St Mary’s College celebrates International School Award win on 25th anniversary of the prestigious prize

St Mary’s College in Hull has been awarded the British Council’s prestigious International School Award in recognition of its work to bring the world into the classroom. The college is a truly diverse community where over 65 languages are spoken with a global outlook that embraces the world around us; a global community within four walls.

This year marks the 25^th anniversary of the award, which celebrates the achievements of schools that do exceptional work in global education. Bringing an international dimension into the curriculum is at the heart of the British Council’s work with schools, so that young people gain the cultural understanding and skills they need for life and work in today’s world.

The 2025 award ceremony will take place in Westminster on Monday 20 January and will be attended by Members of Parliament and representatives from schools around the UK.

St Mary’s College’s international work includes a bespoke ‘International Week’ filled with extracurricular activities and events to develop pupil’s knowledge and understanding of our global community, educational visits across the globe, international film clubs and a strong partnership link with the Kingston Junior Academy (KJA) school in Kenya, where St Mary’s have focused significant amounts of fundraising enabling KJA to get hooked up to the electric grid in Kigali and have new classrooms built and almost 50 students have their education sponsored by people in Hull.

On hearing the news that St Mary’s College had received the award, Head of School Mrs Maria Stead said “We are once again so proud to be in receipt of this prestigious reward. It highlights our work to be recognised as a truly international community, one that is globally outward-looking. Our students come from all over the world and yet we all understand what it means to be a community. This award only serves to highlight this and once again places St Mary’s College Hull in the spotlight. I am especially proud of the work we do with KJA school in Kenya. Our children love to communicate with their children and understand that young people all over the world have wonderful hopes and dreams of a future where we are connected across the world.””

Scott McDonald, Chief Executive of the British Council, said: ‘The school has earned this prestigious award through its inspirational international work and links with schools abroad.

The International School Award is a chance for schools to be recognised for their important work bringing the world into their classrooms. The desire to build on their international work shines through and it is with upmost pride that we celebrate their achievements.

By embedding an international dimension in children’s education, these schools are preparing their students for successful lives in the UK or further afield, empowering them to be global citizens, and are creating vital opportunities in an increasingly global economy.’

Over 6000 International School Awards have been presented to successful schools in the UK since the scheme began in 1999.

The International School Award encourages and supports schools to develop:

• An international ethos embedded throughout the school
• A whole school approach to international work
• Collaborative curriculum-based work with several partner schools
• Year-round international activity
• Involvement of the wider community