iSP Buddy Exchange builds global friendships

Our International Schools Partnership Buddy Exchange Programme lets students like Rebeca explore Spain and make lasting friends, boosting personal growth and global connections.

At Reach, we believe that learning should be an amazing experience that nurtures growth and development. Our dedication to providing exceptional learning opportunities is at the core of everything we do.

One of the many amazing experiences our students have the opportunity to take part in is the ISP Buddy Exchange Programme, which forms part of our International Learning Opportunities (ILOs). This programme allows our students to explore diverse cultures, gain fresh perspectives, and establish lifelong bonds with other ISP students from around the globe.

This year, we proudly sent Rebeca, one of our Year 11 students, to Spain to attend ISP Fontenebro School for a month. She was partnered up with Luna, who was an exchange student from the same school and who spent a month with Rebecca at Reach earlier this year.

Rebeca has always dreamt of exploring the world, and this programme has enabled her to take the first step toward fulfilling that dream. Not only does this program offer the opportunity for our students to explore foreign countries and visit other ISP schools, but it also focuses on developing essential life skills.

“By taking part in the programme, I have learnt that I am independent and braver than I thought because I was able to travel across the world on my own,” says Rebeca.

Her most unforgettable experience was meeting her now best friend, Luna. She enjoyed their late-night conversations and the time they spent with their friends back here in Abu Dhabi.

While she enjoyed her time in Spain and with Luna, Rebeca also shared one of the challenges she experienced and how she overcome it.

“When I was in Spain the challenge I faced was the language barrier. A lot of the pupils did not speak English. I struggled to overcome this challenge; however, Luna helped by translating for me and the teacher spoke English to me.”

Ms. Louise, our school’s coordinator has been very hands-on from the very beginning, giving exceptional support to Luna and Rebeca ensuring that both of them were able to have amazing learning experiences during their exchange.

She said: “It is an amazing opportunity for students to experience different cultures and venture out of their comfort zone. Traveling and studying at another school in a different country, away from their friends and family is a daunting task, but they will broaden their knowledge of the world that exists outside home and school life and increase their global perspective. What might start as a scary experience could change your life for the better!”

Her advice to anyone thinking of enrolling in the programme is, “This is a totally new experience, so embrace every opportunity. Be open to everything, try new things, take lots of photos, keep a journal. You may be scared, anxious, homesick, this is totally normal. Don’t let this stop you from making a difference, this opportunity could be the start of your new life. Enjoy every single second!”

The ISP Buddy Exchange Programme (BEP) is one of the International Learning Opportunities (ILOs) that we take part in at Reach British School. It enables reciprocal exchanges between students from different ISP schools, for a period of one month. The BEP delivers a unique international and cultural learning experience for students aged between 14 and 17 years old. The programme enables students to develop their language skills, share good practices and cultivate long-term friendships across the world. It is an experience that offers students amazing and diverse learning opportunities within a safe and secure environment.

At Reach, we are committed to providing the best possible education for our students, and the ISP Buddy Exchange Programme is just one of the many ways we achieve this goal. Join us in our mission to make learning an amazing adventure!