TWO north Oxfordshire schools have won awards for bringing the wider world into their classrooms.

The Warriner School, in Bloxham, and St Leonard’s Primary School, in Overthorpe Road, Banbury, collected British Council International School Awards in London on Thursday.

Toni Bannister, international co-ordinator at St Leonard’s, said the school had started working towards the award in 2007. Teacher Joanne Fletcher led the project until last summer when she moved to Portugal.

Ms Bannister said: “To achieve the award, Joanne put together a portfolio of evidence outlining the international activities which the school took part in.

“These included making links with a primary school in Seville, Spain, and one in Budapest, Hungary.”

As part of the project, children became pen pals, visited each other’s countries and the school has also set up an annual international week whereby children throughout the school learn about a different country.”

Warriner School headteacher Nick Hindmarsh said: “This award is a credit to all the hard work that goes on in school to maintain and develop our links with education partners across seven European Union countries, Japan, Uganda and Washington DC.”

The British Council promotes cultural and educational links around the world.