'Hola! Arrivederci!' These aren't words you would normally expect to hear in a British nursery, but Kelsall Avenue Nursery School in Blackburn is different. Here, the children can count to five in both Spanish and Italian and are learning all about life in Turin, Tuscany and Andalucia.
For the past two years, the staff and children at Kelsall Avenue have been part of an exciting Comenius Joint Curriculum project managed by the British Council. It has linked them with three nurseries in northern and central Italy, and southern Spain.
Children from all four nurseries have made booklets about their homes and families, and exchanged photos, artwork, telephone calls and e-mails.
Kelsall Avenue head teacher Marjorie Taylor has overseen the project. She says, 'The children have made fantastic comparative studies between their homes and those of the Spanish and Italian children. This term we're working on a project about food. Each school is making a booklet with recipes for their national celebrations, like toffee apples for bonfire night. We will exchange the books and the children will make the recipes.'
The school is supported with funding from European Union Comenius 1 that pays for postage, stationery and camera film. There are also travel grants for teachers to visit the other nurseries. Ms Taylor has recently travelled to Italy, and in January the school hosted a return visit from ten teachers.
'The link has given the children a real understanding of other people's beliefs and culture, and the staff have learned how early education is organised in Europe,' Ms Taylor says. 'Although we speak different languages, we communicate through the shared language of working with young children.'
Global citizenship
Alexandra Infants School in Beckenham, Kent, is also benefiting from a link with a primary school in Uganda. Assistant head teacher Greta Harvey visited Kihoole Primary School last summer. After returning to the UK she twinned the schools through Link Community Development, a charity working to improve education for children in Africa.
Kihoole School has no internet access and an unreliable postal service, so the schools correspond just six times a year. However, the Alexandra Infants pupils have learned a lot about Ugandan culture. 'We have made traditional clay masks and African tiles, and organised a dance workshop,'
Ms Harvey says. 'Recently we held a concert and raised 850 for a teacher from Kihoole School to visit the UK.'
She believes the programme has been vital in introducing the idea of global citizenship to the children. 'They are learning we have neighbours in other countries, as well as in Britain. Although there are differences, the children find the similarities even more interesting. They have been fascinated to discover that African children love dancing to music and eating bananas, just like them.'
Learning by fundraising
Although international links can be made through official organisations, it is also possible to organise a link independently. The Busy Bees nursery chain has done just that through extensive fundraising for an orphanage in south-eastern Africa.
The Open Arms Infants Home in Malawi cares for 40 HIV/AIDS orphans ranging in age from three months to two years. The fundraising is overseen by Carole Chadderton, co-ordinator for 22 nurseries in the north of England, and each setting is now raising money for a particular item needed by the orphanage.
'Chorley Nursery in Lancashire has just sent the money for 12 new mattresses,' Ms Chadderton says. 'The other nurseries are collecting money for formula milk and baby porridge, as well as antibiotics, curtains, furniture and cookers.' Funds have been raised through sponsored walks, cake sales, fairs and raffles.
The younger children regularly send samples of their artwork to Malawi. In return, Open Arms sends letters and photos to update children and staff in Britain on their progress.
Ms Chadderton believes the nursery children have benefited educationally.
She says, 'We tie the fundraising in closely with the foundation skills to teach the children about other countries. We have done weather projects and learned about the different clothes people wear. They have also developed their ICT skills by using the internet to research life in Malawi.'
'We really feel we're making a difference and the charity is very close to our hearts. It will definitely be an ongoing project.'
Further information
To find out how your setting could develop international links, contact:
* The British Council on 020 7389 4359 or www.britishcouncil.org.uk
* Link Community Development on 020 7691 1818 or www.lcd.org.uk