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Key Principles for Catholic School Partnerships:

Linking for Global Justice

Key Principles for Catholic School Partnerships: Linking for Global Justice

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Contents

Foreword – The nature of partnership ............................................................................................................................................................................... 3

Introduction – Learning through partnership ............................................................................................................................................... 4

A school’s mission ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 5

CAFOD’s vision and values ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6

Making it work: Key principles for a successfulschool partnership ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 7

Living our gospel values: Partnership reflecting the Catholic ethos of the schoolSt Joseph’s Primary School .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 8

Loreto Grammar School ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9

Working together: The importance of reciprocity in planningJesuit Missions Companions’ Programme .................................................................................................................................................................................. 10

All Saints High School ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 11

Sharing the vision: Mutual learning and educational aimsOur Lady’s Primary School ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 12

St Cuthbert’s Catholic Community College for Business and Enterprise .............................................................. 13

Being local, thinking global: Embedding the global dimension in your schoolAll Saints and Great Crosby Primary Schools .................................................................................................................................................................... 14

Sacred Heart Catholic College ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 15

Muchmore than charity: Effective fundraisingSt Thomas More Primary School .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 16

Notre Dame High School .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 17

Keeping it alive: Sustaining your linkSt Joseph’s Primary School .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 18

St Francis’ Primary School ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 19

Further reading .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 20

Notes ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 21


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ForewordThe nature of partnership

We live in an interdependent global society, and, at CAFOD,partnership is central to our approach to all humanitarianand development work – working with organisations tobring about sustainable change. A critical feature ofpartnership is that it is mutual. It involves all parties in areciprocal relationship. Any partnership is defined by thefit between the different needs and offers we each bringto the table, and appreciating this mutuality is a criticalelement in understanding the deep sense of equality thatlies at the heart of genuine partnerships.

When I think about the nature of partnership, I recall astory I was told by a Tanzanian friend and colleague whenI was living in Tanzania in the 1990s.

There was once a valley with a mighty river runningthrough it. And every few years the rains would fall muchheavier than usual and the river would flood, filling mileaEer mile of its flood plain in the valley boFom. As theflood waters rose, everything that could run would runfrom the valley, everything that could fly would fly out ofthe valley, everything that could crawl would crawl out ofthe valley boFom and everything that could climb wouldclimb out of the reach of the rising flood.

A monkey sat on a branch of a tree just above the waterand stared down into the rushing torrent. As he looked, hesaw a mighty fish struggling in the tide just below wherehe sat, flicking its tail furiously just to keep from beingwashed away. The monkey, watching the fish struggle, feltcompassion for the fish and, reaching down, he scoopedthe fish out of the water and placed it safe in the top of thetree… where it died.

My friend used the story of the monkey and the fish todescribe the experience of so many local communities asboth international and home grown aid and developmentworkers arrived to offer them help. The lack of listening,the lack of dialogue, the concentration on problem solvingwithout reference to local knowledge and experience andthe actions and solutions imposed that often didn’t helpand sometimes made things worse, were a salutary lessonfor anyone seeking to step into another’s community.

School partnerships seem to me to present a wonderfulopportunity for building the antidote to acting like themonkey. It is an opportunity for school pupils to meeteach other as peers in a spirit of listening and dialogue, ofbuilding mutual understanding and of equality based onthe recognition of a shared humanity. It is an opportunity

to leaven the picture of the global south presented by ourmedia and charities’ communication materials, withinsights of their own developed through a peer to peerconnection. It allows them to look into each other’s worldand see something interesting and wonderful rather thansomething incomprehensible and frightening.

School partnerships have the potential to take pupils on ajourney, a journey where at the beginning they start froma place of compassion mixed with trepidation and a desireto help the ‘poor people,’ and at the end arrive in a placeof respect for the people they meet and learn about, witha deeper understanding of themselves. The journeyinvolves an evolution in many different assumptions onboth sides; assumptions about well being and wealth,about giving and receiving, about who is helping who, andwhat help really means.

The degree to which school partnerships are able tosupport children and young people from different culturesto undertake this journey of discovery for themselves, willsurely be a measure of its success.

Geoff O’Donoghue,International DivisionDirector, CAFOD


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IntroductionLearning through partnership

Schools and colleges across England andWales havehad a strong tradition of initiating school partnershipsto learn and act through working together.

In recent years, partnerships with schools in developingcountries have grown significantly.

This has been encouraged in no doubt by the increasedimportance of the global dimension in the curriculum andthe rolling out of government initiatives such as thepromotion of community cohesion, and the introduction ofthe Global School Partnerships Programme. Additionally,research into Catholic schools and colleges by CAFOD in2009, specifically cited how school partnerships were, forthem, inherently part of living out Catholic ethos. Theyhighlighted how partnerships were motivated by the beliefthat every single human being is part of God’s family,where striving for a just world, is an educative task for all,motivated by faith values. A desire to create opportunitiesfor mutually enriching experiences globally seemed to bethe right and natural thing to do.

At their best, school partnerships bring pupils together toquestion and respond creatively to issues, assumptions,worldviews and values. They are a very concrete way oflearning about the role we all play in the interdependentworld in which we live. They can also be an exciting,authentic and relevant way of embedding the globaldimension into the classroom, where teaching andlearning for both schools involved are enhanced. Theimpact for learners through partnerships can be profound.But the impact on teachers, parents and the whole schoolcommunity can also be significant.

Nonetheless, connecting with schools in developingcountries is not without its challenges. For example,what is the most effective way of enabling pupils towork towards tasks when the resources available in thepartnership are often markedly different? How do youexpand the connections between the local and global, orbuild collaborative relationships when communication isreliant on intermittent electricity supply, or where Englishis a second or third language? How can you ensure thateach school community in the partnership is able toexpress and listen to what is working and not working inthe partnership? What are the most effective methods forsustaining partnership across the school community?

CAFOD is an agency which has fifty years experience ofdelivering its work through local and national partnershipsin sixty of the poorest countries throughout the world. Wealso have thirty years experience of supporting globaleducation in England and Wales.

Over the last year in particular, we have listened to anddrawn from the practice of Catholic schools and collegeson linking with schools in the developing world; many ofwhom also work closely in partnership with us.

We hope this guidance booklet reflects the range ofschools’ experience and the best of our own internationaldevelopment partnership practice. It unpacks theconnection between the vision and mission of many of ourschools, and identifies some key principles to a successfulpartnership. It also signposts where we can support you inyour partnership journey.

The way in which we have put the booklet together meansit can be read from start to finish for those new to thepartnership process, or used as a resource which you candip in and out of. We have tried to make it as easy aspossible to use. For example, you will see that the keyprinciples for a successful school partnership are all laidout on page 7 and that the relevant one is repeated at thebeginning of each section to serve as a reminder.

We hope this guidance booklet helps you on a journeywhich has the potential to be incredibly rewarding foryou, colleagues, pupils and your partners.

Jo Kitterick,Head of Education,CAFOD


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A school’smission

Every Catholic school, with its own distinctive mission statement,expresses its sense of purpose and the place of faith in making thatpurpose manifest.

This vision shapes the daily life of the Catholic school as a communityand every aspect of its activity.

Partnership links, like any other activity, are an expression of aCatholic school’s mission and values, reflecting scripture and CatholicSocial Teaching.

A successful school partnership which embodies Gospel values willnaturally be reciprocal and promote the dignity and diversity of bothpartners; where the voices of our sisters and brothers in the global southcontribute equally to decision-making and a sharing of culture, valuesand education.

One family of God: Partnerships enable pupils to develop and demonstrateconcern for the well being of each other. This is founded on the understandingthat we are members of one family, responsible for one another because weare made in the image of God, and loved by God.

“…the Catholic education community… should clearly witness its belief in theuniqueness of the individual, made in God’s image and loved by God.”

(Evaluating the Distinctive Nature of the Catholic School, CES,1999)

Human dignity: School partnerships contribute towards our mission inCatholic education by helping pupils to recognise the full human dignity andinherent potential of each person, value diversity and promote concern for thecommon good of the global family.

“We believe that each person has a basic dignity that comes from God.”(The Common Good, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, 1996)

Social justice: Partnership schools in the global north and south canauthentically explore together the implications of making the preferentialoption for the poor a reality in our world.

“If we love others with charity, then first of all we are just towards them. Notonly is justice not extraneous to charity, not only is it not an alternative orparallel path to charity: justice is inseparable from charity and intrinsic to it.”

(Caritas in Veritate, Pope Benedict XVI, 2009)

Common good: Through acting in solidarity, we seek the common good andaim to bring about global social justice.

“The more we strive to secure a common good corresponding to the real needsof our neighbours, the more effectively we love them. Every Christian is calledto practise this…”

(Caritas in Veritate, Pope Benedict XVI, 2009)

“I have come so that allmay have life and haveit to the full”(John 10:10)


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CAFOD’s visionand values

The values that inspire our work are:

Compassion: Confronted by global poverty and suffering, our fundamentalresponse is compassion rooted in love. We refuse to accept the suffering ofour brothers and sisters and we are compelled to take action to alleviate it.

Hope: Our hope is inspired by Christian faith and the strength andresourcefulness of our partners and the people whom they serve. In theknowledge that Christian hope is not passive we believe that, by workingtogether, a better world can and must be achieved so that all can enjoyfullness of life.

Dignity: We believe in the intrinsic dignity of every person. We work with allpeople regardless of race, gender, religion or politics. We try always to be aninclusive and diverse organisation, which celebrates difference and createsrelationships of mutual respect.

Solidarity: We walk alongside poor and disadvantaged communities, makingtheir cause our cause, uniting in action and prayer. We share our resources,and we work together to challenge the policies and systems that keep peoplepoor so that the whole of humanity can flourish.

Partnership: We build links between poor communities in the global Southand the Catholic community in England and Wales. We work alongside ourpartners at home and overseas, acknowledging that we receive as well asgive. We work within, and beyond, our wider Catholic family seeking justice tochange our world for the better.

Sustainability: We recognise the intimate relationship between protectingand sustaining the environment and promoting human development; we aimto take proper account of ecological sustainability in our work and in ourlifestyle, believing we are enriched by living simply.

Stewardship: We strive to be good stewards of all the resources entrusted tous. We endeavour to be openly accountable for our work, transparent in ourdecision making, focusing on positive change through systematicallyevaluating our impact and effectiveness.

Our vision is a world transformedto reflect the Kingdom of God, aworld where:

� the rights and dignity of everyperson are respected

� all have access to basic needsin life

� women and men share equallyin shaping their societies andour world

� the gifts of creation are nurturedand shared by all for the commongood and

� the structures that shape people’slives are just and enable peace


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Making it work:Key principles for a successfulschool partnership

CAFOD’s commitment to partnership is driven by asense of mutual responsibility for each other and ourworld, and embodies the equality of all people.

Drawing on many years of experience of partnership,and our vision and values, we suggest the followingkey principles should be considered to create amutually beneficial, meaningful and sustainableinternational school partnership.

Partnership reflects the Catholic ethos of the schoolForming a partnership with another school can be apractical way of enabling students to express their faithand live out their school’s mission and values. Pupilscan demonstrate solidarity with their brothers andsisters across the world and value the dignity of everyhuman being. Engaging in a school partnership cansupport pupils on their faith journey, with positive changesbeing brought about when the voices of the South andNorth are brought together.

Working together: The importance of reciprocityin planningDeveloping shared objectives from the outset is essentialto ensuring the partnership is balanced and mutual.Partnership agreements can help to share expectationsand highlight the skills and resources each partner canoffer. Mutually agreed educational aims can be set out toensure learning from each other is explicit within theobjectives, that activities are managed jointly and thatboth partners participate in decision making.

Working together: Mutual learning andeducational aimsSchool partnerships provide opportunities to enhanceall curriculum areas. Clear educational objectives willhelp ensure both partner schools are benefittingeducationally through specific projects and activities ofthe partnership. A successful partnership is one wherea shared agenda enables ideas and activities to benefitboth partner schools.

Embedding the global dimension in your schoolA school partnership can help to deliver aspects of globaleducation in a school, providing opportunities for childrenand young people to gain knowledge and understandingand to analyse a number of global issues. It can help themdevelop critical thinking skills and the ability to challengeinjustice. It will also help develop values and attitudesthrough a respect for diversity and a belief that they canreally help to bring about positive change.

Fundraising for the partnershipSuccessful partnerships grow out of equality, and thequestion of financial aid may be a difficult one to address.Schools may want to support their link school byfundraising for the partner school and community, but itcan be very difficult for the school receiving aid to feelthey are contributing on an equal basis.

Partnership agreements can help to address the questionof fundraising and you may want to consider how anyfundraising can benefit the partnership itself, such asresourcing activities and exchanges.

Sustaining the partnershipEstablishing a long term relationship with your partnerschool takes a lot of time and effort. The involvement of across-section of the school community will help to ensurethe partnership is sustainable. Agreeing shared objectives,length of time for the link, and including regular, sharedreviews will help to guarantee it is active and sustainable.

We’ll now explore each of these principles by lookingat actual case studies from schools that have beeninvolved in linking projects.


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Partnership reflecting the Catholic ethos of the schoolForming a partnership with another school can be a practical way of enabling students to expresstheir faith and live out their school’s mission and values. Pupils can demonstrate solidarity withtheir brothers and sisters across the world and value the dignity of every human being. Engaging ina school partnership can support pupils on their faith journey, with positive changes being broughtabout when the voices of the South and North are brought together.

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For St Joseph’s in Pudsey, the decisionto form a school partnership was anexpression of the ethos and mission ofthe school, a belief that all thathappens at school, from the curriculumto pastoral care, has the potential tobear witness to Gospel values.

Relationships between local schools inthe area help ensure pupils from diversebackgrounds have opportunities to meetand explore their similarities anddifferences, providing global experiencesat a local level. “Inclusion is aboutlearning about everyone, not only thoseon the other side of the world,” explainsSt Joseph’s Year 1 teacher, MartinDurkin. St Joseph’s is, predominantly, awhite British school, and the teacherswere keen to diversify the children’sexperiences. St Joseph’s chose Year 3 to

link with other local schools because ofthe opportunities for shared sacramentallearning during preparation forReconciliation and First Holy Communion.

Activities with St Joseph’s partnershipschool in Iraq have been planned anddiscussed by the children themselvesduring school council meetings. Pupilshave been exchanging photographs andwriting letters to each other, andlessons around the photographs havetaken place in both schools. St Joseph’swas looking for long term friendshipsthat were human, transformative andsustainable – in the context of a schoolthat is proud of being Catholic. Therehave been challenges with ensuringsuch sustainability, but the schoolworks hard at personal relationships tosustain the links.

Staff across the school are closelyinvolved with the school partnership.Their involvement comes from thesame sense of mission and ethos that

categorises the link, and the benefits ofthe link permeate all aspects of schoollife. A high level of involvement fromthe children themselves is also vital forsustainability. Year 3 pupils who spokeat the school council drove the agendafor St. Joseph’s link with Iraq. Childrenare consulted on potential problemareas and, through discussion, they areable to move links forward. This isparticularly apt as the school’s motto is‘Facta non Verba’ which translates as:‘Don’t talk about it, do it!’

“Our children have learnt so muchabout life in other countries andhave been able to teach othersbecause of this.”(Teacher at St Joseph’s, Martin Durkin)

(Above and right) Pupils from St Joseph'spacking materials to exchange with theirpartner school in Iraq, and right, the schoolpartnership display in the classroom

CASE STUDY

Loreto Grammar School’s mission isrooted in Gospel values. The staff atLoreto perceive today’s need as one ofeducating and inspiring young, Catholicwomen to take on leadership roles intheir parishes, communities and futureplaces of work and to help them in fullyliving out their faith in an increasinglychallenging society.

Involvement in the internationalLoreto community means students areactively putting into practice the valueswhich their school instils in them. Thestudents and staff in Calcutta arebrothers and sisters in solidarity, andupholding the values of justice andsolidarity is an important motivationfor Loreto.

Loreto facilitates yearly visits toCalcutta for its students, and those whovisit the linked school act as workersand student mentors, observing lessonsin the classrooms and working closelywith the children.

Sister Cyril runs Loreto Day School inthe Sealdah district of Calcutta. Shetalks of education as a liberatingexperience which must be open to allbecause it has the potential tochallenge social structures. For thestudents in Loreto involved in the visits,“their lives will be forever touched andenhanced by a wonderfully enriching

experience” says Loreto Chaplain, CathCainen. The students who visit Calcuttareturn wiser with their horizonsbroadened and their sensibilitiesdeepened, and they come away witha greater awareness of the socialfactors affecting people’s lives inCalcutta, she explains.

Loreto has found it difficult to keep themantra of ‘justice and not generosity’as a guide. The school fundraises forthe partnership, but for Loreto, thepupils and staff in Calcutta are ‘sistersin solidarity,’ and it is sharing cultures,learning from each other and prayingtogether that will ensure a lasting,meaningful partnership.

“It is an enriching experiencefor both the schools. We arelooking forward to strengtheningour bonds.”(Principal of Loreto in Calcutta, Marie Gasper)

CASE STUDY

� A school partnership can help children and young peopleon their journey of faith by engaging them with the issuesof global poverty and injustice

� Forming partnerships with local schools can achieve asense of community cohesion and can strengthen yourlinks with overseas schools, demonstrating how the localand global are interconnected

� Has your motivation to form a partnership come outof your mission as a Catholic school? Are yourschool’s values reflected in the partnership’s activitiesand exchanges?

� A relationship that reflects your school’s ethos andmission is one where there is equal learning. Are both

schools gaining educationally, and are the voices of bothschools involved in the decision making?

� ‘We are CAFOD’ is a useful resource to demonstrate howCAFOD’s work is driven by a mission based on Gospelvalues. This resource can be used in your classroom todemonstrate how your school link reflects how yourmission and ethos is rooted in Gospel values.

� CAFOD’s worship resources, prayers, liturgies andreflections, can help you to bring reflections on socialjustice and poverty into your classroomwww.cafod.org.uk/resources

Reflection points


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(Above) Students from Loreto workingwith pupils from their partner school inCalcutta, India

(Above) Students from Loreto who held a‘Taste of India evening’ to introduce theirpartner school to the community


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The importance of reciprocity in planningDeveloping shared objectives from the outset is essential to ensuring the partnership is balanced andmutual. Partnership agreements can help to share expectations and highlight the skills and resourceseach partner can offer. Mutually agreed educational aims can be set out to ensure learning from eachother is explicit within the objectives, that activities are managed jointly and that both partnersparticipate in decision making.

Partnership agreements can also encourage staff commitment, in addition to accounting for differentacademic timetables and priorities. A partnership agreement is a way in which to engage the partnersand predict and resolve issues, leading to mutual understanding and respect.

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The Jesuit Companions’ Programmeis an international partnershipprogramme linking young people inJesuit-run schools in the UK with youngpeople in Jesuit-run schools indeveloping countries.

For Development Education Coordinatorof the Companions’ Programme,Ashleigh Callow, “the principle ofreciprocity is very important inpartnerships”. This principle aims toempower pupils in both schools withthe opportunity to share ideas andglobal concerns through the curriculum.

“Partnership is defined by findingareas of mutual collaboration.”(Development Education Coordinator,

Ashleigh Callow)

The programme encourages schools tocreate a partnership agreement at thestart of the relationship so both schoolsare aware of each other’s expectations.Further to this, to ensure regular

exchanges and learning opportunitiestake place, and that different academictimetables are accounted for, it isuseful to establish an annualprogramme of exchange. There areusually two exchanges of some sorteach term, whether shared activitiesthat link to the curriculum, an exchangeof cultural artefacts, or photographsand videos.

“The connection with the outsideworld has boosted morale.”(Teacher at St Peter’s Kubatana, Zimbabwe)

Joint curriculum work and thoroughplanning is important for the exchangesbetween partner schools. For theCompanions’ Programme, it isimportant to have committed teachersto work on the agreement and to carryout the work in each of the schools sothat the challenges of busy timetablesand communication barriers areovercome to help sustain a mutuallyenriching partnership.

One UK school involved in theCompanions’ Programme, BarlboroughHall, Chesterfield, used Barnaby Bear to

make the idea of a partnership schoolmore accessible to their youngerchildren. The bear was taken on a visitto their partnership school, MakumbiPrimary in Zimbabwe, to gatherinformation for the children. He broughtback an African alphabet frieze, createdby pupils at Makumbi Primary, showingelements of Zimbabwean culture, aswell as some drawings and photos fromthe school.

Other schools have decided on a themeeach term for the different year groups,and these themes guide and shape theexchange. For example, St Mary’s Hall,Lancashire, and St Paul’s Primary,Zimbabwe are developing a scheme ofwork around sustainable living, whichincludes both schools exploring theirtreatment of the environment througha ‘Carbon footprint’ quiz, completingworksheets on the use of water andcomparing climate and crops.

The activity exchanges are enhanced byshared celebration days where thewhole school can be involved, forexample, Africa Day, World EnvironmentDay, World AIDS Day, school feast days,Easter and Christmas.

“Our children are learning a lot.Some of themwere quite shy tocommunicate, now they are growingin confidence in writing le9ers.”(Teacher at Mukumbi Primary, Zimbabwe)

CASE STUDY

(Above and right) Barnaby bear fromCompanions’ Programme school, BalboroughHall and alphabet work from a Companions’Programme school in Zimbabwe


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In July 2009, a group of six studentsfrom All Saints went to Uganda to workwith local young leaders from threeschools in Uganda. They were helpingto organise and deliver a two-daysports tournament in local primaryschools, as part of the British Counciland the Dreams and Teams initiative.

The Dreams and Teams programmewas created to encourage young peoplein Uganda to develop their leadershipskills. For All Saints, developingleadership skills for their studentswould aim to address negativestereotypes and enable students tounderstand what it means to live in aglobal community.

The partnership strengthened theinternational element of all schoolsinvolved, and both partners embraced

the opportunity to share teachingmethods and different approaches toenvironmental sustainability plans.

The interaction between the youngleaders to successfully plan and delivera two-day festival was a rewardingexperience for all involved. Linkcoordinator and teacher David Faulknerexplains that working with youngleaders at St Francis’ school for theblind had helped students at All Saintschange the way they see disability.“They understand the challenges inSoroti and feel privileged to have beenable to share in Ugandan culture withtheir partner schools,” he says. AllSaints students learnt to recognise thechallenges that Ugandan children face,and gained an insight into how youngleaders were responsible for the day today running of the school.

All Saints are also planning to host areciprocal festival in Sheffield withyoung leaders from Soroti Secondaryschool, Katine Secondary school and St

Francis school for the blind, inviting allthe Year 5 Catholic feeder schoolstudents in the Sheffield area.

As the partnership develops into thenext stage, ‘Connecting Classrooms’,organised by the British Council, eachpartner is completing a partnershipportfolio which details how theeducation authorities and schools willwork together over the next three yearperiod, agreeing activities and projectsthat support education for globalcitizenship. For example, in year one ofthe next phase, the partner schools planto develop and sustain the environmentin their schools through an EnvironmentAwareness programme, a sharing ofsustainable development programmes,from planting trees and improvingfarming techniques, to recycling.

“We are the ones who need tochange things, we need to passthings on, to tell people. Everyoneis part of the world.”(Link coordinator and teacher, David Faulkner)

CASE STUDY

� School partnerships are most effective when the elementof reciprocity is a driving factor, demonstrating equalpartnership in action

� Linking with a school that already has an establishedprogramme of exchange can be mutually beneficial

� Think about the challenges of communication whenworking together, particularly where English is not thefirst language of your partner school. Are you familiarwith cultural norms?

� Consider your reasons for selecting the school you areworking with. Is there a commitment to learning from theexperiences of people from diverse backgrounds?

� A school partnership can provide opportunities for peerleadership in your own school. CAFOD’s leadershipmaterials can help you to promote peer leadership.www.cafod.org.uk/secondary

� Look on CAFOD’s website for an example of a partnershipagreement and other materials to help you with planningwith your partnership school

Reflection points

(Above and right) Sixth Form students fromAll Saints on a visit to Uganda to work withyoung leaders from their partner schooland children from local primary schools.


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Mutual learning and educational aimsSchool partnerships provide opportunities to enhance all curriculum areas. Clear educationalobjectives will help ensure both partner schools are benefitting educationally through specificprojects and activities of the partnership. A successful partnership is one where a shared agendaenables ideas and activities to benefit both partner schools.

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Our Lady’s Primary School is part of acluster of schools linked to Zanzibarthrough Sazani Associates andCyfanfyd, the national membershiporganisation promoting education forsustainable development in Wales.Recent curriculum changes anddevelopments were major factors thatprompted Our Lady’s to join the clusterand the school was keen to expandPSHE to help their pupils gain a deepersense of the world in which they live.

The schools in the cluster focus ontopics associated with rural livelihoodsand food,and have developed a numberof shared curriculum materials thatsupport the global dimension in Wales,and social studies in Zanzibar.

After discussion with the Zanzibariteachers, topics were identified andeach school has taken responsibility fora particular theme: Tourism; Transportand Communications; FamilyRelationships and Conflict Resolution;Water; Governance and Social Justice;

Identity and Culture; Human Rights;Food Production and Food Consumption.

Our Lady’s Primary is focusing onhuman rights and has developed thecurriculum through a shared explorationof child labour in various subjects:

In Key Stage 1: For DT/Art, pupilscreate a collage that explores aspectsof child labour, and in English, they areintroduced to stories about children’sexperiences of working. For Geography,children learn about places in the worldthat children work.

In Key Stage 2: In Geography, pupilsexplore the issues of child labourthrough interviews and conductingsurveys and in English, pupils usecreative writing to express their feelingsabout child labour. In Maths, pupilsanalyse child labour statistics and inReligious Education, role play helpspupils empathise and understand thecontext of child labour.

In addition to the added value ofcurriculum development, there hasbeen improved staff and pupilmotivation in the schools. Our Lady’s

teachers and pupils have gained agreater awareness of the value ofcultural diversity and have been able toshare the dreams and aspirations ofchildren in Zanzibar. Reciprocal visitshave provided exposure to differenteducation systems and the adoption ofnew teaching styles. “With today’sreliance on computers and multi mediatechnology, it was so refreshing to seechildren and teachers going to schooland learning without all thistechnology,” says Our Lady’s linkcoordinator, Jo Conway.

From a Zanzibar perspective, theschools are also benefitting from anexchange of cultures and professionaldevelopment. The topics have beenchosen from a Welsh and a Zanzibarfocus, and shared teaching materialsthat have been developed benefit bothpartners, schools and children.

“We were clear from the outset thatthis link is to do with sharingthoughts and ideas, highlightingwhat are our wants and needs. Thechildren can then focus on positiveimages of Zanzibar.”(Our Lady’s link coordinator, Jo Conway)

CASE STUDY

(Above and right) Pupils from Our Lady’slearning about their partner school’scountry, Zanzibar


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St Cuthbert’s Community College is partof The Co-operative project linkingschools to learn about Fairtrade issues.

St Cuthbert’s had been activelysupporting Fairtrade and incorporatingFairtrade issues into college life throughtheir work in RE and the SecondaryEnterprise curriculum. It recognisedhow a school partnership would helpto expand on the work already takingplace, by adding the perspectives ofpeople in developing countries whopromote Fairtrade.

“Their objective was for the studentsto ‘make a difference’ in the schoolcommunity, the wider communityand the global community.”(Head of RE, Catherine Hughes)

Students from St Cuthbert’s travelled toTanzania and friendships were madewith the students from St Cuthbert’smeeting local students from theWazalendo High School in Moshi. Ontheir return the students spoke aboutTanzania at conferences and assemblies.

A number of Tanzanian studentstravelled to the UK to visit St Cuthbert’s,taking part in lessons and learningabout the UK education system andvisiting other local schools .

Through the partnership and reciprocalvisits, by exchange of emails andletters, there has been a wealth ofsharing of information and resources.St Cuthbert’s is working on a Fairtradepack for both schools involved in thepartnership. In KS4, students completea six week module on Fairtrade duringtheir Enterprise curriculum. The moduleaims to help students to learn moreabout other cultures and how Fairtradecan change the lives of people living indeveloping countries. Having thisopportunity to learn from each otherwas the main focus, and has been themain benefit, of the partnership.

St Cuthbert’s was keen from the outsetthat in order to sustain a relationshipwith its partnership school there had tobe an equal commitment from bothsides, with equal input.

“We can’t all go to Africa to makea difference but we can help here.We can impact on someone’s life.”(Head of RE, Catherine Hughes)

At the start of the partnershipfundraising was a feature, with StCuthbert’s contributing to variousTanzanian school projects. As therelationship progressed, the linkdeveloped into more of a mutualsharing partnership. Fundraising is apart of the experience, but does notdefine it, the rich elements of sharingsustain the partnership; the curriculumwork, sharing of information aboutFairtrade, and sharing of experiencesthrough letters and emails, and thedevelopment and sharing of teachingresources for students.

CASE STUDY

� School partnerships can help students develop anunderstanding of how local and global are interconnected,and of the impacts actions have at both levels

� Developing teaching resources with your partner schoolcan be valuable in terms of professional development

� Consider what your educational objectives are, and howyou will assess the educational outcome. With differentcurricula, timetables and priorities, mutual learning willnot necessarily be the same for both schools

� How will you manage the frequency and method ofexchanges with your partner school? Are you able toappoint key members of coordinating staff in bothschools to ensure effective communication?

� CAFOD is a founding member of the Fairtrade Foundation,working with partners in many countries across the worldto support Fairtrade programmes and initiatives. CAFOD’sFairtrade resources can be used in the classroom to showthe difference that Fairtrade is making to the lives ofpeople living in some of the world’s poorest countrieswww.cafod.org.uk/resources

� CAFOD overseas partners often visit schools to share theirexperiences. Contact your local diocesan office to find outmore about partner visits, and how we can furthersupport the mutual learning that takes place in yourpartnershipwww.cafod.org.uk/uk

Reflection points

(Above and right) Students from St Cuthbert’slearning about Fairtrade in partner schoolin Moshi, Tanzania


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Embedding the global dimension in your schoolA school partnership can help to deliver aspects of global education in a school, providingopportunities for children and young people to gain knowledge and understanding and to analyse anumber of global issues. It can help them develop critical thinking skills and the ability to challengeinjustice. It will also help develop values and attitudes through a respect for diversity and a beliefthat they can really help to bring about positive change.

The Waterloo Partnership is a registered UK charity run by volunteers and was set up in 2005 by two commiFees,one in Merseyside, one in Sierra Leone. Sacred Heart Catholic College, All Saints Catholic Primary and Great CrosbyCatholic Primary have established partnerships with schools in Sierra Leone alongside this community link. They havesecured funding from DFID’s Global Curriculum Project to enable mutual teacher visits and curriculum development.B

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The school partnerships were set up tobring together people from the twocommunities to increase understandingof one another, develop effectivecommunication between the twocommunities and work towards wholeschool involvement in curricular areas.

In 2007, funding was secured for tenteachers from the cluster to visitpartnership schools in Sierra Leone, andas a result they created a CitizenshipCurriculum called The Learning Journey,where the partnership with Sierra Leoneis embedded in the PSHE and Citizenshipwork throughout the schools.

In Key Stage 1: The Learning Journeyintroduces children to sustainabledevelopment. Through exploration oflocal products and farming, childrendesign a sustainable living board game

in Art and Design lessons. Other lessonsinclude visiting local farms to see howfood is produced, compared with SierraLeone, and exploring the uses ofdifferent building styles in the twocountries. Pupils in Year 1 at GreatCrosby had been comparing farmingand crops in the two countries and werereally interested in how weather affectsnot just the crops, but also children’slives. The recent floods and disastersthroughout the world, which thechildren had seen on the news, alsostrengthened this interest.

In Key Stage 2: Pupils build on theirLearning Journey by exploring thediversity of cultures through dance andmusic. Using a DVD of traditionaldancing in Sierra Leone, exploration ofrhythm and beat are incorporated intoYear 5 Music lessons.

“Dear God, Help us to unite withour twin partners. Help us tostrengthen our love for each otherand in all that we do. Amen.”(Child from All Saints Primary)

Years 4, 5 and 6 develop the SEALcurriculum with a focus on wider issues ofviolence and disharmony in society, suchas at football matches. They also discussthe impact of civil war in Sierra Leone andlearn about what reconciliation hasmeant for the communities.

Great Crosby Primary’s partnershipschool in Sierra Leone, KankaylayIslamic Primary School uses Drama,

Music, Art and Cooking in theircurriculum for Years 3 to 6 to exploreUK culture. Like Great Crosby, theschool looks at ways in which the localcommunity can join together todevelop the Learning Journeycurriculum areas, for example byinviting local members of the farmingcommunity to discuss farming methodsand food distribution, and comparingthis to UK methods.

The school partnership has helpedchildren at Great Crosby and All Saintsfocus on similarities instead ofdifferences, and has made them muchmore aware of other cultures,increasing their awareness andempathy with the wider world.

“I hope this friendship would continueas the programme progresses,especially for the benefit of the twoinstitutions and its people.”(Head teacher of Kankaylay Islamic PrimarySchool, Sierra Leone)

CASE STUDY

(Above) Teacher from All Saints on a visitto partner school in Sierra Leona, and(right) teaching assistant from GreatCrosby introducing netball to pupils inpartner school in Sierra Leone


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‘Developing Waterloo’ is a simulationunit that was developed for Year 8Geography at Sacred Heart College. Itenables pupils to appreciate some ofthe real life problems in communities inSierra Leone, and to think creativelyabout tackling some of the issues.Pupils explore the unit through aPowerPoint of images from Waterloo,Sierra Leone, an information sheet withdevelopment facts and a map of thearea. Pupils research the effects of thecivil war, how the sewage systems leadto contamination of water, the causesof malaria, and healthcare and literacyrates in Waterloo and they createimprovement plans, exploring what canbe done to tackle these underlyingcauses of poverty.

“TheWaterloo Partnership shouldbe singled out as an outstandingexample of the school’s globalconcern, in this case for the peopleof Sierra Leone.”(Sacred Heart College Section 48 Inspection)

Friendships have developed betweenthe partnership schools, and exchangesof letters, photographs and documentshas had an impact on several areas ofthe curriculum.

The partnership contributes greatlyto the personal and professionaldevelopment of the teachers, exposingstaff in both countries to very differentteaching and learning contexts tobroaden their commitment to teach theglobal dimension.

Maintaining dialogue is a crucial part ofthe partnership in order to overcomechallenges, such as ensuring that anyfundraising efforts are educational.Contact between the schools cansometimes be difficult, and the WaterlooCharity has paid for internet facilities toensure effective communication.

The schools in both countries focus onways of working together with otherschools in their community tocollaborate and develop curricular areas,and to extend the global links by helping

school communities to develop their ownglobal partnerships. As the partnership isembedded in the PSHE and Citizenshipwork of the schools, maintaining therelationship is really important, and withtopics as diverse as climate change,resolving conflict and sustainable living,there is ample opportunity to use the linkto bring the global dimension into all ofthe schools involved.

CASE STUDY

� There is a global dimension to all curriculum subjects.The eight concepts of the global dimension provide aframework for cross curricular work see ‘Developing aGlobal Dimension in the School Curriculum’ for moreinformation (DFID, 2000)

� School partnerships can help students acquire criticalthinking skills, and the ability to apply these at local andglobal levels

� How can children and young people make decisions aboutactivities and exchanges to shape your partnership? Asglobal citizens, are your children investigating the rootcauses of development issues? Community campaigns area great way for children and young people to take action

� What does the global dimension look like in yourpartner school?

� CAFOD’s teacher’s resources support the eight keyconcepts of the global dimension, and can help embed aglobal dimension into partnership exchanges.Assemblies, Powerpoints and schemes of work can befound online to challenge and inspire your pupils to takeaction for global justice. www.cafod.org.uk/primarywww.cafod.org.uk/secondary

� School partnerships offer significant scope for teacherprofessional development. Ensure staff involved are ableto integrate justice issues into whole school planningacross the curriculum. CAFOD’s INSET programme offerstraining in the global dimension. If your school isinterested contact [email protected]

Reflection points

(Above and right) Year 8 students at SacredHeart working on the ‘Developing Waterloo’unit in Geography


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Effective fundraisingSuccessful partnerships grow out of equality, and the question of financial aid may be a difficult oneto address. Schools may want to support their link school by fundraising for the partner school andcommunity, but it can be difficult for the school receiving aid to feel like they are contributing to thewider link on an equal basis, and could even lead to a culture of dependence on financial aid.

Partnership agreements can help to address the question of fundraising and youmay want to considerhow any fundraising can benefit the partnership itself, such as resourcing activities and exchanges.

Many schools fundraise for development charities as an opportunity for engagement with real worldissues. Your school partnership can help pupils explore issues of poverty and development, andthrough learning about development pupils can recognise their role as global citizens. By supportingCAFOD, they are reaching out to hundreds of thousands of people living in poverty. By sharing ourfinancial resources as a Catholic community we have a greater impact and can domuchmore togetherthan we can alone. CAFODworks with local partners across a wide sector working in sixty countries,ensuring good stewardship of funds with continuous monitoring.

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Head teacher of St Thomas More,Clare Greenwood, formed a personallink with schools in Uganda andTanzania in her role as deputy headin her previous school St Mary’s.

The main purpose in developing theserelationships was to help childrenimprove their understanding of childrenliving in different parts of the world.Clare wanted pupils to focus on thesimilarities in each other’s lives, ratherthan the differences.

Through a focus on similarities ratherthan differences, pupils at St ThomasMore are developing empathy, asopposed to sympathy, as a result of thepartnership with the schools in

Tanzania and Uganda. During a recentOfsted visit, one child told an inspector:“We have been learning what it feelslike to be a child in Uganda.” Pupilsacross the partnership are exposed todifferent cultures and their values, andare gaining more awareness of globaldevelopment issues.

St Thomas More was aware of thefundraising expectation in partnershipschools and from the outset workedwith partner head teachers to develop amutually enriching partnership, whereboth schools benefit from learningexperiences for pupils and staff alike.This has proved to be one of the mainchallenges coming out of thepartnership experience, as the schoolwere keen not to be seen as acharitable fund. The fundraising thatthey do is sustainable and in thecontext of learning.

For St Thomas More, visits are a strongand effective way of maintaining thepartnership. For four years there havebeen visits to Uganda and Tanzania.Small groups of teenagers from Clare’sparish were also able to visit Ugandaand Tanzania and meet the childrenfrom the partner schools. The key tosustaining the partnerships for ClaireGreenwood is not the frequency of theinteractions but rather that they dohappen, they are planned and they arecarried out effectively to benefit bothsides of the partnership.

“We have been learning what it feelslike to be a child in Uganda.”(A pupil at St Thomas More)

CASE STUDY

(Above and right) Children from Kankobeplaying the literacy games made by partnerschool St Mary’s, and Clare Greenwood withstudents from partner school in Tanzania


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Notre Dame High School establishedtheir partnership with Malawi throughthe British Council Comenius project,joining as a cluster with three feederprimary schools.

Enabling students to learn about globalissues, and helping them move awayfrom stereotypical ideas about thedeveloping world were majormotivating factors for Notre Dame toform a partnership link.

For Notre Dame, the link with Malawi issustained through the development ofcurriculum material. Embedding Malawiinto the curriculum ensures the globaldimension and the experiences ofpeople living in the linked school are a

real part of the school. The partnershipwith Malawi has helped the school toreinterpret the national curriculum, andICT, for example, has become so muchmore engaging and exciting usingMalawi as a basis for the work.

The question of fundraising was raisedearly in the partnership, and both sidesrecognised that expectations needed tobe clarified to ensure the partnershipwas sustainable. After consultationsthat shaped their partnershipagreement, the schools decided a setamount would be raised for the schoolin Malawi each year, and that the focuscould then move on to learningopportunities for all staff and pupilsinvolved in the partnership.

The global dimension is apparentthroughout the curriculum. Notre Damestudents are engaged with wider issues

of social justice and they fundraise asa means of taking action. During theautumn term, the school holdsassemblies that focus on a Harvesttheme of 'Sharing Our wealth' wherestudents are encouraged to inviteothers to help by sponsoring them fora walk. Three major national charitiesare chosen to benefit from the fundsraised. As a Catholic school, NotreDame support CAFOD as one of thesecharities, this year raising over £3,000for CAFOD’s development work.

“There is so much on our doorstep.Trying to bring the real world intothe classroom does not have tobe international”(Teacher at Notre Dame, Alex Savage)

CASE STUDY

� Purely financial aims of a partnership can underminethe educational aims, and can lead to a dependence onaid and a promotion of stereotypical views on povertyand development

� The learning that takes place in school through yourpartnership can encourage children and young people tostand up to injustice through fundraising for CAFOD whichtackles the root causes of poverty and reaches those mostin need

� Consider the story of the monkey and the fish from theforeword and think about the difference between theneeds of your partnership school, and your need as aschool to help. How does fundraising fit into this?

� Many schools find it useful to talk about fundraising onceeducational aims have been established. A partnership

agreement can help ensure any fundraising is educationaland supports the activities of the link

� There are periods in the year where the Church asks us tothink about our neighbours living in poverty, and to standup as global citizens. CAFOD’s Fast Day initiatives at Lentand Harvest are a great way to raise money to supportpeople living in poverty, while learning more about theworld at the same time

� CAFOD can provide fundraising resources and trainingthat integrate global justice and Gospel values into thecurriculum. Initiatives such as Fast Days and World Giftsenable schools to fundraise and provide informationabout how their money is making a real difference.www.cafod.org.uk/fundraising

Reflection points

(Above and right) Teachers from UK clusterof schools who formed partnerships withthree schools in Malawi


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Sustaining your linkEstablishing a long term relationship with your partner school takes a lot of time and effort.The involvement of a cross-section of the school community will help to ensure the partnership issustainable. Agreeing shared objectives, length of time for the link, and including regular, sharedreviews will help to guarantee it is active and sustainable.

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St Joseph’s has enjoyed an internationalpartnership with a Kenyan school fortwelve years, a link that was establishedand is maintained through the personalcontact of a teacher. St Joseph’s is alsoa member of the Pendle NetworkLearning School Community, which linksten local schools in East Lancashire.

“This network of schools providesclose links and experiences of othersecular schools, faiths and ethnicdiversity, all of which enrich thespiritual and moral teaching withinschool leading to greaterunderstanding of social cohesionand difference. The impact can beseen in the free discussion whereall beliefs, a9itudes and opinionsare considered sensitively.”(St Joseph’s Catholic Primary Section48 Inspection)

St Joseph’s wanted to enrich theirpupils’ lives through introducing themto new experiences and cultures.Through linking with local schools ofdifferent backgrounds and makeup,children recognise and respect differentvalues, beliefs and faiths within theirown community, celebrating differentschool communities and promotingsocial cohesion. Head teacher CathyMcDonald explains: “You don’t have tolook far from your doorstep to get aglobal dimension to life.”

For Cathy, effective working withpartner staff overseas relies on arelationship of trust, understanding andsupport, and so continuity of staff iscrucial for sustaining such links

overseas. To sustain relationships andbeneficial learning, it is also importantto be flexible, be prepared to changeand constantly review and redefinerelationships with partnership schools.

Being part of the Pendle networkmeans St Joseph’s can share resourceswith other schools, attend joint trainingsessions, and have access to sharedfunds. The network runs projects forteachers and pupils such as an annualthemed week where schools cometogether to decide upon commonprojects that enrich the curriculum,and develop children’s knowledgeand understanding.

“Global doesn’t have to mean on theother side of the world. It can meanon your doorstep.”(Head teacher of St Joseph’s, Cathy McDonald)

This year’s theme was the environment.The children received visits from libraryservices, and participated inenvironmental group workshops andactivities revolving around music,drama, dance and cooking.

Linking with local schools in the Pendlenetwork has brought great benefits toSt Joseph’s in terms of communitycohesion. As a predominantly whiteschool, connecting with schools withdifferent backgrounds has broughtnew experiences of different cultures,strengthening the local community andproviding opportunities for inclusion forsome marginalised communities.

Pupils learn about their partner schoolin Kenya through video and photos the

teacher brings back from the schoolevery year. The Kenyan partnership isan important feature of the life of StJoseph’s and is complemented by thelocal partnerships through the Pendlenetwork, which provides more direct,immediate contact between pupils thatcannot be readily achieved through thelink with Kenya. The two initiatives, localand global, enable the school to gain aninsight into other schools, learn andshare new ideas, experience a range ofactivities which would normally be toocostly, and give pupils a betterunderstanding of diversity and differencesbetween schools and localities.

CASE STUDY

(Above) An exchange between schools inthe Pendle Schools Network around thetheme of ‘Multicultural Week’


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St Francis’ Year 3 and 4 classes werecreating a project on Tanzania for theirstudy on less economically developedcountries. For teacher Rebecca Harding,the opportunity to link with a school inTanzania would provide pupils and staffwith a deeper awareness of globaldevelopment issues, help the pupilsexplore different cultures and values,and benefit teachers by sharingresources with those overseas.

The children of St Francis’ havedeveloped a greater understanding ofdifferent cultures, they have learned toappreciate diversity and understanddifferences in beliefs and cultures. Thechildren have really benefitted fromlearning about children in othercountries and, through webcam, emailcontact and a pen pal scheme, havedeveloped friendships in Tanzania andIndia. Learning about Tanzania willcontinue into secondary school.

An after-school international club wasset up specifically for work on thepartnerships with Tanzania and India.

St Francis’ invited a famous Indiancellist to the school during their ArtWeek and, through the use of webcams,linked up with the school in India toshare the experience. Weekly emailsthrough the international club enableboth pupils and staff to learn aboutIndia on a personal and country level,and St Francis’ is currently organising aschool visit from India to the UK. Thesevisits, combined with regular visits andcontact through the secondary school,have enabled St Francis’ to develop theGeography curriculum. The informationand resources from both Indian andTanzanian countries and culture haveenriched the curriculum work.

“In India, 14th November isnamed as Children’s Day as itis the birth anniversary of firstPrimeMinister of India, PanditJawaharlal Nehru. Every yearour school organises a fete andfare on Children’s Day.”(Extract from a letter from a pupil at St Francis’partner school in India)

Through embedding Tanzanian andIndian themes into creative arts suchas music and dance, St Francis’ haveenabled their pupils to have a greaterunderstanding of the world around them.

Reciprocal visits are important forSt Francis in order to sustain thepartnership, so as to keep the link aliveand real for the children. However, theschool recognises that funding trips isexpensive. The international club is avery practical way in which to sustainthe partnership and continue to enablechildren to learn about their partnershipschool’s country.

“Through our international club,our children have the excellentopportunity to learn about differentcountries and cultures in a fun andexciting way!”(Teacher at St Francis’, Rebecca Harding)

CASE STUDY

� A school partnership with a local school providesopportunities to explore global issues at a local level.Local school partnerships also contribute towardscommunity cohesion

� Sustaining your partnership takes time and commitmentfrom both staff and pupils. Enthusiastic staff to manageand organise the link is essential for a successfulpartnership, as paperwork and applications for fundingcan be time consuming. Involve your senior managementteam and include the partnership in your schooldevelopment plan

� Without support across the school, what might happen toyour school partnership if the lead link coordinator leftthe school?

� The nature of your partnership may change over time.Are you regularly reviewing and monitoring your aims andobjectives? What are the positive changes in attitudes andactions of your pupils as a result of your school partnership?

� Benefits of school partnerships can be realised in extracurricular activities, such as the international club at StFrancis’. CAFOD action groups are a great way to continueto engage children and young people as a result of theschool partnership. To find out how to set up an actiongroup and for support and resources contact your localdiocesan office at www.cafod.org.uk/uk

� CAFOD can help to inspire and motivate your link byvisiting your school to talk about our work. We can leadassemblies or a classroom activity on a global issue, inputin off-timetable days and events, as well as share storiesabout our work around the world. These visits can helpyou to sustain your link as well as helping you to embedthe global dimension in your curriculum. Please contactyour local CAFOD office to book your CAFOD visitor.www.cafod.org.uk/uk

Reflection points


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Further Reading

Documents cited in this publicationEvaluating the Distinctive Nature of the Catholic School, CES, 1999

The Common Good, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, 1996

Caritas in Veritate, Pope Benedict XVI, 2009

Setting up your school partnership

DFID Global Schools Partnerships offers training grants and support for UK schoolssetting up and running partnershipswww.britishcouncil.org/globalschools

Link Community Development organises and helps to maintain links betweenschools in the UK and countries in Africa www.lcd.org.uk/uk

The Global Gateway includes a database of schools interested in establishingschool partnerships www.globalgateway.org.uk

Background reading

A Good Practice Guide to Whole School Linking, MUNDI Centre for GlobalEducation, 2005 A guide outlining key considerations when planning a schoollink, including benefits and challenges

Development Education Association (DEA) An education charity that promotesglobal learning www.dea.org.uk

Developing a Global Dimension in the School Curriculum DFID , 2000 A guideto show how the global dimension can be incorportated into both thecurriculum and wider life of the school

Global Dimension A guide to teacher resources on global issueswww.globaldimension.org

Guidance on the Duty to Promote Community Cohesion, DCSF, 2007 A guideon what is meant by community cohesion and how a school can contribute tocommunity cohesion

JustLinking, Leeds DEC A handbook for linking schools in the UK

PuFing the World into World Class Education, DfES, 2004 An internationalstrategy for education, skills and children’s services

The World Classroom: Developing global partnership in education, DFID, 2007A publication on school linking discussing why partnerships are important andexploring the educational benefits

UK One World Linking Association offers information about schoolpartnerships, and includes a toolkit www.ukowla.org.uk

UNESCO Associated Schools Project www.unesco.org/en/aspnet/

At the time of going to print, these organisations, documents and websites were all current and live.


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Notes


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Notes

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank everyone involved in helping to shape this publication,especially all of the schools who responded to our research, the schoolsfeatured in the case studies, and the teachers and RE advisors for their inputand advice.

Romero House55 Westminster Bridge RoadLondon SE1 7JBcafod.org.ukTel: 020 7733 7900

06/2010

Registered charity no. 285776

Photos: Annie Bungeroth, Dado Galdieri,Marcella Haddad, Simon Rawles, Kate Stanworth

CAFOD is the official overseas development and reliefagency of the Catholic Church in England andWales andpart of the Caritas International Federation.

“It is an enriching experience for both schools. We are looking forward tostrengthening our bonds”Marie Gasper, Principal at Loreto School in Calcutta, India.

“At their best, school partnerships bring pupils together to question andrespond creatively to issues, assumptions, worldviews and values. Theyare a very concrete way of learning about the role we all play in theinterdependent world in which we live.”Jo Kitterick, Head of Education, CAFOD

“We are the ones who need to change things, we need to pass things on,to tell people. Everyone is part of the world.”David Faulkner , teacher at All Saints High School, Norwich

“We have been learning what it feels like to be a child in Uganda.”A pupil at St Thomas More Primary School, Sheffield

“School partnerships have the potential to take pupils on a journey, ajourney where at the beginning they start from a place of compassionmixed with trepidation and a desire to help the ‘poor people,’ and at theend arrive in a place of respect for the people they meet and learn about,with a deeper understanding of themselves.”Geoff O'Donoghue International Division Director, CAFOD