The International School Award (ISA) was established by the British Council in 1999. The aim was to ensure that a benchmark existed that identified schools in the UK and overseas who valued the importance of globally focussed education, and could demonstrate that this international ethos was embedded throughout the school. Think local, act global is essentially the message communicated.

Schools eligible for the award could say that the majority of lessons had an international focus and that the majority of students were impacted by and involved in international work. For the British Council, raising the profile of internationally focused education in the Middle East, where schools like The British School of Kuwait (BSK) have 70 nationalities, was a natural development, with Kuwait becoming a partner in the programme in 2009. BSK documented a wide variety of lessons from all subject areas, including those with Partner Schools in the UK and Germany. In addition, a profile of extracurricular activities such as The International Award for Young People, the Model United Nations and Debating, as well as volunteer and charity work under the auspices of the British Council’s Young Changemakers programme was included. Testimonials from students, staff and parents completed the portfolio.

Experience gained through the Connecting Classrooms initiative was great preparation for the International School Award. The award was presented to Mr John Lambert, the BSK Co-ordinator of the project, by Mr Michael White, Acting Director of the British Council at a lively ceremony where students entertained the assembled guests with performances of music and dance, all with an international dimension, emphasising the vision and quality that is synonymous with education at the The British School of Kuwait. The International School Award is indicative of a school that fully prepares its students as global citizens and BSK is proud to join the ranks of this elite group.