Northampton primary school wins national award for focus on languages and cultural lessons

Hardingstone Academy Year 1 pupils (clockwise from bottom left) Olivia Hillier, Lewis Kindon, Isla Hope and Tom Farmer.

A Northampton school has won an award for its language lessons and its focus on global issues and other cultures.

Hardingstone Academy beat off competition to secure the Intermediate International School Award from the British Council.

The award recognises the school’s work with pupils to enhance their understanding of other countries and cultures.

Teacher Sophie Coleman, who led the work towards the International School Award, said: “This is a fantastic achievement and a real reflection of our enthusiasm for learning about other countries and cultures.

“We really encourage the children to try new languages and foods from abroad, and we believe it’s essential for them to learn about global issues for their personal growth and development.”

All pupils at the school have lessons in Spanish, while there is also a Mandarin club for older children.

The school also has a link school in Athens, enabling the children to learn more about other cultures and customs.

In its letter to the school, the British Council said: “This is an admirable range of work seeking to develop and embed a whole school commitment to international teaching and learning.

“The school appreciates that many of their young learners have not travelled outside of the UK and the school explicitly requires a wider and deeper range of international work.

“Your curriculum planning has resulted in an enhanced ability of the pupils to be able to both compare and contrast aspects of their lives and customs with ones overseas.”

Hardingstone Academy is now hoping to establish links with a twin school overseas to further expand its learning of other cultures.

Message from the editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the highest standards in the world. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers and consequently the advertising that we receive. We are now more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news by buying a copy of our newspaper.

Thank you