British Council: Connecting Classrooms

In March, the Foundation was delighted to be selected as the Co-ordinating Body for a new British Council funded partnership between schools in the UK, Zambia and Tanzania.  The Aldridge Foundation holds the role of co-ordinating a cluster of three schools within the UK, and working with matching clusters in these two Sub-Saharan nations.

Within the UK, the three schools involved are Darwen Aldridge Community Academy, Falmer High School (which will soon become Brighton Aldridge Community Academy) and Portslade Community College.  The schools in Zambia are centred around the town of Kabwe, and in Tanzania around the town of Bukoba.  The partnership will last for three years, beginning with nine schools.  By the end of the three years, a total of 27 schools will be involved in the partnership called Pamodzi (meaning 'Together').

With a dual focus on student and staff development, and following six key themes, projects over the first year will be:

  • Pamodzi Writes:  Developing cultural understanding and literacy, students from the partner schools will exchange written letters.
  • Story Telling:  Students will make their own video documentaries to explain life in their communities to their partners.
  • Pamodzi Creates:  Supported our work on creative entrepreneurship, the partnership will create art and crafts pieces to be sold, with profits reinvested into the partnership.  Within Darwen, this will take place in DART.  Within other schools, pieces will be exhibited within their own buildings, and then sold in local markets.
  • Forestation and Greening:  Increasing environmental awareness, all schools will take part in tree-planting ceremonies, but this strand will look further into our impact on our local environment.
  • Sport and Diversity:  Students will explore different disciplines within sport and leadership.
  • ICT Explored:  With a specific focus on staff Continuing Professional Development, the UK schools will host a visit from our partners, training them in the use of our ICT networks and packages and sharing best practice.

The ambitious programme begins in full in autumn 2010.  Within all schools, the programme will help in the attainment of the International Schools Award, run by the British Council and Department for Education.

For more information, contact Elizabeth Anderson, Partnership Co-ordinator.