British Council China Programme (England)
A variety of different funding opportunities are available to help primary, secondary and special schools, as well as colleges of further education to develop partnerships with Chinese schools and the teaching of Chinese . The programme aims to establish sustainable links that will impact on the development of the schools and colleges involved; to enrich the curriculum and support language awareness and learning; and to provide professional development opportunities for staff. Funding is for example available to local authorities and clusters of schools to develop strategic area links with regions in China.
Schools in the UK can also apply for grants of up to £1,000 for school linking visits to develop new or existing partnerships with schools in China. Schools can also apply for funding to undertake a curriculum project with their Chinese partner school. Joint Curriculum Projects is managed by the British Council on behalf of the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), and enables schools to work collaboratively on a joint project of common interest including sport, art and music.
Grants of up to £5,000 are available to contribute towards pupil mobility, including local travel in China; accommodation and subsistence costs; materials; administration costs; evaluation and dissemination costs; and staff time cover. The next application deadline for School Linking Visit funding is October 1st 2009 and for joint curriculum projects the deadline is 23rd October 2009.
