19 October 2011 Last updated at 13:23

World Class FAQs

More information about what happens when you join World Class and some simple questions about school linking answered by the British Council Schools team

What happens when you join World Class?

World Class is a partnership project between the BBC and many other organisations, listed here.

Our core partners are the British Council Schools team and they offer a service free to schools. They are working hard to partner up every school which joins World Class.

Pupils from Trinidad and Mongolia in national dress

We also share your interest with other organisations in the World Class partnership. In some cases these organisations charge for faciliation, but you are under no obligation to take up these services.

Here are some frequently asked questions to help you think about options. With thanks to the British Council schools team for their input.

How do we choose? UK schools sometimes think that a link in Europe will be less interesting than one further afield, but these links are often more creative and active and can be built on to make a Comenius application which could attract funding of around 20,000 Euros per annum.

What's the commitment? A link with a school in an African or Caribbean country is a long-term whole-school commitment which needs a couple of staff to help to manage it and patience to set it up.

How do we deal with language barriers? Many schools around the world teach English and will be interested in linking with UK schools to support their pupils' language learning. UK schools find that links with countries such as Kazakhstan, Taiwan, Korea or Indonesia are very useful for focusing on literacy and communication because their schools will be teaching English.

Can we have more than one link? Yes, but you will only have one introduction in the first place. You can add to your links as long as you have staff resource to support them.

What if we already have a link? You can use our resources and project templates with your existing partner school or you can request another partner school - up to you!

Can we access funding? British Council will advise you how to apply for funding once your partnership is up and running. Please note that not all partnership countries are eligible for funding. No funding can be guaranteed as each application will be assessed individually. If you need to know more about funding options please ask the British Council team.

What if we want to be involved but don't want a partner school? British Council will be inviting you to participate in online forums where you can post messages to schools and access resources.

Can we partner school in a specific country? If your area is linked with a particular nation (eg training camp etc) and you would really like to link with a school in this country, you need to put this on to your registration. If you have already registered, but did not specify a specific country, please let us know now!

Is the British Council the only organisation which facilitates school twinning? The British Council and the BBC work with others in the field. You can find out more about World Class partners online and by asking the British Council team. There are several other options available and there are different models for schools to consider:

(1) Online projects: SuperClubsPlus from Intuitive Media and Kidogo and Rafi.ki from Gemin-i. Both offer schools opportunities to collaborate online, in both cases there is a charge to schools.

(2) Development-based work: small NGOs which facilitate links and have an element of 'sponsorship' from the UK school to the school in a developing area. Link Community Development offer school partnerships with Uganda, Ghana, South Africa, Ethiopia and Malawi; Link Ethiopia, with Ethiopia. Both organisations charge schools for facilitation.

(3) There are other smaller projects with specific outcomes (eg enterprise education from Achievers International or partnerships with schools in Germany via the UK-German connection).

Every school will hear from the British Council Schools team; and you may also receive emails from our other partners. It's completely up to you to decide what option you would like to follow and you are under no obligation to undertake a link where charges apply. They are simply available options.

How can we get involved?

Join World Class