1. Comenius Regio Partnerships
‘A powerful collaborative force through which to tackle a diverse range of issues with social as well as educational implications’
Local Government Association
Yvette Fox
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2. Comenius provides funding for:
WHAT IS COMENIUS? “We are all citizens of one world, we are all of one blood” Jan Amos Comenius ( )
Comenius provides funding for:
Multilateral and bilateral school or college partnerships
In-service training
Language learning
Job shadowing
Hosting an intending teacher as an assistant
Comenius Regio (for LAs)
Preparatory Visits
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3. Comenius Regio Partnerships
Overview
Why we got involved
First round application statistics – 2009
Our project
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4. Comenius Regio Partnerships
Why get involved?
To benefit from practices in another country
School improvement
Closer ties, relationships with another area of Europe/strengthens the European dimension in schools and community (police, youth centres, library or museum)
Provides learning experiences to teachers, pupils and other involved in school education
Wider impact than a school to school link. Reaches every school and every child in the area.
Through working closely together, the schools, LA’s and other partners will have made lasting links with equivalent institutions in the other partner region. These can continue through informal student exchanges or more formal European funding programme activities like Comenius Schools Partnerships, job shadowing/professional development, eTwinning etc.
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5. Participating Countries
Belgium
Denmark
Germany
Greece
Spain
France
Ireland
Italy
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Austria
Portugal
Finland
Sweden
Slovenia
Cyprus
Malta
Bulgaria UK
Czech Republic
Estonia
Hungary
Latvia
Lithuania
Poland
Slovakia
Romania EU
Liechtenstein
Norway
Iceland
EFTA
Within East Riding there are pupils from most European countries…yet I don’t consistently see this presence reflected in the currciulum / display / ethos of all our schools. Applications to Coemeniyus programmes are very much uder representaed from our region. Me schools are very active…these 2…beverly St mary’s…about 47% of ER schools are involved at some of the International School Award…scope for improvement
The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is an intergovernmental organisation set up for the promotion of free trade and economic integration to the benefit of its four Member States: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Turkey, Croatia, Switzerland
and possibly others for 2012
Associated
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6. Comenius Regio Partnerships
What was in it for us?
We were doing a great deal of European linking work already
We could combine existing activities in Town Twinning or other European educational programmes but formalise them as part of the wider 2 year Regio partnership
It helped us reach some of the regional or national priorities/targets regarding internationalism or in terms of raising standards
It is a long term initiative not a short term fix. Helped us plan ahead.
Schools and myself in SIS
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7. Comenius Regio Partnerships My role as Project Manager
Yvette Fox
Experienced Primary teacher
Teaching and Learning Consultant
(Multicultural Education and Global Citizenship)
School Improvement Service
East Riding of Yorkshire Council
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8. Comenius Regio Partnerships
My first steps in the UK
identify key themes to address
develop a local Comenius Regio partnership
Know what it was I wanted to achieve and how
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9. Comenius Regio Partnerships
Beverley Lemgo Town Twinning Association
East Riding of Yorkshire Council
School Improvement Service
Keldmarsh Primary School
Molescroft Primary School
University of Hull
WISE
(Wilberforce Institute for the Study of Slavery and Emancipation)
Key theme;
Community Cohesion
Sharing Resources for Innovation and Cohesion
ShRINC
Sharing Resources for Innovation and CohesionShRINC
ShRINC is a collaborative project between the leading partner, East Riding of Yorkshire Council School Improvement Service, UK, and the Schulamt in Kreis Lippe, Germany. The UK partnership officially includes the Beverley-Lemgo Town Twinning Association and two Primary Schools; Keldmarsh and Molescroft. The partnership in Kreis Lippe comprises the Primary School, Suedschule, Lemgo, and the Stadtisches Museum Lemgo.The project is designed to develop pupil and community awareness that over centuries, national identity in Europe has been shaped through the absorption of diverse influences, welcoming the positive benefits of migration, and learning the harsh lessons of conflict and persecution. In contrast to Beverley, schools in Lemgo have a high percentage of children of diverse ethnicities, meaning schools in both regions seek to develop curriculums which reflect the diversity of the wider global communities. We live in a global village; increased global trade, technology, travel and communication brings us into closer contact with diverse people inevitably causing a need for greater social cohesion. The world is indeed “ShRINC-ing”.A range of expertise has been assembled to support the knowledge base of the project partners and to provide a sound base in the creation of an innovative, exciting ICT Virtual World learning resource.
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10. Second step: find a European partner, establish aims and objectives, develop a structured work programme, assess impact and outcomes
Molescroft
Sudschule Lemgo
Town Twinning Association
Town Twinning Association
East Riding of Yorkshire Council
Kreiss Lippe Municipality
Lemgo Museums
Keldmarsh
University of Hull
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11. Third step: dissemination of results and sustainability
This is the stage we are on now…project coming to an end…disseminating the results…
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12. Comenius Regio Partnerships
Eligible Partners and Regional Partnerships
Each partner region must include:
The local or regional authority (lead)
At least one school – to pilot work (it is not feasible to include all the schools in the region)
At least one ‘other’ partner (which will be able to make a significant contribution to the project)
UK – the types of eligible institutions to lead a Comenius Regio partnership have been identified as the following:
County Councils and Unitary Authorities (England), Local Authority (Scotland), Local Education Authority (Wales), Education and Library Boards (Northern Ireland)
Ministry of Justice (or equivalent across UK)
Service Children’s Agency (for British Forces’ Schools in LLP countries)
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13. Comenius Regio Partnerships
Types of ‘other’ partner could be:
National public organisations, e.g: curriculum authorities, teacher development agencies, learning and skills councils, youth justice agencies
Local public organisations, e.g: city councils, local authority departments of youth, employments, health etc, police service, fire and rescue service, teacher training institutions, youth/sports clubs, libraries, museums
Independent national/local organisations, e.g: Equality/human rights commissions, trade unions, ombudsmen services, professional association/advisory boards, universities, think tanks, charities, parents’/pupils’ associations, community groups
Commercial organisations, e.g: chambers of commerce, consultancy/training organisations, business support organisations, other companies
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14. Comenius Regio Partnerships
The work programme and the types of eligible
Activities:
Project meetings between institutions involved in the partnership
Job shadowing/Exchanges of staff involved in school education
Action research, small studies
Exchanges of experience and good practice with partner regions
Conferences, seminars and workshops
Awareness raising campaigns
Co-operation with other projects in related subject areas
Creation of training materials/tools
Dissemination of project experiences and outcomes.
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15. Comenius Regio Partnerships
Funding: 2 components – per partner region (2009 figures)
A lump sum for mobility (i.e. number of trips you will make), from a minimum of 4 (€4k), 8 (€8k), 12 (€10k) or a maximum of 24 (€20k)
Real costs for additional project costs (maximum €25k)
Grants cover costs related to mobility (travel), the implementation of project activities and the dissemination of results.
Maximum overall funding €45k per region. Every participating country has its own different budget for this programme.
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16. Regio Partnerships – 2009 Applications Received UK All Regions Total Received 53
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17. Comenius Regio Partnerships
Most active partner countries linked to UK:
Spain – 11 projects
Poland – 8 projects
Germany – 6 projects
France – 4 projects
Sweden – 4 projects
Greece, Turkey, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Finland,
Ireland, Lithuania, Italy, Romania, Austria, Netherlands (max 2)
No activity with Portugal, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Luxembourg,
Liechtenstein, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Bulgaria, Hungary,
Slovenia – more interest was in 2010.
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18. Regio Partnerships – 2009 Funding Requested by UK Regions Total Requested €1,962,403
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19. Comenius Regio Partnerships 2009 deadline themes
Foreign language teaching and learning 15
European citizenship and European Dimension 6
New technologies/ICT 5
Social integration/exclusion
Artistic education 4
Basic skills
Environment/sustainable development
Inclusive approaches 3
Quality and evaluation of education
Violence at school - peace education
Comparing education systems 2
Educational institution management
Learning opportunities for people at the risk of social marginalisation
Cultural heritage, Career guidance & counselling, Intercultural education, Physical education,
Methods to increase pupil motivation, History and social science, Mathematics, Natural sciences,
Development of common training contents and concepts 1
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20. Comenius Regio Partnerships
UK Project products;
Pupil census
Lemerley passport
‘My Life in a Box’
‘My Town in a Box’
Lesson resources
Migration report
Virtual World ‘Lemerley’
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21. Comenius Regio Partnerships
Exit strategy:
Continued school contacts (Beverley and across the Humber..)
Use existing European contacts
Town Twinning links
New partners
Potentially a schools ‘Comenius’ project -see Ray Kirtley handout
Seek additional funding and partnerships opportunities – see RK handout
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22. Project website (under construction)
Project Virtual World (under construction)