INTERNATIONAL THINKING in association with
An African adventure
A truly inspiring
link with Ghana
has led to many
magical moments
for the students and staff
of Chesham High School.
Alison Thomas reports
‘
HE BRENU chiefs blessed us into
T
their land, offering us anything we
might need. We visited the former
slave port of Elmina and walked across
the rainforest canopy rope bridges of
Kakum National Park. We watched a
green turtle lay its eggs on the beach,
then clamber down the slopes for the long trek back to
the sea. We gathered in the sunset for entertainment,
which was enough to take our breath away. The local
drummers and dancers performed many tribal war
dances and the acrobats took ‘impossible’ to a new
level.”
These evocative notes are taken from the blog of
Chesham High School’s 10-day sports tour to Ghana None of this would have been possible without Unite and involving year 9. Young and old, all have a
in October. Thirty-six netball and football players and Sabre Charitable Trust, founded in 2004 to promote part to play.
four teachers took part, and their base was the fishing educational development in Ghana’s KEEA (Komenda- A remarkable side effect of the partnership has been
village of Brenu Akyinim, whose school is partnered Edina- Eguafo-Abrem) district. its impact on traditional culture in Brenu. The ancient
with their own. Ms Zaman’s ties with the charity date from before Ghanaian game of Oware is a striking example. This
Four afternoons were devoted to matches and its inception and its role in consolidating the school strategic board game has been part of life at Chesham
despite the blistering heat the English teams acquitted partnership has been pivotal. High School for many years. There is an Oware club,
themselves with honour. The remaining days were “Our first Ghanaian link collapsed when the teacher whose members compete in national competitions,
spent exploring the area, running coaching sessions in charge left and no-one took over. With Sabre, we it has taken root in maths lessons, and has been
for more than 100 village children, and organising a have someone who supports us on the ground and introduced to feeder primary schools.
tournament for neighbouring schools. facilitates a lot of what we do,” she explained. Yet on Ms Zaman’s first trip to Brenu, funded by a
For the local community, the tour was a major event, For its part, Chesham High School provides Sabre British Council reciprocal visit grant, she discovered
which attracted large crowds and even featured on with valuable contacts and fundraising opportunities that while everyone was aware of this part of their
national television. For the visitors, it was an enriching that have enabled it to expand its activities. heritage, no-one was actually playing it.
experience they will never forget. Ms Zaman continued: “From the outset we have “I bought the school some boards and a trophy for
“They were so well received and learned such a shared ideas and supported each other. It’s been an tournaments. Now when our students go out there, they
lot,” said Moyra Zaman, international co-ordinator of incredible journey. Things have grown much faster than automatically sit down together and play. It’s a very Friendship: The Chesham-inspired Brenu
the Buckinghamshire school, which has twice won an anyone could have hoped.” sociable game which anyone can play, so it’s a great dance troupe marks the 50th anniversary
International School Award. For the school, this has led to a wide range of way of linking generations as well,” she said. of Brenu school with a performance
“The hospitality, the interest, the willingness to learn curricular and extra-curricular projects. Another established feature of Chesham High School in 2008 (main image), while the Brenu
and aspire to be great sports men and women. The A thriving penpal group exchanges letters and is an exuberant programme of cross-curricular work in villlagers welcome their friends from
people of rural Ghana may be poor in material terms picture diaries, year 7 classes are examining Fair Trade African art, music and dance, inspired by Ms Zaman Buckinghamshire during a visit in 2008
but they are rich in other ways. As one boy once said to issues in ICT, year 8 has embarked on a Brenu-linked (who has travelled and taught on the continent) and (above and below left)
me, ‘I wish I could bottle up their happiness and take enterprise scheme in PSHE which will continue into ably supported by Abass, a London-based Ghanaian
it back home’.” year 9. who teaches the African component of the GCSE music Founded by two former BBC World Service
That was 18 months ago on the occasion of Chesham Other departments have also embraced a Ghanaian syllabus and runs week-long events for other students broadcasters, this relatively new organisation facilitates
High School’s first project expedition. It coincided dimension, while existing cross-curricular work in with his group, One Drum. dialogue between pupils from the UK and partner
with Brenu school’s 50th anniversary and the young the visual and performing arts has taken on new Pupils’ evident enthusiasm – “it’s wicked and schools in Ghana and Sri Lanka.
volunteers joined in the celebrations as well as rolling meaning. creative”, “Abass is really cool” – has prompted Brenu In the case of Chesham and Brenu, the history
up their sleeves to build and decorate a new canteen and The influence of the partnership does not stop at the school to set up a small dance troupe, which performs at component was complemented by contributions from
organise a sports day for the kindergarten. school gates. Special Ghanaian Days have provided a local events and celebrations. International understanding Oware players, penpal groups, sports enthusiasts and
A second cohort returned last summer to refurbish a bonanza of colourful culture and food for the benefit is not just about discovering other cultures. It’s about Chesham English students, who recorded an excerpt of
classroom for sewing lessons, create a huge vegetable of the whole community, including primary pupils. rediscovering the value of your own. Twelfth Night in the original Shakespearean followed by
garden to provide food for school lunches, and run Former students have participated in Sabre Trust’s On a more practical note, the year 8 and 9 PSHE their own translation into modern English. SoundAffects
another kindergarten sports day. Plans for this year’s volunteer programme during their gap year. Senior project has the potential to bring material benefits used its professional expertise to edit the material into a
expedition are well underway and 13 6th-formers are citizens have communicated by webcam with the elders to the village. One of the things that had struck Ms high quality teaching resource for use in both schools.
busy fundraising. of the village on a Silver Surfers Day run by Digital Zaman on her initial visit was the contrast between the So what does the future hold? In the short term, the
fine-sounding principles of Ghana’s curriculum and next key event is an imminent visit from two Ghanaian
the reality in rural communities like Brenu, where a students and a teacher. In the long term, the partnership
dearth of funds and teachers makes implementation an is entering a momentous new stage in its development.
impossible dream. Launched by the Association of School and College
With Sabre’s help, she set up a local batik craftsman Leaders in collaboration with World Challenge and
as an extra-curricular teacher to impart his skills and Sabre Charitable Trust, Partner Ghana is an exciting
give students a future source of income. new initiative which aims to link all 58 schools of
Year 8’s role is to conduct market research and the KEEA district with a UK partner. Sabre will be
eventually set up a small enterprise, which will sell on hand to provide practical support and facilitate
their handiwork in Chesham, ploughing the profits back sustainable relationships through live links, shared
into Brenu to establish a cottage industry. Of course, activities and project expeditions. As the flagship pilot
none of this will happen if the young apprentices have partner, Chesham High School will help to promote the
nowhere to practise their craft. Hence the refurbished scheme and provide ideas for joint curricular and extra-
sewing classroom, which has been fitted out with curricular projects based on its own experience.
reconditioned sewing machines supplied by a Chesham The “incredible journey” they embarked on together
charity, Workaid. has only just begun. SecEd
One venture that has run its course is a joint history
project. Like many schools, Chesham High marked • Alison Thomas is a freelance education journalist.
the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade three
years ago by exploring various aspects of this iniquitous
Further information
trade; unlike other schools, pupils’ understanding was • If your school would like to be considered for
illuminated by first-hand accounts from Elmina Castle, Partner Ghana, you can find out more at www.
former slave-trading port, now a UNESCO World world-challenge.co.uk/pages/partner_ghana.asp
Heritage Site. • Chesham High School: www.chs-online.org.uk
This haunting reminder of human suffering lies just • Sabre Charitable Trust: www.sabretrust.org
a few miles from Brenu yet none of the pupils had ever • Schools for Silver Surfers: www.silversurfers.
seen it. Until now. In addition, the headteacher and two digitalunite.com
students interviewed one of the guides and shared their • One Drum: www.one-drum.org
impressions with their English partners. Part of this • SoundAffects: www.soundaffects.org.uk
took the form of a written report, part of it was an audio • International School Award: www.globalgateway.
testimony produced by a charity called SoundAffects. org/isa
SecEd • January 21 2010 15
15 Managing ICTa.indd 15 18/1/10 10:28:22
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16