Evaluation Meeting at Eitorf Lower School

  Bedfordshire Lower Schools helping Lower Schools in the

Bonn / Rhine-Sieg Area in Germany to promote language

learning and achieve cultural awareness

By now we have got used to the fact that even our primary school students are learning English. However, links between German and English lower schools are still rather the exception than the rule. This is why the partnerships between four lower schools from Hennef and Eitorf (Germany) and Bedfordshire (England) are very special.

In November 2006 headteachers and teachers of the above German Lower schools visited Bedfordshire meeting their English partner schools to discuss the way forward. One month later, in December 2006, eight teachers from Bedfordshire came to Germany. The English teachers were accompanied and supported by Bedfordshire County Officers for International Education, Mrs Rebecca Smith and Mrs Edith Griffith, Global Learning Community Consultant.

On the 12^th December 2006 the German and English schools discussed how they could support each other so as to implement their respective Government agendas. Three official representatives of Hennef and Eitorf took part in this evaluation meeting. The participants of this meeting expressed their pleasure at the friendly and constructive co-operation which had been seen. In addition to pen-friendships and e-mail contacts the schools also agreed that the first exchange of lower school students should start as early as 2007.

The primary school exchange with Bedfordshire developed from a work experience project with Hennef Comprehensive carried out in January 2005 with the support of Mrs Rebecca Smith, Bedfordshire County Officer - International Education. The English and German students were placed at German and English primary schools for two weeks work experience. This made it possible to achieve several objectives at the same time. While the visiting students helped the primary schools to achieve their own aims of teaching cultural and global awareness to pupils, the English and German students had the chance of improving their German and English and at the same time getting an insight into the world of work of their host country as well as making friends and useful contacts in another country.

Our English partners have put their work under the motto “Creating new opportunities”. From this point of view the primary school exchanges as well as the work experience projects are offering the participating schools – both teachers and students - a wide range of possibilities to develop their own individual projects as well as implementing their respective government agendas.

OStR Rainer Triller

Co-ordinator and Leader of the Projects in Germany

Primary School Exchange 2006 

Partner Schools 

German students learning together with their new English “classmates” at Lark Rise Lower School in Bedfordshire

Young students from Willowfield visiting their partner school in Hennef-Uckerath in March 2009