Cultivating Authentic Educational Partnerships Prior to Opening

Apart from the well-documented financial and philanthropic motivations for UK Independent Schools to enter the international school market, a key benefit of developing overseas international school partnerships is surely the opportunity it affords school communities to become more international in outlook and influence. For global betterment in an increasingly complex world, I suggest that the main priority for the sector should be educating students in the U.K. and increasing numbers of pupils around the world who are at ease with other cultures, embrace language learning, and grow into conscientious global thinkers. This can be facilitated though a careful selection of international partners who share a similar ethos and approach to education and have a demonstratable commitment to an internationally-focused curricula, collaborative international projects, overseas exchanges, and links. Is it necessary for a new international school to be open in order capitalize on some of these pedagogical advantages of engaging overseas?

In instances when U.K. schools are working with experienced international school operators, I would suggest not.

With the development of Whitgift’s first international school in India, a co-branded school in Hyderabad called Sagebrook Academy, links were becoming fruitful just a month or two after the signing ceremony, and well over a year away from the anticipated opening date. In November, Whitgift collaborated with another established international school owned and operated by their new partner in India around the celebration of Diwali. Due to time differences around the celebration events in each school this collaboration was asynchronous in nature. After a couple of introductory calls with members of the leadership team at Suchitra Academy, the school produced three wonderful student-centred videos for Whitgift to make use within the school:

1. A video showcasing how families in Hyderabad celebrate Diwali.
2. A student-produced scripted animation explaining the story of Diwali.
3. A student-produced instructional video explaining how to create Ranjoli patterns and their significance.

The Diwali celebration video was premiered at a large Diwali evening event at Whitgift School for pupils and parents and all three videos have been shared widely throughout the Whitgift Community, and been made use of during special assemblies. In return for this wonderful contribution, Whitgift shared a video message of thanks from the Headmaster, which was sent to parents of Suchitra Academy, and a video showcasing the Diwali events at the school and how it was celebrated in the U.K. The positivity generated from a sharing of cultures through this small collaboration was fantastic .

It is envisaged that this first collaborative project is just the tip of the iceberg. Both schools have plans to collaborate again as part of Whitgift’s upcoming ‘Philanthropy week’ and early plans for pupil exchange programmes and a cricket tour to India during Sagebrook Academy’s first year of operation are underway.

As well as giving both sets of students a great opportunity to value each other’s contributions and learn from each other, the benefits of planning collaborative projects prior to opening have further helped cement an already strong relationship between partners. It has generated excitement within both communities and demonstrated a genuine commitment to collaborate with each other early in the relationship. This, in turn should give prospective parents at the new school in Hyderabad a taste of some of the benefits available through enrolment at a U.K. supported international school in a competitive international school market.

Source

David Bates, Whitgift School Director of International Education

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