1. What is the Global School Partnerships programme?
Global School Partnerships promotes partnerships between schools in the UK and schools in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.
The programme provides advice and guidance, professional development opportunities and grants to schools that are using school partnerships as a means for developing a global dimension within their curriculum.
2. What is global education?
The term 'global education' refers to the extent to which global development issues are integrated within the formal curriculum.
It can be useful to break the term down into five key concepts:
- Social justice and equity
- Diversity
- Globalisation and interdependence
- Sustainable development
- Peace and conflict
3. Why is a global dimension important?
A global dimension in the curriculum helps to extend students' view of the world and helps them to explore their perceptions. It helps students to recognise connections and interdependencies and to think critically about different cultural, economic and political perspectives.
4. How can we have a learning partnership when stark disparities exist between partner schools?
There are likely to be financial disparities between partner schools. There may also be expectations that fundraising for facilities and equipment of the southern school is the first or primary purpose of the partnership. Schools may initially think of what they can do to improve the learning environment in one partner.
5. This seems like a lot of work on top of my usual school work!
We encourage schools to embed partnership work into their mainstream curriculum. This means that partnership activities do not work in isolation, but are an integral part of the curriculum and the wider aims of the school in all partner schools.
6. What support can we get?
A whole range of support is available in embedding a global dimension in the curriculum and to help you develop your partnership.
7. What types of school are eligible?
Pre-schools, primary schools, middle schools, secondary schools, special schools and sixth form colleges are all eligible. Further education and tertiary institutions are not eligible to apply.
International schools in southern countries are not eligible for funding. These are schools that offer a curriculum of one country but that are located in another country, and where the majority of staff and pupils are expatriates.
Some schools have 'international' in their name, but do teach the local curriculum. If you're not sure if your partnership is eligible please contact us to check.
8. What countries can we work with?
Global School Partnerships supports partnerships between schools in the UK and schools in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Schools in any country in these regions can benefit from our advice and guidance or our professional development opportunities.
If you are interested in applying for one of our grants to visit your partner school please check our list of eligible countries.
If your partnership is not eligible for one of our grants, please see what other funding is available.
9. We have a number of partner schools in different countries; can we apply for more than one grant?
No. The grants are awarded to a partnership and none of the schools within that partnership can apply for another grant with a different partner school. If you have more than one partner school you will need to decide which partner school it is most appropriate to apply with.
Each school can only be awarded one reciprocal visit grant and one global curriculum project grant. This means that if you are awarded a reciprocal visit grant you cannot apply again with a different partner school, even if it is at a different time.
10. What funding is available?
Reciprocal visit grants are for partnerships that are laying the foundations for long term collaborative work that will embed a global dimension in the schools' curricula.
Local authority grants are designed to create international relationships that can broker and support partnerships with a focus on global education.
11. Is there funding for students?
There is currently no student travel available
12. Can we get funding for visits that have already taken place?
No. You can only apply for funding for visits that will take place during the funding period. The grant must be used to fund at least one visit in each direction.
13. We visited our partner school last year; can we use the whole grant to fund their visit to us?
No, the grant must be split between partner schools to enable equal activity in both countries and equal numbers of teachers from each school must visit their partner school within the funding period.
14. Where can we get an application form?
Application forms and guidance notes for reciprocal visit grants are available to download from this website.
15. What supporting documents do we need?
For reciprocal visit grants, all schools in a partnership need to contribute to the application form. Part of the assessment process takes into account the extent to which partner schools have worked together on the application.
It can take some time to get all the information you need from all schools in a partnership so please make sure you start filling out the application form in plenty of time.
For reciprocal visit grants, the head teachers of all UK schools will need to sign the application form. Head teachers at the southern schools will need to provide a letter, fax or email which shows their support for the application.
You can also submit relevant parts of your partnership agreement, your school improvement plan and any other supporting documents if the are relevant to your application.
Please ensure that all partner schools read the guidance notes carefully.
16. How are the applications assessed?
All applications are assessed against the assessment criteria.
Reciprocal visit applications are assessed by the Global School Partnerships team in the UK.
Please see our guidance notes and assessment criteria for further information.
17. Can applications be submitted by email?
Yes, but we will need a hard copy of all application forms with original signatures.
If you are waiting for signatures to be returned to you from your partner school you can submit your application to us by email, but we will not be able to consider your application until we receive the original signatures as well.