Local 4 GlobalGuestling-Bradshaw CEP School
Over the past two years Guestling-Bradshaw CEP School has worked closely with Pestalozzi and aims to strengthen this partnership as part of a plan to embed global dimension in the curriculum. During the first year the school was assisted in the running of a Globetrotters After-School Club. The children attending this Club developed their understanding and knowledge of world trade and human rights, and fair trade is something that should be a priority for all in the world. This was just the beginning. The whole school attended a training day organised by Pestalozzi in September 2007. Staff considered how Guestling could embrace many aspects of community cohesion; pupil voice, appreciation and promotion of diversity, respecting and celebrating differences. The development of global awareness was one of the school's priorities on our School Improvement Development Plan for 2007 -8.
One of the actions was to find ways to have people from different countries in our school and celebrate diversity. This year students from Pestalozzi Village were placed in the school. Plans were carefully thought through to enable the students to be first hand human resource to support topics on Hinduism, Christianity, Zimbabwe and India, and also linked to geography subject areas of mountains and rivers.
With younger children the students supported playground games and shared stories from their cultures. In a school that is predominately white British, it is crucial that we develop as many opportunities to understand that Britain and the world with which we live in has a wide diversity of people.
An outcome from the partnership was an increased knowledge and respect for people from different backgrounds. This was established through the students sharing their cultures and geographical features. The students became part of the school family and staff and children looked forward to their visits.
OFSTED, whilst acknowledging the strengths of this partnership and those formed with a local school, raised diversity as an area to continue to develop. The school is planning to do this through developing it's partnership with Pestalozzi and extending further links with schools in the world. The school, in its striving to be an Eco-school, will investigate through the school council different ways to achieve this.
Carolyn Weston, Headteacher. July 2008