International Learning

At Branston Junior Academy, we encourage children to value themselves as Global Citizens. We provide them with opportunities to explore similarities and differences between their own lives and those of children in other countries. To this aim, we are linked to schools in three different countries, (as well as a 'city school' in the United Kingdom) and we are always on the look out for more schools to pair up with.

Our work with these 'Partner Schools' involves regular emailing, making of resources to send, asking (and answering) questions to the children in the schools and generally investigating each country.

Our work with other schools, and the opportunities we provide children to learn about a range of global themes and issues, has gained us the Full International Schools Award three times, initially in 2011, followed by  reaccreditation in 2014 and 2017.

"Literacy Lifts Lives" (2021)

We worked with Lwangosia Primary School in the Namayingo district of Eastern Uganda. it is not far from the Kenyan border and only a few kilometres away from lake Victoria. The school is much bigger than BJA, with 800 pupils! Our project is an English based one and we  started by sharing descriptions and (and art work) about where we live. Our final piece of work was linked to ways in which we can do our bit to look after our local environments to make the world a better place to live. 

Some of our School councillors and our Journalists wrote about 'Life at BJA' and drew and wrote about some aspects of living in Branston and/or living in Lincolnshire. 

We received some work back from some of the pupils in Lwangosia School:

PAST INTERNATIONAL LINKS:

JAPAN MEETS BANGLADESH!

Friday 12th June 2015 was the last day of a 7-day visit by a teacher from our partner school in Bangladesh. We also had a visit from a lady from Japan, who is studying in Birmingham, but wanted to visit our school. It was fantastic for both people to learn more about our school and the British Education System, as well as our pupils (and staff) learning more about their countries.

GUADELOUPE:
Ecole primaire, Bourg de Capesterre de Marie-de-Galante,

M. Stephan Martens (Recteur de l'Academie de Guadeloupe) and Mme Josy Arekian (Directrice de Cabinet) visited our school on Thursday 11th April 2013. Some of our pupils came to perform to them (choir, recorder, tap dancers, street dancers) and then showed them round the school. We were only one of three Lincolnshire schools that they visited! Later on in the day, Mrs Shaw went to see them sign the 'Memorandum of Understanding', which is the offical paperwork that says schools in Guadeloupe (an island in the Caribbean!) and Lincolnshire will be working together on joint projects.

In February 2014, Mrs Shaw was fortunate to be invited to work on a British Council Comenius project to visit several schools in Guadeloupe - incuding our partner school which is in a small village called Capesterre, on the separate island of Marie Galante. You can see photographs from her visit, at the top of this page; including pictures of the schools she visited. Or you can click on here to see a slide show.

GHANA:
Christ Divine Academy, Santasi Kumasi, Ghana,

During 2012-2013, we worked with a school in Ghana! As part of our Chocolate topic, we learnt about Fairtrade and where chocolate comes from. We explored the landscapes and lifestyles in Ghana and wrote letters to the pupils at the school. We were very excited to receive beautifully written replies.

POLAND: 
Szkola Podstawowa nr. 9, Elblag,

Mrs Shaw (headteacher) went to visit this school in October 2010 and since then we have continued working on joint projects with the staff and pupils at the school. We have learnt about Poland and Polish children, taken part in a sports project linked to the Olympics and we are now comparing local legends! we have told them all about the Legend of the Lincoln Imp and they have told us about the Legend of the Baker!

On 5th June 2013, a group of Teachers from Poland came to visit us. They spent the day learning about 'Behaviour and Classroom Management' and observed all the different activities that took place on the day. They were also quizzed by our School Council, who wanted to find out about life in a Polish school.