Chelmsford Primary School in Fairleigh has received the makeover of a lifetime thanks to the AfriTwin Project.
The AfriTwin Project was formed in 2001 to encourage mutually beneficial relationships between schools in the United Kingdom and South Africa. It has since grown from strength to strength and now has more than 250 participating schools. Through regular contact, sharing projects, reciprocal exchanges of teachers and students, conferences and workshops, teachers, pupils and schools are substantially enriched.
The project, an initiative of Ferrum High School and Wellacre Academy, was started in February 2012. Chelmsford was identified and Chelmsford pupils were chosen to go over to Manchester, where they sold items to raise funds towards renovating their school. In turn, pupils travelled from Manchester, where they all pitched in and helped to work on the project.
The need for IT equipment in the school was top priority, and two of the classrooms now have digital projectors and laptops that the students and teachers will use to become more computer literate. The two classrooms also received a welcome coat of paint and new curtains.
“Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you,” said Joy van der Plank, chairperson for the governing body of Chelmsford. “I am sure that this is something that will encourage pupils to be part of the educational programme,” she concluded.
