Special school partnership links Bristol and Kenya

This week, Knowle DGE Learning Centre is welcoming guests from its international link partner, Pangani School, in Nakuru, Kenya.

Over the last five years, more than twenty members of staff have visited each other’s schools and cities, to gain and share knowledge and experience in how schools are managed, and in teaching and learning.

For the first time this year, young people are also joining the exchange. Students at Knowle DGE are welcoming two students from Nakuru during this week’s visit and three Knowle DGE students will be travelling to Kenya in October.

Head teacher, Peter Evans, said: “This is the first time a special school in the Bristol area has run an exchange of this kind involving students. We’ve welcomed our visitors with a range of activities including visits to local schools and the City of Bristol College. Spending time on cultural activities has also been on the agenda, with an evening out at the Hippodrome to see The Lion King and a trip to the seaside - the first time the two student visitors from Kenya have seen the sea.”

The two Kenyan students have joined classes and spent evenings in the school's hostel, called the LoDGE, together with students from the school of a similar age.

The students, Helen and Wilson from Pangani School, said: “We love Bristol a lot, it is so nice and a fantastic place to be.  The people here are so friendly and loving.” Their staff wish to thank the staff at Knowle DGE Learning Centre for all the care and individual attention that they have been given to get the most out of their visit.

Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Councillor Clare Campion-Smith, said: "This is an excellent way for students and staff at the two schools to share best practice in teaching and learning, and to develop a deeper understanding of their cultures and ways of life."