Welkom to Carlisle - European links between Richard Rose Central Academy, the University Of Cumbria and the Netherlands bring educational communities closer together!

Eleven Dutch secondary teachers this week are attending a short residential course through the University of Cumbria where an important part of their stay is to visit local schools in order to observe their subjects being taught and find out about our education system.

Four of the teachers spent Tuesday 12th January 2010 at Richard Rose Central Academy where they worked with the Performing Arts, Geography, Maths and English Departments.  Dutch colleagues worked with staff and students in lessons and were able to explain how their subjects are taught in The Netherlands.  The Dutch visitors found the experience ‘invaluable’ and were ‘impressed by the behaviour of the students’ and their welcome to the Academy throughout their visit.

Deb Garfield, Director of Learning said: “It gives us an opportunity to impress upon our students the value of being able to speak another language, and give them an idea of the opportunities available to them in the global community.  As teachers, we have found many of their ideas about education very interesting, and we would certainly welcome more visiting teachers in the future.”

The Faculty of Education at the University of Cumbria organises approximately five courses a year for bilingual teachers from all over Europe. Students in many countries now learn subjects in English and teachers come to the University to improve their teaching and English language skills. During the week’s course they will be involved in projects to make their teaching more inspirational, will have a tour of Carlisle and will spend a day in the Lake District.

Janet Streeter, International Co-ordinator of the Faculty of Education said: “Over the past years we have welcomed several hundred international teachers of all subject areas to Cumbria. Feedback has been excellent and the courses have really put Carlisle and Cumbria on the map.”