Hastings Sierra Leone Friendship Link

Our link with Sierra Leone continues to prosper as we aim to develop Global Citizenship for all our school pupils in Hastings UK and Hastings Sierra Leone through:

• A positive sense of identity

• An openness to new ideas

• A sense of interdependence

• A desire to make a difference

• Commitments to rights and responsibilities, to peace, justice and sustainability

In term 5 as part of OVPA’s engagement with the Sierra Leone Partnership two pupils from our junior leadership team will attend the International Pupils Council. The purpose of this council is that 2 pupils from each school involved in the partnership attend and discuss current issues, agree projects and share ideas.

Along with 13 other schools in the Hastings and St Leonard’s area our project objectives include:

• To know (awareness) and understand (interpretation, processing) the history and culture of UK/Sierra Leone; what is the same and what is different and why but also how to develop this global relationship to build a sense of belonging to common humanity.

• For teachers to help learners become responsible and active global citizens through sharing their own personal experience of visiting Sierra Leone, developed self-knowledge and their wider professional responsibilities as a teacher.

• For pupils in all our schools to appreciate, understand and develop their own Global Citizenship. Global citizenship helps young people to: Build their own understanding of world events; think about their values and what's important to them and take learning into the real world.

In the Hastings Sierra Leone Friendship Link there are 13 school partnerships. The aim of the whole project is for teachers to visit their partner country and school and learn about the similarities and differences in our cultures.  The knowledge and understanding will be embedded into the curriculum of each school. 

This will be continued through teachers regularly meeting and sharing ideas.

In all, this could develop the Global awareness of up to 500 adults working in schools, 5000 pupils and also members of the local communities.

Later or early next year we hope to bring teachers from Sierra Leone to Hastings, UK. The link hopes to bring 10-12 teachers to the UK. This will depend on the funding available. These teachers will spend time in their partner schools working alongside UK teachers to develop an understanding of the culture and education here in Hastings. They will be given an opportunity to explore Hastings, its culture and history and take part in local social events such as Morris Dancing and Crazy Golf. They will experience UK food and meet a range of people working outside education.  There will be training and meetings so that they can plan how they will use their new found knowledge and skills to develop the teaching and learning back in Sierra Leone.

Over the next 6-12 months here at OVPA we hope to raise a few hundred pounds to help facilitate this visit for our friends in Hastings, Sierra Leone.

Thank you to those who contributed during Red Nose Day. If you would like to make a donation please visit https://gofund.me/77d32c36 

Fore more information about the link please visit https://www.hastingshastings.org.uk/