Comenius Start-Up Workshop: Objectives, Financial Management, and Opportunities

1. Comenius Start-Up Workshop Friday 7th of October Stirling

2. Today’s Objectives • Contractual obligations • Integration of project into curriculum • Other Opportunities & Added Value • Dissemination & Accreditation • Share good practice

3. Application Submission Final Report Eligibility and Quality Checks Progress Report Selection Results Life Cycle Monitoring Grant Agreement And Payment School Partnership Activities What is the Life-cycle of a Partnership?

4. Financial management Grants are paid in Euros, in two installments: • First 80% payment paid within 45 days of receipt of signed Grant Agreements • Final 20% payment paid within 45 days of receipt and approval of the Final Report Ensure you read all of the financial guidance carefully: • Annex III: Rules for calculation • Accompanying Financial Guidance

5. Management of Grant Grant payments relate to completed mobility activity: Com 12 (If 12 mobilities are successfully carried out over the 2 year period) €20,000 (80% payment = €16,000 20% payment = €4,000) Com 24 (If 24 mobilities are successfully carried out over the 2 year period) €25,000 (80% payment = €20,000 20% payment = €5,000)

6. Management of lump sum funding • Lump sum funding is primarily awarded to support travel • Plan mobilities carefully: who will travel; when; estimated travel and accommodation costs. • Schools MUST retain copies of travel tickets and/or boarding passes • Certificates of Attendance • Documentation may be required if you are selected for a desk / on the spot check

7. Management of lump sum funding Other project-related costs: • Software and Hardware • Supply cover for teachers attending meetings • Travel costs for associated meetings • Communication Costs • Consumables

8. Reporting • PROGRESS REPORT due 30 June 2012 • FINAL REPORT due 30 September 2013 • Reports must be completed to an acceptable standard • Reports must be in English • Report Webinars

9. Wider Dissemination • European database to capture project activities; improve visibility & access project results • Huge platform for disseminating your project outcomes • A source of inspiration • A contractual responsibility for all 2011 School Partnerships

10. Monitoring and Evaluation On-the-Spot Checks: • Carried out ANY time during the life of your partnership • Involves a visit to your institution Desk Checks: • Submission of mobility evidence Final report stage

11. Session 2: Case StudyNancy Clunie, Dalmarnock Primary

12. Session 3: Other Opportunities • Wider Comenius Opportunities • eTwinning • Schools Online • LLP Programme

13. Comenius In-Service Training Activity: • Structured Training Courses (language or non-language) • Job-shadowing an European colleague • European conference or seminar Who’s Eligible? • Teachers • School Staff • Educational Advisors (LA) • Educational Experts • Trainers

14. Comenius In-Service Training • Next deadline: • 2nd December 2011 (to travel form 1st March until end of April 2011) • 15th January 2012 (to travel from 1st May 2012) • Funding Amounts: • Up to 1 week: €2000 • Up to 2 weeks: €2500 • Up to 6 weeks: €3000

15. Comenius Assistants • Open to intending and trainee teachers from 33 European countries • FREE cultural resource to the school • 13-45 weeks/12-16 contact hours per week • At secondary level, language must not already be taught on curriculum • Cluster Applications • Adds value to existing Comenius projects within the school • comenius.assistants@britishcouncil.org

16. Comenius Regio Partnerships • Bilateral partnerships between European local authorities • Collaborative activities on topics of mutual interest Bilateral Regio partnership consists of two “partner regions” which must involve: • the local or regional authority with a role in school education • at least one other relevant local organisation or institution • at least one school

17. Using eTwinning to enhance your Comenius project

18. What is eTwinning? • Strand of the EC’s Lifelong Learning Programme allowing European schools to engage in collaborative projects using the internet and ICT • Does not offer funding to schools, but provides tools and support to make project work possible • 32 European Countries; over 135,000 European teachers; over 12,000 UK teachers • Centrepiece is the eTwinning Portal www.etwinning.net

19. www.eTwinning.net Public homepage: Information and inspiration for all; you register and login here Desktop: Your personal profile; partner finding tool; register your project here Twinspace: Accessible when you register a project; virtual classroom with communication tools and a place to share your work

20. How to access eTwinning • http://www.etwinning.net

21. What can eTwinning do for your Comenius project? • Help deliver aspects of your project plan • Involve unsuccessful partners • Carry on your project after it finishes and the funding stops • Other classes & staff in your school to get involved in the project or have their own European projects • Find partners for future/other European projects

22. What can eTwinning do for your Comenius project? • As a communication tool: Teacher to teacher; pupil to pupil • As an evaluation tool: teachers and pupils • As a place to store and share your work • As a tool to disseminate your work: within your school; within your partnership; to the local community and wider • As a planning tool

23. What else can eTwinning offer you? • Support: National Support Service; regional officers; web resources • Awards and recognition: Quality Label; National and European Awards • Professional Development: ICT skills; Workshops; Ambassador work • eTwinning events: Workshops (local, national & European); National Conference

24. Wider Opportunities Erasmus – Higher Education Youth in Action – Youth Sector Transversal – Educational Study Visits Leonardo da Vinci – Vocational Education Grundtvig– Adult Learning

25. A partner finding service • The International School Award • Online forums • Signposting to professional development and other resources • Project spaces • Funding opportunities

26. Register now!www.britishcouncil.org/schoolsonline

28. International School Award • For more information… • schools@britishcouncil.org • http://www.britishcouncil.org/schoolsonline

29. Session 4:Making the most of your partnership • European Quality Charter for Mobility • Common issues • Brainstorming session

30. European Quality Charter for Mobility A voluntary and flexible reference document for people undertaking, planning or organising education or training visits abroad It is aimed at: • Organisations they are travelling from and travelling to • Organisations responsible for stays abroad • Participants

31. European Quality Charter for Mobility The Charter grouped into 5 areas: Relevance: An effective learning mobility which is relevant Responsibilities: A well-planned mobility with necessary roles and responsibilities clearly identified and agreed in advance Readiness: A well-prepared-for mobility is much more likely to be successful Return: Support on return; how to make the most use of what they have gained from the experience Recognition: The knowledge and skills that people gain from a learning mobility need to be recognised

32. Successful Partnership Working: what can help? • Risk management / assessment • Communication • How to ensure successful mobility • Insurance advice • Flight Cancellations • Child protection issues • Staff Changes

33. Session 5: Media & Dissemination • Media coverage and Press Releases • Comenius Newsletter • Dissemination support • Thematic Networking and Valorisation • Recognition and Accreditation

34. Media coverage Why bother? • International activity is different and interesting • Share your successes • Take control • Spread the word

35. Press Release • The 5 Ws • Keep it short and snappy • Bring the story to life • Getting in touch

36. Media coverage • Get the right person • On the day – take care of your journalist! • Good photography is vital (with media consent) • Interviews – be prepared • Make sure it’s new news

37. The British Council and Project Dissemination • The Comenius website had over 70,000 visitors last year • Comenius eNews • Case studies are a powerful tool for illustrating the benefits of the programme

38. The British Council and Project Dissemination What issues are we especially interested in for 2011/12? • Employability • Community Cohesion • Languages • Participation of under- represented groups

39. More tips on Project Dissemination • Understand your audiences • Parents and the local community • European Commission website: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/valorisation/index_en.htm • QaS Quality and Sustainability Project: http://www.programkontoret.se/sv/QaS/

40. Thematic networking and valorisation events Comenius Networks: • represent organisations from at least ten countries • concentrate on a particular subject or thematic area • support Comenius Partnerships Networks of National Agencies: • Teacher Training • working with disadvantaged groups

41. Accreditation and Recognition • Professional development Opportunities • Cambridge Education Foundation • Europass: Language Passport Europass Mobility

42. Any Questions? • Comenius.partnerships@britishcouncil.org •  0161 957 7755