1. UK - Saudi Arabia Contact Seminar April 2012

2. Welcome British Council team Stephen Hull, Grant Awards Manager, Connecting Classrooms, London Anas Idrees, Project Coordinator, Connecting Classrooms, Saudi Arabia

3. British Council?

4. British Council Schools

5. What is Connecting Classrooms? Professional Development for Internationalising Education Collaborative Curriculum Projects International School Award Connecting Classrooms works in: China Central & South Asia East Asia India & Sri Lanka Latin America & Caribbean Middle East & North Africa Sub-Saharan Africa.

6. Promotional Film

7. The Programme Schedule Submission of Year 1 Project Plan - Deadline: 31 March 2012 Activity in Year 1: 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013 Joint Curriculum Projects Submit Travel Plan 2 months before visit date £4,500 Travel grant (split between UK and Middle East) Visit from Saudi Arabia to UK Submission of Year 1 Report and Year 2 Project Plan - Deadline: 31 March 2013 Activity in Year 2: 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014 Joint Curriculum Projects Submit Travel Plan 2 months before visit date £4,500 Travel grant (split between UK and Middle East) Visit from UK to Saudi Arabia Submission of Final Report - Deadline: 31 March 2014

8. Programme Overview: Day 1: Getting to know each other and our education systems Day 2: Visit to a Saudi School Day 3: Identifying and agreeing project themes and activities Day 4: Finalising the Project Plan

9. Introductions

10. Introduce yourself to somebody you don’t know 5 minutes

11. Tell us something about your new colleague

12. Introduce yourself to somebody you don’t know 5 minutes

13. Tell us something about your new colleague’s job or school

14. Coffee Break

15. Exploring Cultural Perceptions, Similarities and Differences

16. Cultural Perceptions

17. Cultural Similarities and Differences

19. How might cultural diversity affect your partnership?

20. Miscommunication Assumptions about each other Unwillingness to tackle problems Ways schools work Respect for elders Expectations of money Working day Time keeping Teaching styles

21. Expectations of hosting: “When I come to you I am a resource, when you come to me you are an honoured guest.”

22. Education Systems Discussion

23. Education Systems: Discussion Who runs the school? What is the management structure of the school? What is the role of the Head Teacher/Principal? What is the teaching style? How stable is your education system – is it going through changes? What are the roles of private, state and faith schools? What age to pupils start and end compulsory education? What subjects are compulsory?