A Sister School Membership allows two schools to come together in a long-term, sustainable bilateral partnership that enhances all aspects of teaching and learning in school. Through a blend of digital collaboration, teacher exchanges, and life-changing student visits and hosting, schools create lasting impact for students, staff, and the wider community. With our mentoring and clear partnership frameworks, your school can demonstrate measurable progress, student outcomes and professional development.
About the programme
The Sister School Membership is a long-term relationship between two partner schools, consisting of immersive bilateral student exchanges, leadership delegations and teacher delegation trips, meaningful joint projects, online collaborations and curriculum enrichment.
Teacher Delegation
Travel to your partner school before your students to establish the partnership and complete any research or risk assessments needed for the trip.
Travel to Your Partner School
Take turns on reciprocal trips to your partner school, ensuring (with our support) that your partnership is meeting the ACTIVE framework for partnership excellence.
Hosting
Involve your whole school and host – watch as students form friendships, develop language skills and break down cultural barriers in real-time.
”"This is one of the most exciting things I have been involved in since entering the teaching profession. This really is a once in a lifetime opportunity to help our students understand and prepare for the global opportunities that await them after they have finished their education.”
Mrs Cath GreenPrincipal at Ellesmere Port C of E College
Getting Started
Register your interest in a
Sister School Partnership
Sister School FAQ
What is a Sister School?
A Sister School, also referred to as a twin school, is paired with another school to introduce an international curriculum and cultural exchange program to their students.
What are the benefits of a Sister School Partnership?
- Provides life-changing, immersive experiences
- Offers trips that will inspire, equip and support them to succeed in life and learning.
- Gives students pride in their own culture by being ambassadors of the school and the country
- Increases personal awareness and confidence
- Raises cultural awareness and highlights diversity and similarities in lives around the world
- Increases understanding of how interdependent countries and peoples are, both globally and locally
- Gives exposure to varied opportunities that enable focus and clarity on their future potential
- Results in life-long friendships.
Can I have more than one Sister School?
Yes, you can apply for more than one sister school following the same application process.
How will the GSA support the partnership?
All schools on the programme will be assigned a designated School Account Manager who will be the point of contact for your school. You will also have a dedicated space on the GSA platform where the team will support you with planning projects and managing communications.
What country can my school partner with?
We work with schools in 122 countries worldwide, so if we don’t already have a link in your desired country, we can start to establish those links.
Is there a cost for joining the programme?
There is an initial cost for setting up the partnership and funding the leadership delegation, but this will be fully reimbursed when students travel.
Is this programme accessible to all of my students?
Yes, the entire school can get involved and connect with peers at that Sister School.
How long does it take to initiate a partnership?
This varies depending on the region you are partnering with, government involvement and when you can visit the partner school. The partnership can be established within 3 months, and a leadership delegation is usually scheduled between 6-12 months later.
