A West Yorkshire-based secondary academy is celebrating after being awarded the Foundation International School Award Certificate by the British Council.

̨��swag Academy Freeston, based on Favell Avenue in Normanton, was awarded the Certificate after impressing the assessors with its activities which were labelled a ‘great expression of internationalism in order to increase the cultural capital’ of its students. 

The British Council International School Award is given to those schools that have shown a commitment to embedding international awareness and understanding amongst its students.

Lisa Allott, Principal at ̨��swag Academy Freeston, said:

“We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded the Foundation International School Award Certificate. 

“At ̨��swag, we believe in putting students first and supporting them to fulfil their potential and for us this goes beyond the classroom. We want to help our students to become good citizens, as well as academic achievers, and this award is a testament to our approach.”

According to the British Council, the Foundation level award is given to those schools that are embarking on its international journey and is ideal for those introducing the concept of internationalism, getting ready to form an international partnership, and have conducted at least one international classroom activity.

As part of its work towards certification, the students were given different activities to participate in. Two of the activities were highlighted by the assessors for praise. One of which was a community gardening project, building the biodiversity of the green areas within the academy and raising awareness of the importance of biodiversity within the student body. 

The other activity praised was one which the academy carries out through its tutor programmes. At the start of the school year, each student works on the displays for their assigned country which helps to increase their knowledge of different countries and have provided informative displays for all students to see and learn from around the academy. 

The assessment report spoke glowingly about the academy, stating it ‘reached an impressive number of students and worked well in a cross-curricular manner. Activity 2 has a great focus towards the school's sustainability goals and Activity 3 shows an excellent opportunity for students to reflect on life outside the UK and engage with a variety of issues.’

The academy can now work towards achieving the Intermediate level of the International School Award.

Lisa added:

“We are excited to continue our work in this field and look forward to building towards achieving the Intermediate level certificate.”

John Rolfe MBE, Schools Outreach Manager at the British Council, said: “̨��swag Academy Freeston’s international work has earned the school well-deserved recognition with the British Council International School Award - Foundation Certificate. 

“We are delighted and proud that ̨��swag Academy Freeston is committed to developing a whole school approach to embedding and celebrating international work. The dedication from everyone is enriching education and supporting globally aware young people and the development of key skills.”

The award is now available worldwide in countries such as India, Greece, Egypt, Lebanon, Nigeria, and Pakistan. Around 6,000 International School Awards have been presented to successful schools in the UK since the scheme began in 1999.