Dartford Grammar School Head Teacher, Mr. Julian Metcalf, and their Head of Languages, Mrs. Donna Kane, were delighted to recently attend the 2025 International School Award Ceremony in Westminster to receive their reaccreditation certificate for this prestigious award in recognition of all the school does to develop international citizens and promote intercultural understanding and respect.
Dartford Grammar School’s international work is well-established in the school. The IB programme is fully integrated across the curriculum and leads the international outlook of staff and students. As part of two Creativity Weeks during the academic year, three whole year groups are focused on Languages and Internationalism.
Mandarin, Japanese and Classics Excellence Programmes give opportunities for intensive language learning, cultural trips both nationally and internationally and, as a Confucius Classroom and Sakura Network classroom, the school is committed to promoting the teaching and learning of Chinese and Japanese language and culture, supporting several primary and secondary schools in this endeavour.
Newly established links such as that with Taiwan, are flourishing and their long-established links and exchanges with schools in Japan, China, Spain and Belgium grow ever stronger. In the last few weeks, a group of Year 12 Spanish students have just returned from visiting their Madrid exchange families and Year 12 French students are preparing to host their Belgian exchange partners very soon.
The International School Award reflects the international ethos that is embedded throughout DGS and and fittingly celebrates the broad ranging international learning demonstrated right across our school.