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IH Network News: Innovation, Inclusion, and Inspiration Across Global Schools

  Publisher : Bernice   11 July 2025 06:59

The past few months have seen a flurry of activity across the International House (IH) network, with conferences, events, and exam preparations driving exciting developments. From inclusive teaching practices and charitable initiatives to award-winning innovation and professional growth pathways, this update showcases the best of what’s happening in the IH community.

Advancing Inclusive English Language Classrooms: IH Galway’s “Language for All” Project

IH Galway Language Centre, in partnership with Trans Equality Network Ireland and Transilvanian Educational Services & Tourism, hosted a groundbreaking Erasmus+ webinar series: Language for All – Creating LGBTQIA+ Inclusive ELE Classrooms.

Highlights included:

  • Survey findings revealing only 4.7% of ELE materials are considered LGBTQ+ inclusive

  • In-depth workshops on diversity, allyship, and inclusion in ELT

  • Actionable insights on improving representation in language learning materials

This initiative was also presented at the Eaquals Conference in the workshop “Adapting Language Materials for Better Inclusion of LGBTQ+ Students.” It underscores the growing commitment within IH schools to foster inclusive and welcoming learning environments for all.

IH Braga’s Sponsored Spell: Language Learning Meets Charitable Giving

At IH Braga, spelling took on a new purpose this Easter. The school’s Sponsored Spell initiative encouraged students from ages 8 to C2 level to secure sponsorships for correctly spelled vocabulary words. The results were impressive:

  • €2,200 raised for two charitable causes: Virar a Página and Doctors Without Borders (Médicos Sem Fronteiras)

  • 100% student participation, connecting language learning with social impact

This inspiring model blends language development with community engagement, providing a blueprint for other schools looking to combine learning and giving.

Save Time and Boost Engagement: Exclusive Sensations English Offer for IH Schools

Looking to enrich your English lessons this summer? Sensations English delivers ready-to-use, real-world news videos and articles tailored for learners from A2 to C1 levels.

Why it works:

  • Content across 33 real-world topics with integrated, interactive lessons

  • Promotes cultural awareness and language fluency

  • Saves teachers valuable lesson planning time

IH Exclusive Offer:

  • 4-week licenses for only £6.30 (10% off)

  • Valid through August 31st (licenses expire September 30th)

📧 Contact [email protected] to claim this offer and elevate your classroom this summer.

Beyond Leadership: New Career Pathways at IH Hanoi & IH Ho Chi Minh City

Apollo IH Vietnam is redefining professional growth with a new competency framework that supports alternative career trajectories for academic managers.

Key initiatives:

  • Functional rotation roles (onboarding, culture, training)

  • New Team Leader roles for project-based leadership development

  • Cross-functional collaboration across over 80 centres and 50+ nationalities

This forward-thinking approach supports career satisfaction and long-term retention by offering personalised growth that isn’t limited to traditional leadership roles.

Celebrating Innovation: The Mihai Gânj Award and Amber School Manager

At the IH Directors’ Conference, innovation took centre stage with the presentation of the first-ever Mihai Gânj Digital Innovation Award, awarded to IH Split for their development of Amber School Manager.

Amber is a custom-built digital platform streamlining:

  • Class scheduling and payments

  • Student assignment management

  • Exam coordination

Developed by educators, for educators, it empowers schools to reduce admin time and focus more on teaching. Congratulations also to runners-up IH Newcastle and IH Santiago de Compostela for their outstanding contributions.

Smarter Teaching Tools: New Partnership with TeacherMatic

International House is thrilled to announce a partnership with TeacherMatic, an AI-powered platform that supports:

  • Lesson planning

  • Resource creation

  • Assessment design

🔹 IH schools enjoy an 83% discount
🔹 One free licence per school available now
📧 Contact [email protected] to claim your licence

Digital Learning Expansion: Join the BSD Education Pilot

IH is also partnering with BSD Education to offer digital learning courses in:

  • Coding

  • Artificial Intelligence

  • Web Development

  • Game Design

  • Entrepreneurship

After successful trials, BSD is now inviting IH schools to join pilot programmes. Courses are asynchronous and ideal for integrating into existing curricula or launching new digital skills initiatives.

Stay tuned for upcoming webinars to learn how your school can get involved.

IH Toruń 2025: Teacher Training Day with a Focus on Sustainability and Inclusion

April’s IH ToruÅ„ Teacher Training Day welcomed over 90 teachers from across Europe for a day of interactive ELT workshops. With a sustainable approach (paperless materials, digital prize draws), sessions covered:

  • Arts & crafts for VYLs

  • Teaching neurodiverse learners

  • High-level student engagement

  • Idioms and debating in the ELT classroom

With speakers from IH Poland schools and keynote contributions from Chris Roland and Vincent Smidowicz, the event exemplified collaborative professional development.

Best Practices in Action: IH Riga and IH Campobasso Shine in Inspections

IH Riga:

  • Recognised for its exceptional customer service and personalised learning journeys

  • Use of dedicated class managers to guide students from enquiry to completion

  • Strong culture of ongoing improvement and student-centred support

IH Campobasso:

  • Leading in educational technology and CRM systems

  • Seamless integration of tech into classroom and admin processes

  • Praised for its adaptability, collaboration, and drive for excellence

Marking 25 Years of Teaching Excellence: IH Toulouse Hosts Regional Teachers’ Day

On 20 September 2025, IH Toulouse will host a special Teachers’ Day celebrating 25 years of language education. Educators from across Occitanie, France will gather for:

  • Pedagogical workshops

  • Peer learning opportunities

  • Networking with IH partners

Follow our social media channels for updates and post-event highlights.

Summer Camps in Full Swing at British School IH Pisa

At British School IH Pisa, summer means immersive English-language camps for children aged 5–11. Held in June, July, and September, the camps include:

  • Creative activities in English

  • Real-world learning themes (arts, science, global cultures)

  • Group projects that build confidence and communication skills

By blending play with purpose, the camps offer a vibrant and effective language acquisition experience.

Stay Connected With the IH Network

Whether it’s innovation, inclusion, digital education, or community impact, IH schools continue to lead the way in providing world-class language learning. Be sure to check back regularly for the latest news and resources from across the network.

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