International Schools

We have been awarded the British Council’s prestigious International School Award in recognition of our work to bring the world into the classroom.

The International School Award celebrates the achievements of schools that do exceptional work in international education. Fostering an international dimension in the curriculum is at the heart of the British Council’s work with schools, so that young people gain the cultural understanding and skills they need for life work in today’s world.

Alongside following the National Curriculum, we recognise the importance of enhancing all aspects of Global Education. Prior to the Covid pandemic, through our involvement in the Erasmus+ Project Songs, Stories and Science from Marsh, Coast and Sea, we developed partnerships with schools in Guadeloupe, including reciprocal visits from staff.

Currently (2023-2024), we have developed partnerships with a school in Poland (Skola Podstawowa nr 16 w Zespole Szkolno-Przedszkolnym nr 6 w Rybniku) and have enjoyed learning about Polish culture, and finding out how our countries are both similar and different.

We are proud to be able to develop the international and cultural learning for all of our children as we celebrate and share what is unique and wonderful about our locality, whilst learning about and celebrating different cultures from around the world.

Work with Poland (2023-24)

Throughout the year, all of the children have been involved in work with our partner school in Poland. We started off the collaborative relationship with children in Year 5 writing letters to the school to tell them about themselves and our school. The children enjoyed receiving replies and learning about the similarities and differences between their schools.

As part of our work with our Polish partner school, children have done further work based on Global Development Goals; investigating each other's culture, sharing literature that they are reading and considering how we can make our schools more eco-friendly. More details of this are below.

Languages of the Euros Celebration Week (July 2024)

Following the quarter finals of the Euros, each day, everyone in our school has been learning to speak a little bit of some of the different languages spoken by teams which participated in the football competition. They learned basic greetings, as well as the country's flag and (further up the school) numbers from 1-20. Children in Year 4 carried out further research into these countries, comparing their flags and different elements of their cultures. 

Polish Celebration Week (May 2024)

To get to know more about Poland, we spent a week celebrating all things Polish and learning about Polish culture. The activities spanned throughout the whole school with children in Reception enjoying open sandwiches, right the way up to Year 5 and 6 where children split into groups to research different elements of Polish life including nature, food, traditions and geography of the country.

In return, children in our partner school also had an English celebration week where they learned all about our culture and celebrations too.

Global Development Goals work with Poland (January - July 2024)

We feel that the Global Development Goals are essential for the sustainable future of our planet and so think it is vital that all of our children develop an understanding of these; why they are important and how they link to all of our lives.

Throughout the year, all classes within the school have a focus goal which they have learn about. As each class learns about a different Global Development Goal, we feel that the children in our school get a deep knowledge of a variety of the goals and therefore develop into Global Citizens for the future.

Within the classroom, children have learned more about their goal and the aims that it is broken down into. As many of the goals have a link with an area of Geography, PSHE or Science being covered within the curriculum, children have been able to apply their knowledge and understand further their goal's importance.

For example, in Year 6, children have investigated the energy usages of different countries, before designing their own eco-friendly city, considering how they would utilise different renewable energy sources. In Year 5, children have learned about desertification and linked it to their current work on the Mojave Desert and its use. Children in Year 4 have even written letters to our local MP about plastic pollution, and witnessed first-hand why plastic takes so long to break down. Year 3 investigated food miles and thought about how we can reduce these to reduce emissions. Year 2 made links to their own daily lifestyle and compared these to the lives of children who lived in poverty and why this may be the case. Year 1 began by dicsussing our local village (Grimoldby), town (Louth) and city (Lincoln). They then watched a short video explaining how people can make more sustainable, better choices such as riding bikes or walking instead of cars; there’s more electric cars being bought; wind turbines for energy; turning electrical items off when they are not in use. In Reception, children investigated water filtration and how it keeps them safe. Across in Europe, children in our partner school Szkola Podstawowa have done similar work focusing on different goals. Children have enjoyed sharing ideas and noticing similar patterns.

British Science Week (March 2024)

As part of British Science Week, children in Years 4 and 5 both became investigators - looking around our school and thinking scientifically about what we can do to be more eco-friendly. In Year 4, children focused on electricity usage within the school; something which we already feel very strongly about and try to ensure that all lights and boards are turned off if a room is not in use. The children were even inspired by a parent who came to visit us who works in renewable energy. Whereas, Year 5 investigated the grounds and considered how it could be used more effectively to promote wildlife and wildflowers.

Holi and Eid Celebration Weeks (3rd - 7th June and 19th - 26th April 2024)

We regularly welcome Sunita Patel into our school to teach the children first-hand about Hinduism and Indian culture today. She shares with children how she prays, teaches them exciting Bollywood style dances and helps them to create beautiful art work.

Sunita also tells inspiring and thought-provoking stories of Hinduism and showcases traditional Indian dress - providing children with the opportunity to try out various garments.

In addition to Sunita's visit, this year we spent a week learning more about the festival of Holi.

We have also carried different activities based around Eid, which we shared with parents.

EMBRACE Project (September 2023 - July 2024)

In order to develop our pupil's understanding of different cultures around the world, children in Years 1 through to 6 have been participating in the EMBRACE project, which aims to 'encourage conversations about and exploration of different ideas around race and diversity'. As part of the programme, children have explored topics such as Black History Month and the science behind why we have different skin colours, as well as considering how we can make those who are different to us feel welcome. 

Black History Month (October 2023)

During Black History Month, each class spent a week studying and learning a poem by a different black poet. Children in some classes then produced their own poetry based on the one they had studied.

Samba Celebration (June 2024)

We were lucky enough to be visited by Dave from the Noise Academy again this year. In the past, we have learned about Japanese Taiko but this time, he taught us all about Samba and the traditions behind it. After their session with Dave, children in Year 4 continued to learn about Samba, its rhythms and instruments and why it is an important part of the culture.

Lincoln Mosque (May 2024)

We feel very strongly about developing our children as Global Citizens who follow all of our British Values. Children in Year 2 and 4 have both enjoyed visiting the Lincoln Mosque and learning more about Muslim practices.

Our Global Projects (ongoing)

As part of the projects that children learn about throughout their time at Grimoldby, children learn about many other countries and their traditions. 

French Language (ongoing)

All of our children in KS2 learn French. At Grimoldby, we feel passionately about developing not only children's knowledge of the language and of French culture, but we also strive for all of our children to develop a love of learning languages which will continue throughout their time in school. Children are encouraged to apply their learning creatively through songs, teaching others and into real-life contexts, where possible.

Carnival (ongoing)

In Year 1, children learn about life in Brazil and take part in their own Carnival during their project Rio de Vida.

Chinese New Year (ongoing)

In Nursery, Reception and Year 3, children learn about the Chinese New Year (also known as Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival) as it is the main Chinese festival of the year. During this period, children take part in a variety of themed activities - including trying new foods, exploring outfits and learning about the various animals. 

Day of the Dead (ongoing)

As part of their project Dia de los Muertos, based on Mexico, our Year 6s learned about the Day of the Dead festival and Mexican life.

Shri Ram Global School Project (2021)

This competition was run by the Shri Ram Global School (Delhi), who we had a partnership with in the past. The competition involved the children doing their own research to present highlights, sports news, weather, local news, etc within the space of 3 - 4 minutes. As the time was so short, the children had to decide amongst themselves which news should be included in addition to designing their own logo for their news channel and finding appropriate backgrounds. Their news broadcast was then filmed and hosted online.

Connecting Classrooms (2020)

One of our classes was lucky enough to develop a partnership with Billabong International High School in Thane, India. Before beginning the project, in order to get to know our partner school, children from both sides of the ocean completed a piece of writing about the view that they could see from their window. The children enjoyed comparing the view from the playground with the contrasting views from the children's homes in India.

The aim of the project was for children to both develop awareness of different cultures through creation of lasting relationships, in addition to developing their awareness of the Global Goals. 

Linking with the term's Geography theme, children chose to focus on Goals 13 and 15, with a particular focus on deforestation, which they felt passionately about. Having researched some statistics about deforestation, children visited a local (sustainable) plantation in order to develop their awareness of what the effects of deforestation look like in real-life. After completing their visit, children wrote their own persuasive letters using everything they have learned and shared them with the partner school.

International Centre D'Antibes (2021)

Some of our staff members enrolled at the International Centre D'antibes for a week on an intense French course. Not only did this develop their skills in delivering French lessons as part of our MFL curriculum, but it also allowed greater communication with our visitors from Guadeloupe (the main spoken language in Guadeloupe is French). 

As part of this course, participants were given the opportunity to apply their French spoken language skills in a real-life context - out and about on the French Riviera. They also learned about the French education system and how best to support the teaching of a new language to pupils.

Following their return to school, their findings from France have resulted in shaping the way French is taught across Key Stage 2, provided better resources and have brought even more spoken language opportunities (including accurate pronunciation) into lessons. 

Erasmus+ (2020)

We were delighted to partner with North Somercotes C of E Primary to work with two schools from Guadeloupe: EEPU Bragelogne, Baie Maihault and Ecole Elementaire Stephane Mathieu, Bananier. Our two-year partnership was centred on the exchange of good practices linked to the theme of Songs, Stories and Science from Marsh, Coast and Sea.

During this project, teachers from the Guadeloupe schools came to visit us and teachers from the UK schools visited Guadeloupe. This incredible experience gave pupils the opportunity to share and celebrate their learning without the North Atlantic Ocean being a barrier! 

Throughout the project, children have produced various pieces of coastal art in the style of artists across the world, even working collaboration with a local artist to produce a large, 3D seal-pup!

Children have also done a lot of work on plastic pollution too, feeling so passionate about this issue that they have now created their own litter-picking club.

When the project came to a sad end in May 2021, children enjoyed sharing their own work, and hearing about the work of others via Zoom.