076 EDUCATION
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School report
Keeping a promise – and changing children’s lives, plus the importance of supporting our local libraries, putting pupils before SATs results and more
Caroline Knight A
frican Promise, a small charity dedicated to
ensuring that primary schools in rural Kenya are equipped
to deliver an education worth having, is celebrating its 10-year anniversary. Founded in Hever, by Charles Coldman back in 2008, the charity was created as a result of Charles’ time spent volunteering with Africa & Asia Venture when he made a promise to the headteacher of Jora Primary School that he would return to help rebuild the school. It was a promise he kept and in 2006 Charles spent six months living in Jora overseeing the redevelopment. So, a single promise to one school became one to many more when African Promise was born – the charity now supports seven partner schools serving more than 2,500 children in the Kasigau region of Kenya. The work of
African Promise is ongoing,
with 50 local builders recently working during school holidays on a number of projects whilst 100 pupils from partner schools spent two days exploring the coastal city of Mombasa. Others visited the neighbouring Rukinga Wildlife Sanctuary to learn more about their natural environment. Plans are currently coming together for the charity’s next major redevelopment at Mkamenyi Primary School, while African Promise is also facilitating a partnership between schools and the Kenyan literacy NGO, Start a Library. Tickets are now on sale for the
African Promise Carol Service, which takes place on Wednesday 5th December at 6.30pm at St Giles-in-the- Fields, London WC2H 8LG. Performers include the London International Gospel Choir as well as opera singer Felix Kemp, formerly of Chiddingstone. In the past, the likes of Brian Blessed and The Crown actress Victoria Hamilton have been present. • For more information, and to book tickets, visit
africanpromises.org.uk
New campaign puts pupils over results
More than 50 schools have already expressed an interest in a campaign to change the culture around SATs (Scholastic Aptitude Test). Many schools do a lot of work in order to boost their SATs scores because they know the school is judged on results, however an increasing number of experts believe that the current system of league tables, Ofsted judgements and targets is doing more harm than good to the pupils, especially as SATs outcomes are often prioritised over the best interests of the children. The new campaign group, called Assessment for Children, is looking to produce a charter to which schools can sign up, asking them to commit to providing a broad and balanced curriculum which is not narrowed as SATs approach. Schools should not run SATs booster classes and children’s wellbeing should be prioritised over results.
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