Global Partnerships

The Life Channel Schools network is being utilised to promote global partnership between St Thomas More RC School (Specialist Sports College) in East London and The Solomon Mahlangu Freedom School in Pretoria, South Africa.

The development of The Life Channel Schools network into South Africa is part of a planned expansion based on the successful implementation of the service in Europe.

Fitting in with the DFID's Global School Partnerships remit, The Life Channel Schools network will give both schools greater partnership and cultural development on a global scale by enabling them to:

• Share Life: St Thomas More RC School and The Solomon Mahlangu Freedom School will be able to upload relevant video footage and photographs of life in their school (including clips of students, assemblies, internal and external events) and share it all with the school abroad. Both schools will be able to share and develop the curriculum and cultures with each other without the need to transfer people. This will cut down on costs and time constraints.
• Share Educational Content: Motivating students to learn, easing school management and generating greater school communication, The Life Channel Schools network supports and reinforces what schools in the UK have been carrying out to fulfill their ECM and Ofsted criteria by producing age-appropriate content including eating well; having an active, fun-filled life; respecting oneself and others - with significant emphasis on bullying and peer mentoring; avoiding drink and substance misuse; helping others and inspiring aims and achievement. Relevant content is provided on screens in South Africa.
• Share Technology: Both schools will have their own dedicated TV channels. A two-way satellite communication system is installed to deliver content and enable the schools to communicate with one another using high speed Internet access. Education professionals can download any programmes from The Life Channel website's unique online portal and show them on their interactive whiteboards. Helping teachers and students to become more ICT-competent, the network also allows schools to upload their own information and content onto the screens to be shown in-between The Life Channel School network's programming.