Thornton College is proud to have been granted the British Council International School Award Intermediate Certificate. This recognises the school’s efforts to develop internationalism amongst its students and develop links with schools around the world.
As a Jesus & Mary school, with counterparts in 28 other countries across the globe, Thornton is ideally positioned to branch beyond Buckinghamshire and make meaningful, lasting connections with schools internationally.
Future-ready
From Pre-Reception to Sixth Form, Thornton’s ethos encourages an outward-looking approach. This is particularlyimportant at the top end of the school, as students prepare to embark upon university courses, apprenticeships and career routes.
With technology advancing rapidly, Thornton recognises the need to prepare students with skills to be successful in roles yet to exist. Beyond their academic qualifications, Sixth Form students are challenged to take on a wide range of leadership roles and experiences engaging with Thornton’s international community.
Head of Sixth Form, Ruth Coates, said: “We provide opportunities for students to become flexible thinkers and effective communicators, ready to transfer these skills to future endeavours. Our Sixth Form students are encouraged to have the drive and initiative to create their own opportunities too. Many of the best collaborations are entirely student-led.”
An example of this international approach is Thornton Sixth Form’s budding link with JM Rabweh, a sister school in Lebanon. Over the last 18 months, Sixth Form students have developed powerful projects together, most recently a published book of writing and artwork including comparisons and connections between the two schools.
Ruth added: “Through their involvement in debates and planning meetings, the students have built true friendships and learnt a huge amount about each other’s cultures. The similarities between students are what they have found most striking; it is these, rather than their differences, which have meant the most to students in both schools.”
Beyond borders
Such is the importance of internationalism at Thornton that one of the Sixth Form leadership roles is that of Global Ambassador. This year’s incumbent, Year 13 student Mia, has pioneered projects with numerous international schools. Her greatest achievement has been coordinating an online global choir, incorporating the talents of students in India, Spain, Peru, Canada and Argentina.
Mia said: “What I’ve loved most about being Global Ambassador is the chance to connect with schools around the world and work together on projects I’m passionate about. Through contacting and collaborating with each school, I feel like my confidence and communication skills have improved so much. It’s been incredibly rewarding to explore different ways for JM schools to connect, and I feel really proud to be a part of the global JM community!”
Next on Mia’s agenda is an in-person visit to a sister school in Madrid, where she intends to cultivate a link to be developed further by her successor as Global Ambassador.
Breaking boundaries
Another new initiative is Thornton’s use of the EY STEM app. Developed by Ernst & Young, the app empowers students to pursue interests and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, inspiring them with gamified content and the opportunity to earn rewards.
Students are striving to earn points, which can be converted to vouchers for STEM-related products, donations to worthy causes, or exchanged for invaluable mentoring opportunities.
Thornton’s Director of Studies, Hayley Mallendane, said: “It is really exciting to be working in partnership with EY on this project. Whilst specifically designed for STEM, students and teachers are already finding ways the app is relevant to RS, Geography, English, Psychology and many other curriculum areas.”
App activities were developed with highly respected academic and non-profit organisations, including the United Nations and World Economic Forum. Challenges align with the UN Sustainable Development goals, giving students a clear insight into the real-life application of the knowledge they gain.
Following a successful launch with Year 9 to 13 students at Thornton College, Ernst & Young intends to roll this out to JM schools around the world: yet another opportunity for Thornton students to collaborate with their peers internationally.
With plans afoot to seek the next level of International Schools Award later this year and SixthForm students ready to launch new global collaborations for 2025, there has never been a more exciting time to be at Thornton College.
To learn more about Thornton College Sixth Form, contact Ruth Coates: rcoates@thorntoncollege.com or visit their website.
