Our students are to establish links with secondary school pupils in Vietnam and Malaysia.

Initially, a group of Year 8 geography students will be involved in setting-up the link with their Asian counterparts, via a Web Forum on a new virtual learning platform.

Bishop Barrington is one of ten schools in the region taking part in the three year project, with schools in Vietnam and Malaysia, to develop the global citizenship of the KS3 curriculum, for 11 to 14-year-olds. Schools from Lewisham and Bromley and Cardiff are also involved.

The County Durham schools are to form partnerships with schools from Danang Province in Vietnam and Johor in Malaysia.

In July, Nathan Powell, assistant head teacher at Bishop Barrington School, and two other representatives from the North East schools, visited Hanoi in Vietnam to work on plans for the project.

“It was a very hectic week. We were honoured guests and they made us most welcome. They are a lovely people. They have a tremendous work ethic and highly value education,” said Mr Powell, who attended a series of conferences and workshops whilst in Hanoi.

“The three year programme will include opportunities for staff and children to visit each other, raising cultural awareness and developing global citizenship. It is a very exciting project.”

He was also taken on a Cyclo rickshaw tour of old Hanoi. “It was at times quite hair-raising. There are two million scooters and no traffic rules!”

The Bishop Barrington geography students taking part are to do pen portraits and exchange details with their Asian counterparts. Students will also be asked to fill in questionnaires to find out their perceptions of each others countries. At the end of the year they will repeat the exercise to see if their perceptions have changed.
The theme of the second year will be Tomorrow’s World and Climate Change and in the final year the schools will look at Sport and Health. The project will end with a joint pupil and teacher conference.

The British Council, which is funding the project, and the QCA – Qualifications and Curriculum Authority – have established the virtual learning platform.
The five other County Durham schools involved are King James I Community Arts College, Bishop Auckland, Sedgefield Community College, Ferryhill Business and Enterprise College, Park View Community School, Chester-le-Street and St Bede’s Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Lanchester.