Portsmouth High School and St Swithun’s Primary join to support children in South Africa

Portsmouth High School pupils in Year 5 have collaborated with children from St Swithun’s Catholic Primary School to create learning resources for a school in South Africa.

The children have met on several occasions to prepare a self-teaching workbook on earth sciences. Once complete, the work books will be sent to Schitsdrift School in South Africa.

The relationship between the schools developed after a chance meeting between Portsmouth High School Headmistress, Mrs Jane Prescott, and Lynette Herron who supports Schitsdrift School. Mrs Prescott was visiting South Africa on holiday when her car broke down and Lynette stopped to offer help. Since that meeting there has been a strong relationship between the two schools with staff and children having travelled to Schitsdrift.

‘The school in South Africa is faced with challenging circumstances of large classes and few resources,’ said Mr Graeme Field, Assistant Head at Portsmouth High School. ‘St Swithuns School have always supported our challenge days and extended project work in the past and we were thrilled that they were able to work with us again.

‘We hope that these workbooks, created by children for children, will provide a helping hand.’

Genevieve Newman, 10, from Portsmouth High School, said:

‘It’s really exciting to prepare this workbook and to know it’s going to be sent to another country thousands of miles away.’

Emily Newman, from St Swithun’s, also aged 10, added:

‘We all hope that this will really help the children in South Africa with their learning and be exciting for them to receive.’

The books will cover a range of topics including star gazing, weather and family stories about how people are linked to the land. All tasks within the book will be directed by hand-drawn images of each of the children.

‘We are making sure the topics fit with the South African curriculum,’ added Mr Field. ‘And over the course of the next few months we hope this same group of children can produce a series of workbooks for us to send to the school.’