International Partnerships

As part of our ‘Beyond Cherwell’ enrichment programme, we have formed strong international partnerships, working alongside students and schools across the globe to broaden our horizons, develop new networks and to empower students to leave a legacy in both our local and international communities.

We are thrilled to be accredited as a European Parliament Ambassador School, an EU award in recognition of our international enrichment work and our citizenship and advocacy programmes.

We continue to work as a partner for the Turing Scheme, receiving grants in 2022 and 2023 to fully fund a 16-day study placement tour. 

We have developed and continue to grow a broad network of international collaborators, including schools and universities, embassies (with visits to British embassies abroad and foreign embassies in the UK), science and policy hubs and international charities and aid organisations.

In addition to our international enrichment programme, our modern languages departments offer a range of language-specialism exchanges and trips throughout the year. 

In 2023, we are running four subsidised or fully funded international trips, in addition to hosting visiting delegations of students and teachers from Finland, Estonia and Croatia:

1. EPAS Euroscola (Strasbourg, France)

When: Sunday 26 February - Wednesday 1 March 2023

Where: Strasbourg, France

Who: 20 Year 12 and Year 13 students

Cost: £200 (subsidised by £150 by the European Union)

What: A one-day conference in the European Parliament (Euroscola), with delegates from the 27 Member States. The conference theme is sustainability. Before the conference, we will sight-see in Strasbourg and work with other schools and with experts from the EU and Court of Human Rights. We will also enjoy a half-day tour in Paris on our return journey.

Travel, Accommodation And Meals: We will travel by train and Eurostar (Oxford - London (incl. tube) - Paris - Strasbourg). We will stay in hostel accommodation, eating in restaurants. 

Selection: Students will be selected on the basis of a personal statement and attitude to learning, attendance and punctuality in school.

2. EPAS Transnational Symposium (Cyprus)

When: Thursday 30 March - Sunday 2 April 2023

Where: Larnaca and Nicosia, Cyprus

Who: A delegation of 8 Year 12 and Year 13 students

Cost: The trip is free of charge to all students, with all costs fully funded by the European Union.

What: A two-day transnational symposium for delegates from the UK, Cyprus, Ireland and Malta (the island nations of the EU). Students will work together on a series of tasks, discussions and workshops. The symposium theme is jobs and international networks of the future, with contributions from employers, politicians and experts. In addition, there will be opportunities for sightseeing, including a guided tour of Nicosia and ‘The Green Line’ (a dividing line between southern Greek Cyprus and northern Turkish Cyprus that serves as a UN demilitiarised ‘buffer’ zone, an important site of both historical conflict and modern renovation). 

Travel, Accommodation And Meals: We will travel by train to London and fly to Cyprus, with a mixture of public transport and private coach in Cyprus. We will stay in hostel accommodation, eating in the hostel and at local cafes and restaurants.

Selection: Students must be both outstanding ambassadors for the school and for the UK. We will look to select students who will contribute fully to the event, embrace the opportunities and challenges it presents and who will make a collective impression on the Cherwell community. Students will be selected on the basis of a personal statement, a team selection event, attitude to learning, attendance and punctuality in school.

Priority Criteria: In the light of our ethos of ‘no limits’ and enabling transformative opportunities, we particularly welcome applications from students for whom international travel would not normally be possible and for whom the EPAS event would therefore provide a formative experience. We will look to recognise in selections students who are in care or care-experienced, students in receipt of the 16-19 Bursary, students with caring responsibilities and students with disabilities that would affect social interaction or travel readiness.. 

3. European Youth Event (Strasbourg, France)

When: Thursday 8 June - Sunday 11 June 2023

Where: Strasbourg, France

Who:16 Year 12 students 

Cost: £200 (subsidised by £150 by the European Union)

What:  A two day ‘ideas exchange’ of young people aged 16-30 with workshops by experts, activists, influencers and decision-makers. The theme of EYE 2023 is democracy and youth advocacy. In the evenings, we will sight-see in Strasbourg and work with other schools and the EU.

Travel, Accommodation And Meals: We will travel by train and Eurostar (Oxford - London (incl. tube) - Paris - Strasbourg). We will stay in hostel accommodation, eating in restaurants. 

Selection: Students will be selected on the basis of a personal statement and attitude to learning, attendance and punctuality in school.

4. Turing Scheme 2023 (Baltics Tour: Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania)

When: Sunday 16 July - Monday 31 July 2023

Where: Touring in Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania (precise destinations to be confirmed)

Who: 32 Year 12 students 

Cost: The trip is free of charge to all students, with all costs fully funded by a Turing Scheme grant.

What: A 16 day study and enrichment tour of the Baltics, with a focus on Estonia and Latvia. The trip is designed to inspire students to embrace ‘no limits’ through challenging but exciting opportunities, to advocate responsible citizenship through collective trip project work and to empower students to imagine their own ambitious futures through making connections with the wider world and by creating purposeful international connections with other young people.

The trip will involve a host of activities in a bespoke timetable, to include:

• Collaboration with local students and young people

• Tours, team challenges, project work and sightseeing

• Historical experiences (such as learning about the Soviet occupations of Estonia)

• Cultural experiences (such as a Latvian city festival and Estonian folk concert)

• Outdoor experiences (nature walks, boat trips, introductions to local sports)

• Consideration of the region’s future political, trade or social current affairs (industry visits, university visit or British Embassy visit). 

• Tasters of local food (at restaurants and in cooking classes)

Before the trip, students must complete a preparatory programme, to include a single-day event in Oxford and a one night residential visit outside Oxford (date and location to be confirmed).

Travel, Accommodation And Meals: We will travel by flight and a mixture of overland transport (train, private coach, public bus). We will stay in hostel accommodation, eating in the hostel (including some cooking for ourselves) and at local cafes and restaurants. 

Selection:  Students will be selected on the basis of personal statement, a team selection event and attitude to learning, attendance and punctuality in school. We will look to select students who will contribute fully to the event, embrace the opportunities and challenges it presents and who will make a collective impression on the Cherwell community. Shortlisted students will be invited to a selection event, at which we will assess willingness to embrace challenges, attentiveness to others, group work and leadership. 

Priority Criteria: In the light of our ethos of ‘no limits’ and enabling transformative opportunities, we particularly welcome applications from students for whom international travel would not normally be possible and for whom the event would therefore provide a formative experience. We will look to recognise in selections students who are in care or care-experienced, students in receipt of the 16-19 Bursary, students with caring responsibilities and students with disabilities that would affect social interaction or travel readiness.