Over the past decade, school linking has become an important feature of the landscape of global learning and development education in England. Yet what is the actual relationship between having an international link with a school in the Global South and the school's broader curriculum learning activities on global and development issues? This paper addresses this question through a review of the existing literature on global learning and school learning, and through interviews and comments from teachers from seven schools in England. For many schools, establishing an international link started from enthusiasm for supporting a school in a poorer country and for broadening the mindset of its pupils. Wider social and cultural influences have played an important part in how pupils perceive their link, despite the best efforts of teachers to encourage a more social justice, global outlook. What is clear however is that, for all seven schools, developing a link has been of considerable value to the school. It has energised both teachers and pupils to look beyond their school to the wider world. Above all it has made global and development issues 'real' through practical examples of issues, people's lifestyles and comparable forms of learning and education. Questions Used for the Interviews with the Seven Schools: Interview questions for schools involved in the research on school linking is appended.