The Academy is currently working towards reaccreditation for the International Schools Award. The Academy action plan has been submitted to; and been approved by the British Council. A number of innovative and exciting projects are currently being undertaken to extend the opportunities for all students across the Academy to appreciate their education, the wider life of the Academy and the Academy community in an international context.

Activities that are contributing towards the International Award this year include:

• The ‘Making History’ Schools Project.
  • The programme starts with a visit from local Lincoln actor Colin MacFarlane to inspire students to take part in a programme of tracing their family tree. Students then take part in on-line tutorials prepared by Dr Nick Barrett to learn the basics of tracing ancestors. Learners then participate in film-making workshops to produce individual films for each child about their family story. Visits from celebrity mentors will take place to inspire children to embark on and complete their family story. 

• My World (House Photography Competition)
  • Students take 6 creative photographs which are most representative of their world. These will be exchanged with a partner school in Lebanon who are also completing a similar project. The winning photographs from the house competition and the photographs from our partner school in Lebanon will be displayed for students to see in each school. Enrichment research groups will allow students to conduct research to find out about the history, geopolitical conditions and gain a cultural and religious understanding of what it might be like to live in Lebanon. Using this information they will then analyse the photographs sent and put together a questionnaire for students in the partner school.

• Yr7 Visit to the Centre des Etoiles
  • The main aim of the trip is to provide a residential social learning experience outside the normal family and geographical setting. This will allow the students to socialise in a larger group than they are used to and learn how to behave when outside their “comfort zone”.  The groups will be divided into four houses which will compete against each other all week; this encourages teamwork and competitive attitudes. Competition will be on all aspects of the trip including timeliness and tidiness of rooms.  The pupils have to look after themselves in terms of packing, getting up and ready for the day and ensuring they arrive on time with the correct equipment for each visit. They also have the opportunity to see French culture and compare it to our own.  Visits include the D-Day beaches, Arramanche and Allied and German cemeteries.

• Festival of the term
  • Students will develop an understanding of the culture and religious beliefs from 6 of the world’s major religions. By highlighting a religious festival we can look at geographical location – where is it celebrated, what religions and cultures celebrate the festival and why it is important to them. We will look at the foods and the special arrangements that go with the festival.  Students will gain a better understanding of other cultures and beliefs.