Global School Partnerships Starter Grants

The UK Department for International Development (DFID) ran a scheme called Global School Partnerships. The scheme has now closed. DFID itself no longer exists: it was merged into the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in 2020. Global School Partnerships was replaced by the British Council's Connecting Classrooms programme; check the British Council website for what is currently available to schools.

The Global School Partnerships programme introduces worldwide issues to children, families, teachers and communities. The aim of the programme is to encourage children to make a commitment to a world that is fairer and more sustainable.

The partnerships are between schools in the UK and elsewhere. At the time of writing there were 2,000 such partnerships that link the UK to 56 countries. The overseas schools are in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America.

Funding

UKaid funded the programme through DFID. The managers were a group of four organisations: the British Council, VSO, the UK One World Linking Association and the Cambridge Education Foundation.

The types of grant available were a starter grant; a reciprocal visit grant; a global curriculum project grant; and a local authority grant.

Teacher Taster Sessions

Anyone interested in the Global School Partnerships programme could apply for the starter grant. The grant is no longer available. But first, teachers may wish to find out more about the programme and what’s involved.

DFID therefore ran Teacher Taster Sessions. These no longer take place. These present a summary of the programme. They also show how it can benefit a school.

Among the issues the sessions cover are professional development opportunities, and help with meeting the criteria of the curricula. Teachers also receive advice about finding a partner school, and the grant sources that are available.

The sessions last about an hour and a half and take place across the country. The sessions were arranged through VSO, which no longer runs them.

Grant Eligibility Finder

Tell us what you need funding for and we will match you with the types of UK grant most likely to accept your application.

Try our Grant Eligibility Finder free, here on this site →

Next Step

The next step is for teachers to discuss with their colleagues the possibility of an overseas school partnership.

Teachers may want to think about the motivation for such a partnership, and what they hope to achieve. Other common issues include how a partnership can improve the goals of a school, and how the learning experience for children can benefit.

Applying For the Starter Grant

Applications for the starter grant were made through the Cambridge Education Foundation’s website. The grant is closed and applications are no longer accepted.

There were 1,000 starter grants of £250 available. Teachers can use them to look further into the option of a global school partnership.

Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.

Eligible Activities

Teachers can use the grant for eligible activities. These include supplying cover and travel so they can go to one of the Introduction to Global School Partnerships workshops. The workshop itself is free. These workshops are no longer offered.

Teachers can also use the starter grant to cover the cost of in-school training. This can come from a local Development Education Centre (DEC). The DEA charity was renamed Think Global in 2011 and is no longer operating in that form; check whether a DEC still operates in your area.

Further Grants

After receiving the starter grant, and making a decision to progress, teachers could apply for further funds. These grants have all closed with the programme.

The Next Step

Now that you have read through the advice above, you might want to put it into practice. Our Grant Eligibility Finder lets you tell us what you need funding for and we will match you with the types of UK grant most likely to accept your application. Try it now →