We are delighted to have been accepted for the International Schools award again this year. At Pelton Community Primary School, we strive to make sure our children are global citizens and are exposed to as much of the real world as possible. Our children have access to the internet and increased opportunity to travel, watch news stories from around the world as they develop and follow.
We are extremely lucky to have some special friendships with other schools in different countries! Key Stage 2 have a partnership with a school in France – each term they focus on a different topic and write to each other regarding the topic. Reception are working with a school in Gran Canaria to help improve the children’s English speaking skills. The children in Reception have learnt basic Spanish and know how to say common Spanish phrases. Once every two weeks the children are going to Skype with the school in Gran Canaria and talk about different things, such as counting, colours, shapes to promote and encourage the children’s English skills.
Please find a copy of our International Schools Policy by clicking on the link.
To find out about the fabulous work we have been doing to support our International ethos, please see below!
2021-2022
Take a look at our exciting plans for the coming year:
‘Twinning project’ – Throughout the year
We have recently developed a new partnership with a new school in France. Throughout the year, Year 5 are going to be writing, emailing and skyping to our partner school on a regular basis. Each term is going to be focused on a different topic (Autumn 1 – introductions, Spring – Our favourite meals, Summer – our favourite sports.) The children will be talking to each other to discuss their favourite things and also sending instructions on how to make their favourite food and play their favourite sport. We will use the instructions sent from the children in France to make their favourite meals and play their favourite sports.
News of the World – Ongoing
We have recently started a new routine titled ‘News of the World’. Once a week, every class in school reads or listens to a news story from a different country. So far, we have read about a variety of events happening such as the thunderstorm twice the size of Mount Everest in Mumbai, the world’s youngest chess player in the USA and China’s wandering elephants. Having this experience has really allowed us to think about the important, ‘news-worthy’, events happening in other countries, compare them to our own and also celebrate achievements with them. It has really sparked discussion amongst our children. Category: World – News For Kids
Arts Week – Autumn
For 1 week, the curriculum was collapsed and each class focused on an a country and a famous landmark and created a sculpture similar to that of the artist they chose. A variety of landmarks were studied from all around the world and the children found out about life, culture and their designs. Throughout the week, children were given opportunities to research at school and at home and share information they had found out with others who had researched a different landmark. We then held a whole school assembly where each class shared their work and their knowledge on their artist. They were exposed to a broad range of practical art activities and landmarks from around the world.
Diwali – WB 1st November – Diwali is 4th November
Each year, we celebrate Diwali throughout school. We look at the story of Rama and Sita, the traditions of Diwali eg clothing, gifts, visits, decorations, food. We design our own Rangoli patterns, make our own diwa lamps and have our very own ‘festival of light’. It is always a fantastic opportunity to celebrate another culture as well as compare it to our own traditions. We are also going to engage with an online film and question and answer session about the Hindu festival.
We attended a session with International Durham via Teams where we met Veena. This session was very interesting and Veena told us all about Hinduism and how she celebrates Diwali. We thought of some questions to ask Veena:
Why does Goddess Lakshmi like lots of lights?
Why do you wear Bindis?
How many Hindu Gods are there?
Eurovision song contest – Autumn
To celebrate the European Day of Languages, each class in school learnt a song in a different language which they then performed in our Eurovision song contest at school. Miss Gilbert took a video of our performances and shared them with our partner school in France – they were very impressed!
Reading in a strange place – Autumn
Each year, we ask children to participate in ‘reading in a strange place’ photograph competition. This year, we have asked our partner school in France to join in with us. We are going to share our photographs of reading in a strange place with our friends in France and they are going to share theirs with us. We are going to use the photographs to discuss the ‘strange places’ and see any similarities and differences.
European Day of Languages – Autumn
To celebrate the European Day of Languages, KS2 studied different flags around the world and their meanings. They looked at colours, symbols, pictures and words and discovered what they meant for each country. Subsequently, KS2 thought about these meanings and the value they hold for each country. They then designed their very own flags to represent their own house teams – thinking about their aims and values.
Christmas Tree Decoration Project – Autumn
We are taking part in a cultural exchange project where we are going to make Christmas tree decorations to send to schools across Europe. We are also going to send a video information ‘pack’ discussing our location, language, climate, food, famous landmarks, how we celebrate Christmas, what we designed for our decorations and why. We are also going to include a video of us singing a traditional Christmas carol. In return, we will also receive decorations from other schools in Europe as well as songs and information packs. Read our information pack here: Christmas Tree Decoration Project Information Pack
Today we received 30 different addresses for our European Christmas Decoration Project – where we are going to send our angel decorations! Miss Gilbert spent all of her lunch time writing the addresses on envelopes. We looked at what addresses are. Then, we posted our angels in the envelopes and looked at the different countries on Google Earth to see how far they would be travelling. We then looked at how mail is sent across countries – it was very interesting. After half term, we are going to take our letters to the post office 🏤. We can’t wait to receive our decorations from 30 different schools – it should fill up our tree nicely. Lots of different countries such as Croatia, Spain, France, Romania, Italy! 😃
Cooking around the world – Autumn 2
We run an afterschool club titled ‘Cooking around the world’. Each session, the children learn about a specific country and their cuisine. We look at the different things they may eat, compare it to our own and then have a go at making some of the cultural foods ourselves. We have made foods such as spaghetti and meatballs, English scones, Belgian waffles and curry. We really enjoy trying the new foods.
‘A day in the life of’ diary sharing – Spring
We thought it would be a good idea to share a typical school day with our partner school. We are going to conduct some diaries, in French, where we chat about our typical day in school. We are going to include what we do, what we wear, what we eat, what we think about school. Our partner school in France are then going to share with us their ‘a day in the life’ diaries, too. Then, we are going to Skype our school in France to chat about what was the same and what was different.
Chinese New Year – Spring 1 – WB 7th February
Each year we celebrate Chinese New Year throughout school and it’s always a favourite amongst the children. The children really enjoy looking at the story of Chinese New Year, the traditions undertaken, visits, symbols. We also have some students in school who are from China and their parents come into school to do an assembly for us. They show us Chinese clothing, Chinese toys, good luck symbols, Chinese dragons, lanterns and chat to us about how they celebrate Chinese New Year in their home country. We try Chinese food such as noodles, practise using chopsticks, make our own good luck symbols and lanterns and make our very own dragon for the infamous dragon dance.
‘Share a game’ with partner schools – Summer
We are going to be sharing our playground games with our partner school in France. We are going to send videos and instructions of how to play our games. Our partner school in France are going to share theirs with ours. We are then going to use the instructions and videos to have a go at the playground games from our French friends.
2019-2020
France!
Mrs Liddle, Mrs Murray, Miss Anderson and Miss Gilbert were given an amazing opportunity to visit the South of France last October half term and take part in a French language learning course. They visited Cannes, Antibes, Monaco and Nice and attended a French university where they learnt some French! They are now using their new found language learning and first hand experience of being in France to teach and enthuse the children in our school. See below for some pictures of their wonderful French experience!
French Pen Pals
We received our very first letter from France!
After a lot of work, we wrote our own letters in response and sent some back.
Indian Delight
This half term Year 4 have been learning Indian Style Dancing in PE. The children had to research a range of traditional dance styles and explore Indian culture which goes alongside it. They focussed on Indian culture in festivals such as a Diwali and the different celebrations that take place in the streets in India. Including Indian dancing. The children then learned a range of dance moves and we choreographed small group dances then a whole class dance for Indian Delight, celebrating Indian dancing and culture.
Chinese New Year
Reception, Nursery and Key Stage one had the pleasure of some parents from Hong Kong come into school to deliver an assembly on Chinese New Year. The children watched videos of Hong Kong at Chinese New Year, tried on some Chinese style clothes, tried some Chinese food and explored with some Chinese New Year objects such as a dragon/money wallets.
The children got a first-hand experience of what Chinese New Year is like for citizens in Hong Kong. Afterwards, the children in Reception and Year 1 decided to make their own wishing trees to put their very own wishes on!
Cooking around the World
Reception have been taking part in a Cooking around the World club with Miss Gilbert and Mrs Gordon! We have been learning basic phrases, looking at local landmarks and creating and trying native dishes! After some delicious meals we decided at the end of our club Italy was our favourite! We loved speghetti bolognese!
