Language barriers

Timezones and scheduling

Roles of who develops what? Costs?

Perception that differences = limited alignment potential

Who is responsible for leading? What support if provided? What are expectations? How organic can the process be?

Different schools have different priorities and difference pressures.

Another 'extra thing' as opposed to integral

Where do we find time in the day/curriculum to accommodate this?

Fatigue over the amount of platforms? Lack of true connection over digital platforms?

Parents? Are they involved in this - do they need to be?

Key challenges we anticipate:

- Scheduling across time zones → Solved through asynchronous tools

- Variable participation → Addressed by appointing school ambassadors

- Platform accessibility → Using existing EiM-approved systems (Teams/Padlet)

How will it be rolled out?

Education around usage

Expectations around usuage

What platform will be used?

Can all countries access the platform?

Who will manage it?

Lack of trust, previous negative experiences, or insufficient relationship-building can prevent open communication and cooperation.

Training, teachers being on board and open to new ideas.

Different schools have different numbers of classes with varying amounts of students.

- Project Showcases: 2-3 minute video tours of successful initiatives (e.g., DCSZ's upcycled garden signage)

- Resource Exchange: Ready-to-use templates (waste audit forms, lesson plans)

- Connection Portal: Facilitated partnerships between classes (e.g., Year 4 joint sustainability challenges)

- Meaningful cross-cultural collaboration opportunities

- Increased motivation through international audiences for their work

For Staff:

- Reduced planning burden through shared resources

- Professional growth through peer learning

For EiM: Aligns schools with the network’s strategic vision.

- For Parents: build trust and investment in something bigger; enrich learning

Focus on HUMAN CONNECTION

Initiatives like DCSZ's eco-garden and Dulwich Shanghai’s composting system can benefit from systematic sharing. We can also enhance coaching, mentorship, and curriculum development to better support students with varied needs.

By collaborating, we improve community engagement, student outcomes, and ensure we stay leaders in sustainability and global citizenship.

To build connections across different countries/cultures within the EiM schools to provide students with different perspectives.

We have unique group of schools within our network and educators all with amazing ideas and systems. We should be fully embracing the opportunity to collaborate and share.

Sharing best practice, encouraging wider conversation and learning

To allow for more coaching and mentorship opportunities.

Sharing ideas across EiM schools fosters innovation, prevents duplication of effort, and strengthens our collective mission.

Our EiM schools are each developing remarkable sustainability and global citizenship initiatives, yet we lack a consistent way to share these successes.

At DCSZ, our Green Tigers' eco-garden project could benefit schools facing similar challenges, while we could adopt best practices from Dulwich Shanghai's composting system.

Systematic collaboration will amplify our collective impact while respecting teachers' time.

Curriculum development and allow for wider community engagement. Strengthening the EIM Network of works and allowing us to be leading in the field.

Working together helps schools better support students with varied backgrounds, abilities, or challenges by coordinating interventions and sharing expertise.

What are we going to do? i.e, what are the students going to work on and why are they going to work on that? Is it a yearly theme? Does each age/grade/year group have a different theme? Do students collaborate with the same school each year or does this change?

We propose a platform to highlight emerging trends and foster human connection across schools. It will feature:

• Project Showcases: Short video tours of successful initiatives (e.g., DCSZ's eco-garden signage).

• Resource Exchange: Templates and tools like lesson plans and waste audit forms.

• Connection Portal: Facilitated partnerships between classes for shared challenges (e.g., Year 4 sustainability projects).

This platform will focus on student voice, intercultural understanding, and collaborative development to meet diverse needs, creating a non-judgemental space for growth outside a QA framework.

• Objective: Enable collaboration between students and staff globally to enhance understanding of Global Citizenship (GC) and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• Benefits:

  • Broader Perspective: Insights into global challenges and opportunities.

  • Empowerment: Fosters knowledge, inclusivity, and pride in projects.

• For Students:

  • Cross-cultural collaboration opportunities.

  • Increased motivation with international audiences.

• For Staff:

  • Reduced planning burden through shared resources.

  • Professional growth via peer learning.

• For EiM: Aligns with the network’s strategic vision.

• For Parents: Builds trust and enriches student learning.

• Overall Impact: Encourages idea exchange for innovative teaching methods.

  
  

Allowing students and staff to work with other schools around globe. Adding to GC and UN SDGs understanding through learning about other areas, country specific situations.

Provides an alternative wider lens (outside of internal school context) and perspective to understand challenges, projects, opportunities, and alignment of EIM directives.

- Meaningful cross-cultural collaboration opportunities

- Increased motivation through international audiences for their work

Collaboration encourages the exchange of ideas, leading to innovative teaching methods and curriculum development that can better meet diverse student needs.

• Objective: Establish a platform for selected schools or year groups to enhance collaboration and impact student learning.

• Phase 1:

  1. Pilot with 3 schools (DCSZ, Shanghai, Beijing).

  2. Launch core features (project showcases and resource exchange).

  3. Monthly progress reviews.

• Event Idea: Host a relaxed conversation event for staff and students to encourage open dialogue.

• Platform Design:

  • Easy to use and self-maintaining, akin to "EiM LinkedIn" or "Dulwich Yellow Pages" for sharing requests and resources.

• Participation Guidelines: Set clear usage expectations and develop a user policy.

  
  

Choose a set of schools or year groups to use this platform for collaborative uses. Check if viable, fair usage and if it makes a significant difference to students.

Needs clear direction/ the why:

• How will it be used and what are the expectations around participation

• User policy and charter

June 1st is International Children's Day. This could be something that is implemented throughout the month of May and celebrated on June 1st (or as close to if that falls on a weekend!)

Phase 1 (Term 1):

1. Pilot with 3 volunteer schools (DCSZ, Shanghai, Beijing)

2. Launch 2-3 core features (project showcases + resource exchange)

3. Monthly progress reviews during sustainability coordinator meetings

An event where staff and children can benefit from the relaxed approached to facilitating conversation. Steps: poster topic displayed, sign up, no agenda-no end goal, just join the conversation and watch it grow.

The platform must be easy for teachers to use, and self-maintaining. Something like an "EiM LinkedIn" or a "Dulwich Yellow Pages" - a platform where teachers could place "adverts" saying, "I am looking for something to help me with ________" or "Hey, look at the great stuff we are doing with _______."

• Platform Decision: Determine if it will use an existing system or require a new one.

• Requirements:

  • Leadership endorsement.

  • Dedicated coordinator (1–2 hours/week).

  • Minimal budget using existing platforms.

• Long-Term Success: Establish a calendar for contributions to keep ideas fresh.

• Goal: Enhance academic achievement, social-emotional development, and overall well-being of students through shared resources and best practices.

Will it be found on an existing system or will we need to create a new one.

Dedicated time for this to be done properly.

- Leadership endorsement

- Dedicated coordinator (1–2 hrs/week)

- Minimal budget (existing platforms)

Calendar plan of who and when contributes to support in it staying a long term success, with fresh ideas or elements added.

To enhance academic achievement, social-emotional development, and overall well-being of students through shared resources and best practices.

• Goals:

  • Achieve 75% participation from EiM schools within 18 months.

  • Measure increased student engagement with SDGs.

  • Gain recognition as a model for international school collaboration.

• Event Planning: Organize a specific event involving all schools post-testing.

• Curriculum Development: Create a scheme of work aligned with EiM's vision, benefiting all schools.

• Student Engagement: Facilitate student visits between schools.

• Community Benefits: Provide clear evidence to parents of a wider network supporting their child’s journey, benefiting students, staff, and parents alike.

Possibilities:

- 75% of EiM schools actively contributing within 18 months

- Measurable increases in student engagement with SDGs

- Recognition as a model for international school collaboration

After testing, schools could plan a specific event which encompasses ALL schools.

Planning a scheme of work which then follows EiM's vision and across schools. Allowing for an event or scheme which is beneficial for all schools involved.

Students to visit different schools

Clear evidence to parents of a bigger picture, a wider network, a collective voice helping their child on their Dulwich journey.

A USP for EiM.

The whole community should benefit

Not just for students but for staff (academic/ Business and parents

Clear understanding of each partner’s roles ensures accountability and smooth coordination.

• Accountability Areas:

  • Academic and Admin/ICT responsible for collaborative schemes, planning, meetings, and calendar management.

• Action Steps:

  • Assign school-level "connectors" for updates.

  • Track monthly participation metrics.

  • Showcase outcomes at termly EiM leadership meetings.

  • Conduct annual impact surveys with staff and students.

• Student Engagement: Implement student surveys to prioritize their input on collaboration.

• Leadership: Champions to lead various platform areas; consider training and professional development opportunities for staff.

• Role Clarity: Ensure each school or partner understands and fulfills their specific roles and expectations in the collaboration.

Academic and Admin/ICT will need to be accountable for the platform's:

Collaborative schemes

Planning

Meetings

Calendar

- Assign school-level "connectors" to share updates.

- Track monthly participation metrics

- Showcase outcomes at termly EiM leadership meetings

- Conduct annual impact surveys with staff and students

Student surveys in place as a result of ideas shared and developed on the platform that puts the children at the heart of the conversation around greater collaboration.

Champions lead on different areas of the platform. Could there be training? A PD opportunity for staff who are looking for more opportunities for growth within the network

Each school or partner must understand and fulfill their specific roles, tasks, and expectations within the collaboration.

Share with staff/admin

Sharing good practice

Highlighting trends

Showcasing new technologies and latest equipment.

Collaboration of planning across schools

Sharing systems

Reporting to parents (low level)

Instructional Coaching

PD

EiM ConnectED

Momentum

Mindset and confidence

Pilot Planning

Policy - documentation

Mandated Laws

Buy-in from staff

Teachers won't want to do it for many reasons.