BHS has a strong international ethos which is firmly embedded throughout our school. We recognise that now, more than ever, our students need to be able develop a sense of their place as global citizens in a fast-moving, ever-changing world. Much of our international focus falls within the following four areas that we believe our students need to have a strong understanding of:

1. Global market/economy/innovation
2. Global links and communication
3. Global culture, traditions and heritage
4. Global concerns, awareness and support

These areas, and an international ethos, is naturally interwoven within our subject curriculum. This extends beyond subjects that are internationally centred such as Languages and Geography; indeed, most of our subject areas consider aspects of other cultures, such as the exploration of French and Russian practitioners in GCSE drama and the study of American and Jamaican music in Music. However, we firmly believe in the importance of extending global education beyond the curriculum, and much of our Tutor Programme is geared towards to this. As such, pupils read books from other cultures – such as ‘I am Malala’ – and watch Big Ideas presentations that help to inform them of wider global ideas, celebrating different cultures and advancement, encouraging debate, and fostering understanding and empathy. Students also frequently take part in whole school charity events, many of which raise money and awareness for global concerns, such as Save the Children and Toilet Twinning. Please see the links below for more information about our Tutor Programme and fundraising.

In addition to this, we provide various extra-curricular activities that students are encouraged to become involved with, many of which revolve around our value of ‘citizenship’. Whilst these can vary year upon year, some of the activities that our students have taken part in over recent years have included:

Japanese Pen-Pals
For many years, BHS has been partnered with ‘Keiai Gakuen High School’ in Japan. Most recently, some of our students took part in a pen-pal style correspondence with students from the school through which they learnt more about the Japanese culture.

Save the Children – Charity
Over recent years, we have undertaken some projects in collaboration with the charity, Save the Children. In connection with these, representatives from the charity have led workshops, providing our students with a greater understanding of issues facing children globally.

The International Committee
The International Committee has undertaken a variety of projects over the past few years, debating key issues and raising whole school awareness of global issues such as the plight of many children in Kenya.

The Magistrates’ Mock Trial and the Bar Mock Trial Competition
The Mock Trial competitions involve students fighting hypothetical court cases against other schools, taking on the roles of key figures in court. Through this, they gain a greater appreciation of citizenship. To help their preparation, students have been mentored by local magistrates and barristers, and some have had the opportunity to visit local courts. In 2022, our students won both the local and regional heats of the Magistrates’ Mock Trial competition.

The Queen’s Commonwealth Creative Writing Competition
Students from KS3 entered short stories and poems around one of several given themes in connection with The Commonwealth. Despite there being over 26 000 entries from countries across The Commonwealth, one of our students won an award for being a ‘gold finalist’, meaning her entry was within the top 154 entries.

Visits to Parliament
Students from BHS have travelled to Parliament to take part in a ‘Laws and Debating Tour and Workshop’, and to meet with MPs to discuss global issues. We also welcomed our local MP into school and gave a presentation about the need for better education for girls around the world.

Year 7 International Women’s Day Speech Competition
In celebration of International Women’s Day, all students in Year 7 wrote and performed speeches around the theme of the year. The winning entries from each form were then performed in an impressive final and printed in the BHS journal so they could be enjoyed more widely.

If you would like any more information about how your child can get involved, please contact Miss Stamp (International Coordinator).

The MFL department offer a plethora of trips to students across the key stages. In Key stage 3 students have the opportunity to visit Cologne in Germany and Lille in France. They take part in language lessons in the country and have the chance to explore the city and put their linguistic skills to the test!

In Key Stage 4 students have the amazing opportunity to take part in an exchange in the south of France in a little town called Millau or have the chance to go to the beautiful town of Wuppertal in Germany, where they stay with host families and then welcome the students back into their own homes. This allows students to be immersed fully in the language and culture and an opportunity to make friends for life.

At Key Stage 5 students are able to take part in work experience for a week in either France or Germany, which gives them the chance to work on their spoken fluency of the language and also learn about the world of work.

The Science department have introduced a KS5 biennial trip to Geneva, Switzerland. The trip offers students the opportunity to engage with other members of the scientific community when they visit Cern and the Plasma centre. Whilst in Geneva, students spend time exploring the city, immersing themselves in the contrasting contemporary and period architecture and sampling the local cuisine. There is also an opportunity to visit the UN and British Red Cross where students learn about the formation of each institution and their role in historical and present day conflicts.