The International School Award rewards schools that have shown a commitment to embedding international awareness and understanding within their class or school through completing collaborative, curriculum-based work with a number of international partner schools or involvement of the wider community.

To achieve the award the school had to submit three activities that showed international work. Compass worked with their partnership schools in Pakistan, Spain and Australia. The students shared songs in different languages, sent letters and exchanged Christmas and Easter cards.

Caroline Byrne, who teaches Spanish at Compass Primary and coordinates Modern Foreign Language and International Schools has previously helped Kettering Park Junior School achieve full accreditation and Barton Seagrave Primary School received re-accreditation. She said: ‘I have always had a passion for Modern Foreign Languages and found out about the award back in 2009. The Council ran courses on how to add a global dimension to children's learning and the award ran alongside our work.

The award recognises schools that bring an international dimension to teaching and learning and aims to support this development. Through our science curriculum we shared some videos of the children talking about the water cycle and compared our presentations. I also read ‘The Hungry Caterpillar’ in Spanish to every class within the school and we shared this with our partner school in Zaragoza, Spain.

‘The partnerships opens a window on the world, especially for those children who may never have the opportunity to travel broad and experience different cultures. Our school in Pakistan has given us the biggest insight into this and we hope to build our relationship further with Spain so we have more of a culture awareness alongside learning languages.’

The assessor said: ‘Compass Primary Academy is enriching its pupils’ education and encouraging them to become through its International Primary Curriculum and joint work with its partner schools in Pakistan, Spain and Australia.’

Caroline said: ‘We are really pleased that we have received this award and hope to achieve the full accreditation next year where we have to submit 7 international activities. We are currently in the process of arranging a visit  from a group of teachers from Myer’s College in Pakistan which will allow us to compare and contrast our daily school life, cultures and teaching styles in more depth.’