International School Award for Charles Dickens Primary School

"We are very pleased to have received this award which recognises our school's commitment to our international partnerships," said headteacher Teresa de Quincey.

"We look outwards at Charles Dickens Primary School and I am so proud of the teachers who provide such rich and relevant learning opportunities for our enthusiastic pupils.

"I am thrilled that the 'quality of the outstanding collaborative learning' impressed the British Council and would like to thank the British Council, on behalf of the children of Southwark, for supporting our partnership work."

As well as teaching French to pupils from reception class to year six, the school has also made links with schools in Paris, China and Malawi, and actively promotes the use and sale of fairtrade products in school.

In a letter to the school the British Council, which manages the awards, said: "The panel considered the quality of your school's international work to be outstanding. A sophisticated, well thought out and well developed global dimension with some outstanding collaborative work with partner schools."

This is the first time the school has achieved the accreditation, which will last for three years.

Cllr Dora Dixon Fyle, cabinet member for children's services, said: "I would like to congratulate the staff and pupils at Charles Dickens Primary School for their hard work to receive this award, which is very well deserved."