Global Learning
Why is Global Learning Important?
Today’s children and young people are growing up in an uncertain and rapidly changing world. Shifting global powers, a globalised economy and global challenges like climate change and poverty mean they will be faced with difficult choices in their lives, choices that will have repercussions for them and the rest of humanity.
It is important that children are supported and actively encouraged to be curious about the world they live in. Global learning at Egerton is like a golden thread running through all aspects of the curriculum involving local, national and global aspects. The staff work hard to ensure that we are responsive as a team to provide children with an accurate world view.
In our most recent inspection in June 2015 Ofsted recognised this aspect as a key strength:
‘The curriculum is very broad and supports pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. They have a wide understanding of the world around them as a result of the many trips, visits and clubs the school offers. The school is recognised as an Expert Centre for the National Global Learning Programme for its positive contribution to a globalised world within the school curriculum. This enhances pupils’ lives and gives them an understanding of both the challenges and the wonders of the world. Pupils are rightly proud of the links the school has with a school in Kenya and enthusiastically and readily talk about it.’
How can Global Learning Improve Learning?
Over recent years there have been a large number of studies conducted into the impact of international education work in UK schools. Egerton participated in a significant number of these studies which revealed a number of benefits:
- Global learning contributes towards improved reading, writing and communication skills - Leaners are especially motivated because they are 'writing for a purpose' about real life circumstances. Children are supported well to develop critical thinking skills to connect their sense of identity in their local context to that of a national and global context to understand their place in the world.
- Global learning improves the performance of under-achieving learners - increased levels of engagement, enthusiasm, confidence and motivation in turn boost self-esteem amongst usually low attainers.
- Global learning enhances skills that are relevant in a global economy - a significant study carried out by NFER concluded that schools engaged in a global school partnership compared to those that did not concluded that pupils generally had a clearer understanding of interdependence and how our actions impact on those in poorer countries for example in areas of trade or the environment.
- Global Learning helps improve motivation - learners want to share ideas and work with the children in their partner school. The quality of learning and their work is enhanced because it has a real purpose. This also serves to enhance relationships between staff and the children.
- Global learning raises awareness and understanding of different cultures and religions - global learning is essentially a golden thread that weaves throughout the curriculum at our school. This approach supports children to develop and deepen their knowledge and therefore their respect for different cultural beliefs and practices. They recognise the similarities and differences between their lives and their peers. They are better able to question racism and racist attitudes.
- Global learning makes the curriculum more stimulating and enhances the ethos of our school - the curriculum gain a richness and relevance that inspires and motivates children and staff.
- Global learning enhances engagement with our local community of Knutsford - Tatton Park was the home of the Egerton family. Our school was the first school in the town founded by Lord Wilbraham Egerton in 1893. The last Lord Egerton of Tatton, Maurice had an estate in Kenya and built a primary school for the children of his estate workers in 1939. The discovery of this school was a revelation to us and to the local community and was celebrated in many ways - not least with a garden at the RHS Show at Tatton Park in 2006 and was awarded a gold medal! The Local community is aware of our unique link and has supported this in many ways over the years.
Alison Hooper on the National Global Learning Programme
Egerton Primary School Knutsford is an Expert Centre for the National Global Learning Programme (GLP) and has been since 2014.
In this video Alison Hooper, previous Headteacher at Egerton, discusses the importance of global learning with Clive Belgeonne, GLP National Leader for the North of England.
For more information on the GLP please visit glp.globaldimension.org.uk.
British Council Funded Programmes
The Global Learning Programme 2013-17
The Global Learning Programme (GLP) was a Government funded initiative that aimed to help schools prepare young people for this changing world, by supporting teachers in understanding development education and feeling more confident in delivering global learning to their pupils. The GLP supported schools to start on their global learning journey by training teachers, demonstrating how to embed good practice across the whole school and enabling teachers and schools to take control and ownership of their global learning practice.
As an Expert Centre, Egerton provided practical peer-led support, training sessions and networking with colleagues from like-minded schools. In this way, they worked with schools to embed global learning into their everyday practice and make it sustainable in the long term.
The GLP was intended to be a whole school programme. Global learning principles at Egerton are apparent in the curriculum, pastoral work and in the wider life of the school. It begins with immersing the children in their local community - this helps define them and develop a strong sense of citizenship. Building upon this is national and global learning.
The GLP aimed to:
- help young people understand their role in a globally interdependent world and explore strategies by which they can make it more just and sustainable,
- familiarise pupils with the concepts of interdependence, development, globalisation and sustainability
- enable teachers to move pupils from a charity mentality to a social justice mentality
- stimulate critical thinking about global issues, both at a whole school and pupil level
- help schools promote greater awareness of poverty and sustainability
- enable schools to explore alternative models of development and sustainability in the classroom.
Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning - 2018-21
Alison Hooper was asked to sit on an expert panel to consult with government ministers in DFID regarding the design of this programme. She went on to lead the largest cluster of schools nationally - 50 schools. Six of these schools have partnerships with schools in Kenya. This includes Knutsford Academy.
Alison is a British Council Ambassador and was a Local Advisor for this programme. Case studies regarding the work of the cluster and most specifically of Egerton have been commissioned by the British Council and Oxfam to support schools nationally and internationally.
This programme focuses on the Sustainable Development Goals set by the UN in 2015 to be delivered by 2030. It is Egerton's belief that the children have a right to engage with and learn about these goals as they journey through school to provide an accurate world view and know that they can make a difference. Our current focus with Egerton Kenya is SDGs 4 and 5 - quality education and gender equality.
The current government has ceased all funding for Global Learning training and for reciprocal international school partnership visits.
Partnership Visits
2023 Visit
Our shared project of the child’s right to thrive was a huge success! Mrs Broadbent and Miss Dixon were teaching every day focusing on:
- Sharing our children’s experiences during Covid times and capturing theirs too
- Looking at wellbeing and how we can contribute to the – ‘Relax Kinds’ materials that we use here were used including yoga too
- The art project focused on wellbeing to and the school assigned a room for this. The work started by our art club run by Mrs Sumser was carried on. A giant butterfly mural was created and a flock of beautiful small butterflies were displayed on all walls to create such a calm beautiful space.
The children were thrilled to receive the signed parachute from our children. They enjoyed reading their names and positive messages. This inspired them to sign the parachute to bring back here!
It was a very busy time that extended into the half term break. We were able to visit two other schools in Nakuru. Racetrack Primary’s Headteacher was the Deputy at Egerton at the start of our partnership. They have 2500 children on roll. Madaraka Primary’s Headteacher is Florence Kimani, who had been Headteacher at Egerton for 14 years and had been the driving force behind our partnership. Her school is in a slum area of extreme poverty and has 1450 children. The Multiflex team and Cameron, a parent from our school, joined us for these visits so there was a great deal of excitement with lots of football and dancing!
The team this visit certainly looked after each other but created amazing learning experiences as well as benefiting from such a unique experience!
The return visit for the Kenyan teachers to visit our school is scheduled for November this year if we can raise enough money.
We are hoping to arrange a very special event in May to help achieve this. If you want to learn more please visit the Foundation website where Mutliflex’s involvement and others is detailed.
The Egerton Schools' Foundation
The Egerton Schools’ Foundation has been created to sustain in perpetuity the strong and established partnership between Egerton Primary School, Knutsford, UK and Egerton School, Njoro, Kenya.
The mission of the Foundation is to promote an equitable, enriched and sustainable approach to the high quality global education of children in both schools.
Key areas of focus for the Foundation are:
- The development of an enriched global curriculum supported by joint project work, enhanced teacher training and the maintenance of visits between schools.
- The provision of better infrastructure at Egerton, Njoro, to improve the learning environment and aid communication between the schools.
- Increasing the impact of the partnership within the local communities in both countries and across wider professional organisations.
The partnership between the schools has been established since 2006. To date it had been financially supported via successfully aquired grants from the British Council and the Department for International Development. Now, at the end of the Government supported funding cycle, The Egerton Schools’ Foundation has been established to continue the outstanding work that has been initiated.
Please visit the Foundation's website for more information.
Community Links
Egerton is located in the centre of Knutsford. Our red uniform is well known and the profile of community involvement is very strong. We have extremely close links with Tatton Park. This was the home of the Egerton family who were the founders of our school in Knutsford and our twin, Egerton Primary School in Njoro, Kenya. The children are supported by the PTA to sponsor the rare breeds at Tatton Farm. We have regular visitors from Spring lambs to reindeer at Christmas time.
In excess of 90% of our pupils go on to secondary education at the nearby Knutsford Academy. Egerton is now a member of the The Learning Alliance Multi-Academy Trust. Senior Leaders and Governors now are fully invested in supporting Egerton pupils throughout their journey at Knutsford Academy.
Knutsford Library is frequently visited by the children both in school time with their teachers and in their free time too. The children take part in the Summer Reading Challenge each year and are involved in many other events arranged by the library.
Knutsford Heritage Centre has a very close relationship with our school as the oldest school in the town, founded by Lord Egerton of Tatton Park in 1893. Children from the school take part in their heritage walks around the town as part of their local history studies.
Our school choir is known in the town for their excellent performances at the switch on of the Christmas lights, community events and at local care homes for the elderly.
Staff and pupils from our school participate in the local Rotary Club sponsored jog each year on the town Moor.
Knutsford Lions run a Poetry competition every year. Our pupils always take part and have been very successful over the years.
We have an intimate link with the excellent associated, but independently financed and run, pre-school group which is on the same site as our school.
Booths, the local supermarket, has been an excellent neighbour and sponsor over a long period of time. We have visited the store and the 'back-office,' displayed work, sung carols at Christmas and enjoy an excellent ongoing relationship.
We have close links with many local churches in our town. We visit, explore and hold services such as Harvest and Easter at different churches. Open the Book, an ecumenical group, come into school to deliver a the national programme.
Children swim at the local Leisure Centre on a weekly basis. Every year a large number of our pupils take part in the historic Royal May Day proceedings. It is a time of great excitement in the town and among our young people. These are just a few of the many close links we have with our local community.