King's has started an exciting partnership with the Dornakal Diocesan schools in the Cathedral Compound at Dornakal, Andhra Pradesh, India. There are various different schools on the site - two primary schools and two secondary schools - where pupils are taught either through the medium of English or through Telegu, a school for the deaf, a hostel and school for young people with polio and a Degree college - like a 6th form college. We are partnered especially with the Dornakal Diocesan English Medium School. The partnership between the schools forms part of a wider Diocesan partnership between the Diocese of Gloucester and the Diocese of Dornakal.
Miss Helen Colson, Head of History, went to visit Dornakal in December 2009 and since then the partnership has taken on momentum.
The 2nd Year in the Senior School and Class III in the Junior School were chosen to begin the joint curriculum work and the introduction to King's. Class III looked at climate and sent wonderful snow pictures and poems to Dornakal. The 2nd year worked in Geography to produce letters of introduction to themselves and the local area. They also worked on ‘The Big Pit' project - looking at the History of Coal mining as a link with Dornakal which is a coal producing area. The work has been given to Dornakal school.
King's and Dornakal DEM School were awarded a Global Schools Parnership curriculum grant in May 2010. This grant is funded through DFID and supported by The British Council. It enables both schools to send three teachers to visit the partner school and for the pupils and teachers to work on a joint curriculum project - Food. Both schools are working on how food is produced, distributed, consumed and recycled or wasted. Both schools are exploring the issues of sustainability, diversity and social justice and equity which surround this topic. They are working through the curriculum areas of Science, Maths, Geography, RS and PSE to produce food diaries, surveys, questionnaires and portfolios of work to exchange with their partners and discuss. Both the Senior and Junior Schools are involved.
One visit has taken place in February 2011. Mr Macnaughton and Mr Griffiths visited Dornakal. The main aim of the visit was to work together with the Dornakal teachers and pupils on the Food project and the partnership. This was a very important visit following the death of Mr Jayakumar, the previous Principal of the Dornakal School and the appointment of the new Principal, Mr Martin Luther. Mrs Coates from the Junior School will be visiting Dornakal in July as part of the grant.
The visit of the Indian delegation takes place from the 24th March to April 3rd. We are pleased to welcome Mr Martin Luther, Principal, Mr K Rajkumar and Mr B Surinder to King's. During the visit the Food project will be displayed and the teachers will meet staff and pupils involved with the project. They will also discuss the planning for next year's project - The Family. We will be applying for a renewal GSP grant from the British Council this year. This will enable three eachers and three pupils from each partner school to visit the other partner.
We also are looking to fund raise for the partnership. The schools in Dornakal lack basic facilities - including toilets, safe electricity - as well as equipment, books, art materials, science apparatus, tools and adequate classroom provision. Communication is difficult - no landline at the school - only in the Bishop's House - no computers in the school so email access is very limited. The school is set in a remote rural area so most pupils have to stay the week in very basic hostel accommodation.
Ben Marshall in the 2nd year has created a web-link www.kingslinkswithdornakal.co.uk
This shows all the work the 2nd Year have been doing for the partnership along with photos of the visit of Miss Colson to Dornakal.