International Learning Opportunities for Students

At the International Schools Partnership (ISP), learning is at the heart of everything we do, and we want to continually provide the best learning opportunities possible for our students and their families. We believe that as part of our students’ learning journey it is important that they have the chance to experience learning outside of the classroom and connect with other ISP students. As a global group of schools our students benefit from being part of a wider international community, which provides many additional learning and cultural opportunities.

In 2018, we began to provide International Learning Opportunities for Students, with the launch of the ISP Buddy Exchange Programme, the ISP Model United Nations and the ISP International Summer Camp to link our students with each other across the world. These programmes provided memorable international and cultural learning experiences and enabled students to develop their language and communication skills, share good practice, and create long-term friendships across the world all in a safe and secure environment.

In May 2020, we launched two pilot International Learning Opportunities: the ISP Virtual Buddy Exchange Programme and the ISP Online Chess Tournament in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and due to the postponement of our other International Learning Opportunities. During these difficult and constantly changing times, with varying restrictions in place across different countries, the programmes have given our students the chance to be able to reach out beyond their own school community and continue to meet other ISP students from all over the world, whilst learning and having fun! Both pilots were extremely successful in terms of popularity and meeting their key learning outcomes. By the end of the ISP Virtual Buddy Exchange programme it connected 72 students, across 27 schools in 11 countries and there was a grand total of 135 hours of amazing virtual learning! The ISP Online Chess Tournament brought together more than 450 students from 37 schools in 12 countries!

Some of the words used so far by our students, parents and colleagues to describe our International Learning Opportunities for Students include: “Amazing”, “Educational”, “Empowering”, “Inspirational”, “Life-Changing” and “Unique”!

Due to the incredible success of our International Learning Opportunities and our pilot virtual programmes, we are now excited to be launching further International Learning Opportunities for Students during 2020/21. We are offering 11 programmes in total and they will now be available to a wider age range of students from 5 – 18 years of age, enabling more of our students around the world to join in on these new learning experiences. They will also offer a more diverse mix of subject areas, which we hope will appeal to all of our students, no matter their passions or interests. They will be delivered via a mix of delivery methods: online, in school and some will include in-person experiences abroad once it is safe to travel internationally again.

We are delighted to be able to offer the following International Learning Opportunities for 20/21:

We are also dedicated to providing our students with the best learning experiences possible and all of our International Learning Opportunities focus on several of the key learning outcomes listed below:

To gain more knowledge of:

• Foreign education systems and new subjects
• Geography, History, Digital Media, STEAM
• Different lifestyles, cultures and traditions

To develop their:

• Language and communication skills
• Soft skills including independence, organisation, responsibility, confidence, teamwork, leadership
• Critical thinking

Improve their understanding of:

• Education and learning in a broader context
• Awareness of their capabilities, strengths and weaknesses
• Cultural differences, sensitivity and awareness
• Social responsibility, human rights and sustainability
• Becoming a global citizen