objects from their countries or even performing dances or reciting useful phrases.
Thursday’s Mandarin lessons were themed around the famous Dragon Boat Festival in China. The classes celebrated by making perfumed pouches called xiang bao which are thought to bring good luck and ward off bad spirits.
On Friday’s International Day the school was alive with colour! Children and staff dressed in costumes to represent countries from around the world including Ukraine, Japan and India and the in-house chef cooked a Caribbean-themed lunch of jerk chicken with rice and peas.
Learning about different areas in the world, the children took part in an array of activities including a fiery flamenco dance class, a sensational samba drumming workshop and storytelling Prince’s Gardens parents.
No International Day would be complete without a parade in the garden. Class by class, the children showed how much effort they had put into their outfits as they paraded to the sound of the samba band led by drumming teacher, Mr Williams.
On hearing the news that Prince’s Gardens Preparatory School had achieved Intermediate level of the award, Head of Languages Ms. Verma, who organizes International Day, said: “I am delighted to see our international work recognised with this special award. Being part of a global family of schools like Cognita means we can create a range of exciting connections with other schools around the world. It is vital that our pupils gain the knowledge, skills and values needed to thrive as global citizens. By bringing an international perspective to the curriculum, we are proud of all our pupils who have shown interest, awareness and respect towards other people and cultures”
John Rolfe MBE, Schools Outreach Manager at the British Council, said: Prince’s Gardens Preparatory School’s international work has earned the school well-deserved recognition with the British Council International School Award.
If you’re interested in learning more about Prince’s Gardens Preparatory School, visit their website www.princesgardensprep.co.uk or contact their Admissions team: call 020 7591 4620 or email admissions@princesgardensprep.co.uk
You can also read other related articles by Prince’s Gardens Preparatory School here.
