ORMISTON Park Academy was awarded the British Council kite mark for raising international awareness and working in partnership with other schools around the globe. They are extending the exciting work by revisiting the partner school in Bhopal India.
The Purpose of the visit is to create a classroom in the School for Excellence, which is based in Bhopal, India. Collette Hunnisett visited the school last year and has planned the next trip, “We are taking six parcels with us to transform a classroom at our partner school, and the parcels consist of students work, letters and resources. Teaching is very chalk and talk and we are going out to share different styles of learning and teaching methods.”
Rajesh Tiwari, the Principal of the School of Excellence, who is pictured at the school, communicates regularly with Collette. “Skype has been a valuable tool for our communication,” states Collette. “We have been able to Skype during lessons and provide opportunities for the students to share ideas. Life styles are very different and the students are always very reflective after conversations with our Indian students.”
Ormiston Park Academy is currently having a multimillion pound new build and are looking for initiative ways to ship resources out to Bhopal, “transportation costs are so expensive so we are looking for organisations or businesses to sponsor a container in which we can transport the resources we are not intending to take into the new build. The classrooms in our Bhopal School are very basic and some resources are limited, it would be so fantastic to be able to share and recycle the equipment we are not transferring to the new building.”
Plans have already been made to have a live link to the Bhopal School when the new school in Aveley opens in September. “During the visit in March we will be meeting with a team of staff from Microsoft, who will be setting the live link up in the Bhopal School. The aim is for the students to constantly have access to information in the two countries. The time difference will create some issues but most of the students in Bhopal board at the school and will constantly be around. The opportunities for our students are endless.”
Ormiston Park Academy intends to take Thurrock students out to Bhopal in the next few years. “We really want to provide opportunities for our students to spend some time in Bhopal, working alongside our Bhopal students.” What a life changing opportunity it would be.
If you are able to support the Academy or would like to be involved with the project please contact Collette Hunnisett at Ormiston Park Academy on 01708 865180.
