Students on a video call

Guided Partnerships

If you’re new to international collaboration, a short-term partnership could open the door to a world of opportunities for your school.

To make getting started even easier, you can apply to join a British Council Guided Partnership, where a dedicated partnership facilitator will guide you through a short-term, collaborative, curriculum-based project with an UK/French partner School.

Guided Partnerships are a great way for you to:

  • Broaden your students’ horizons and provide exciting new learning opportunities.
  • Give your learners the opportunity to share work with students in schools in another country. 
  • Be matched with a suitable partner school who you will work with online for three months. 
  • Focus on a global learning topic, such as climate change, sport, language or culture. 
  • Get targeted support from an expert practitioner with first-hand experience of global learning projects. 
  • Exchange ideas with teachers in the UK and around the world while you gain transferable skills and discover new teaching approaches. 
  • Gain accreditation through the International School Award.

Current Guided Partnerships with France

Lille and Leeds have been twinned together for over 50 years, and within that time they have worked together on various different Arts, Education and Business Projects. 

This school year (2023-24), as part of the Leeds23 year of culture celebrations, the British Council, Leeds2023 and the Institut Français are linking 23 schools in Lille and Leeds together for a round guided partnership to help them build relationships and work together on various projects from Language to Climate Change.

Discover the many benefits of the partnership between Upper Wharfedale School and collège Albert Camus: 

Leeds – Lille international school partnership: chapter 1: the benefits of an international partnership | British Council 

Leeds – Lille international school partnership: chapter 2: ideas for successful projects | British Council 

Leeds – Lille international school partnership: chapter 3: managing the partnership | British Council 

Starting in February 2024, the British Council Guided Partnerships programme will link schools in Wales with schools in the Britanny, Burgundy and Franche-Comté regions in France to help them develop partnerships and work together on projects relating to sport. 

As part of the programme, a dedicated partnership facilitator will guide them through a short term, collaborative online project around sport with a partner school in France/UK. They will discuss the topics with students in their partner school and work together to discuss commonalities and differences.

For both of these guided partnerships, some funding will help schools organise a trip to their partner school either this school year or next.

If you would like your school to benefit from a guided partnership between France and the UK, please contact us at education@britishcouncil.fr
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