Our African colleagues were with us for a week between Sunday 5th to Saturday 11th December and they told me that they had an exciting and informative visit. Our visitors were able to observe lessons in all our teaching areas as well as extra curricular events. They particularly enjoyed the activities of our students in performing arts. Mrs Mutinda and Mr Arimi were also able to teach groups of students during science lessons. They took back some valuable ideas about teaching in a different environment as well as life in general in the UK. Mrs Mutinda said that they had lots of new material to use in lessons when they return to Kenya.

This exchange visit also allowed some time for our visitors to experience life in a cold December week in London. The first shock was the temperature! They had never been so cold! They had gone from +30 oC to -5 oC in the course of their flight here. We had to provide some extra warm clothing for the duration of their stay. Which often stayed on while they were indoors!

There was time for an evening trip to central London where we managed to fit in a lot of events. Christmas lights in Regents Street, Carol singing in Trafalgar Square, Chinese meal in China Town, watching a Commons debate in the Houses of Parliament, as well as the usual sight seeing around Westminster and travelling by the various forms of London Transport.

One of my favourite memories was on the last day when we had a chance to visit Bushy Park before the return trip to Heathrow Airport. It was very cold and our visitors were fascinated (and shocked!) by the close proximity of a Red Deer Stag displaying a massive set of antlers, a large pile of snow and ice on the ponds that could be walked on — as well as the huge amount of wildlife seen! They told me that their stereotype of England being “one big city" had been permanently changed!

The varied and “unusual" experiences our Kenyan guests have had during their visit here will be invaluable when teaching their own students in Kenya. It will form the basis for a return trip in 2011, when two teachers from Hampton Academy will go to Kenya to spend a week at Mivukoni Secondary School, where we hope to learn a great deal from our African colleagues. This visit will also confirm a programme of joint projects between our two schools.

Peter Edmead, Programme Leader for Science