At Northallerton College our sense of community extends well beyond our immediate environment – the school, town and nation. Our international ethos encourages students to celebrate and experience rich and diverse heritages and to play a responsible part in their college, neighbourhood and in the wider world. We stress the importance of and value different cultures and beliefs, and we will continue to give our students, the knowledge, skills and understanding gained from established international links.

Bringing an international dimension into the College has many benefits for students and staff. Although the material has more obvious links to subject areas like Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) and geography there is not an aspect of the curriculum which cannot embrace references and exposure to the wider international dimension.

MFL has exchanges established with France and Germany following the completion of a recent Comenius Project; international excursions and visits to more culturally diverse communities in the UK provide shorter term opportunities which have social and cultural benefits. They also help students achieve their full potential on pre and post 16 courses. Our partnership with Risedale Sports and Community College (RSCC) has provided us with the opportunity to establish a working relationship with a school and community in Nepal, and in partnership with The Dales School links are being established with a school in Hong Kong. A European Community funded Comenius project has, over a two year period, seen students and staff sharing good practice from Finland, Germany and Belgium. Our weather station provides data used by students both here in Northallerton and around the world. Many of our students have been involved with wider international projects in the community visiting Ghana with one of the local churches. We have also benefitted as visitors from various cultures at home and abroad have come to meet students and staff, for example colleagues from Sri Lanka and Gambia as well as representatives from a Muslim community in Bradford.