Frequently Asked Questions
Topic outline
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The cost of Global Neighbours for schools in England depends on the size of your school:
For details of costs in Scotland and Wales please get in touch.
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You pay at the start of your course.
Once you have registered you will be able to enroll yourself in a Global Neighbours course. Different courses will have different start dates throughout the year, but numbers are limited. Once you have enrolled you will need to pay to unlock the course content. -
Payment is made by credit or debit card.
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Payment still applies regardless of whether or not you are successful, however the process of training, self-evaluation carefully following the course guidance and separate advice on how to prepare for an assessor’s visit should minimise the likelihood a school not being awarded. If a school is not meeting the criteria, a grace period will be given to allow any necessary changes to be made. Furthermore, in the case of an unsuccessful application for a Gold or Silver award, the assessor may recommend a lower level award (or if the school already has the lower level award, extend it for a further three-year period).
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Participants will follow a 12 month course which will guide them towards Global Neighbours accreditation for their school. The course will cover issues including courageous advocacy, anti-racism, political impartiality and more. Participants will be expected to engage with various pieces of reading, audio and video clips, and to discuss these with others on discussion forums.
Training will also include a series of five webinars led by our expert team, delivered via Microsoft teams.
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For areas where there is high demand (e.g. primary schools in England) there will be various start dates throughout the year. Once enrolled you will be able to pick your start date, but please be aware that numbers per cohort are limited.
For secondary schools and schools in Wales and Scotland we are currently offering one group each year.
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We are currently offering the following training courses starting this academic year:
Primary schools in England
- Autumn start: November 2024 - September 2025
- Spring start: March - December 2025
- Summer start: June 2025 - March 2026
Secondary schools in England
- December 2024 - September 2025
- We are looking to start another course in the summer term of 2025 for secondary schools, depending on interest. Please email gnadmin@christian-aid.org to express your interest.
Primary schools in Wales
- Dates tbc, likely December 2024 - September 2025
Primary schools in Scotland
- Dates have not yet been confirmed, please email gnadmin@christian-aid.org to express your interest.
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No, there is now a version of the scheme for secondary schools.
Currently this is only available to secondary schools in England, but if you are a secondary school in Scotland or Wales please get in touch to let us know you're keen!
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No, Global Neighbours is now open to schools in Wales and Scotland too!
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If you attended a training session prior to the 2024-25 academic year and have been working on your application using the old-style self-evaluation form we will still accept it if it submitted by July 2025. If you would like to take this option please get in touch with us by emailing gnadmin@christian-aid.org.
However, we would encourage you to consider engaging with the new-style training course as this will provide you with a significantly increased level of support and input for only a marginal increase in cost.
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The Global Neighbours criteria cover five areas:
- Leadership, Vision & Values
- Teaching & Learning
- Collective Worship & Spiritual Development (England & Wales) / Collective Reflection & Values Development (Scotland)
- Pupil Participation in Active Global Citizenship
- Community Engagement
You can find more detail in the Global Neighbours handbook:
- Handbook for primary schools in England
- Handbook for secondary schools in England
- Handbook for primary schools in Wales - coming soon
- Handbook for primary schools in Scotland - coming soon
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Once you have registered you will be able to create an online learning account and enrol on a training cohort. Global Neighbours training takes 12 months, during which you will be guided through the process of applying for accreditation. Applying for accreditation is done by submitting evidence via an online form of how you are meeting the Global Neighbours criteria.
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Our team of independent assessors will review your application against the Global Neighbours criteria. For schools applying for a bronze award, the assessor will arrange to speak to you on the phone. For silver and gold applications the assessor will spend half a day in school.
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An assessor will visit the school for half a day at an agreed time. The assessor will review evidence provided by the school in a variety of forms and meet with relevant staff and pupils and other members of the local community as appropriate about their experiences, plans and learning. Full details on how to prepare for a visit will be sent on receipt of an application for an award.
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Every accredited school will receive a certificate of accreditation and a license to use the Global Neighbours award logo on school publications and letterheads. Accredited schools will also receive guidance and resources to help share their success and learning, for example through local media.
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The Bronze, Silver and Gold awards will all expire at the end of the third full school year following the date of the award. To put it another way, a new award period opens in September each year and runs for the remainder of that school year and the following three years. Therefore, each award will need renewing between three and four school years from the date of the award, depending upon the stage reached in the school year when the award was made. For example, an award made in April 2025 will be due for renewal in August 2028. You will receive details on how to apply for renewal near the time when your award will expire.
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There is a rigorous process to appoint assessors, followed by programme of ongoing training and annual reviews for all assessors.
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Yes, in so far that it helps demonstrate your school’s fulfilment of the accreditation criteria and is work that is currently being implemented in your school.
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The specific focus of this scheme is on the provision of opportunities for pupils to develop their understanding of global justice issues and become agents of change. In common with many other schemes, the scheme encourages schools to develop global citizenship through multiple areas of the curriculum but it is distinctive in the place given to Religious Education and courageous advocacy. For church schools, its distinctiveness also lies in its capacity to help church schools relate its work on global citizenship to their Christian character and the framework for the Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS). In so far that your school’s participation in other schemes supports the accreditation criteria, they can be used in support of an application for a Global Neighbours School Award.
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Yes, but we hope you will find the opportunities provided by Christian Aid for pupils to raise awareness, voices and money helpful.
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Yes, of course. Our teaching and learning resources are freely available to all schools on our website.
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Yes – in fact we would strongly encourage schools to share the journey to Global Neighbours accreditation with other schools with which they have close relationships.
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We are not able to link schools in Britain with schools elsewhere in the world but there are many other organisations and schemes that do. See the ‘Further Resources and Support’ section of the Global Neighbours handbook.
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