Newcastle Sixth Form College students make an impact in South Africa
With the support of Newcastle College, Newcastle Sixth Form College have become the fifth UK Educational institution to become involved in educational visits to South Africa as part of the Bambisanani Partnership. Students and staff from Newcastle Sixth Form College have recently returned from an unforgettable 18-day visit to KwaZulu-Natal.
The team, comprising 12 students and two members of staff, Ashley Knowles and Lyanne Fellows, travelled to Eshowe and Nkandla region to work alongside local schools and communities. Throughout the visit, the group used sport, leadership, literacy and education to build relationships and create opportunities for young people from Newcastle and South Africa to learn from one another.
A major focus of the visit was using sport as a way of engaging young people. Across the visit, an incredible 1,391 South African children engaged in sports-related activities delivered and supported by the team. Alongside this, 12 young people participated in leadership activities, 25 took part in reading and literacy sessions, and around 150 were involved in activities across other areas of the curriculum.
The team visited and worked alongside several schools during their time in KwaZulu-Natal, including Gratton School, Vumanhlamvu Primary School, Thembinfundo Special School and Magqama Secondary School, with the visit also providing an opportunity to establish a relationship with a new school.
For the Newcastle Sixth Form College students, adapting to coaching and teaching in a completely different environment quickly became one of the most rewarding parts of the experience.
Charlie Burgess said:
“It was a great experience, right from the coaching and working with the children through to taking in everything that South Africa had to offer. I definitely found my feet when it came to teaching the younger children, which was a big surprise for me. It wasn’t something I expected to feel so comfortable doing, but as the trip went on my confidence really grew. Seeing the children enjoying the sessions and getting involved made it even more rewarding, and it’s definitely an experience I’ll remember for a long time.”
For Arian Cheikh Daoud, the enthusiasm and engagement of the South African students particularly stood out:
“I was really taken aback by how engaged the students were and how much they genuinely loved to learn. Seeing how sport could be used to bring everyone together and help the students learn while having fun was something that really stood out to me. Their enthusiasm made every session enjoyable and made the whole experience even more rewarding.”
The welcome the group received from the schools and communities was another lasting memory. Andreea Sandu particularly enjoyed the team’s time at Gratton School:
“I absolutely loved our time at Gratton School and seeing how they approached education in a different country. What stood out to me most was how welcome everyone made us feel. From the moment we arrived, the students embraced us and made us feel like we were part of their school rather than just visitors for the day. It was amazing to see their enthusiasm for learning and how proud they were to share their school with us. The warmth we received from both the students and staff made Gratton one of the most memorable parts of the whole experience for me.”
The team enjoyed a memorable time at Thembinfundo Special School when they joined forces with students and staff from St Mary’s School, Menston, at Thembinfundo Special School. The UK students worked together to deliver a carousel of 10 different activities, including javelin, parachute games and boccia, giving everyone the opportunity to get involved and experience something new.
Over the course of the day, 250 students from Thembinfundo took part in the activities, creating plenty of smiles, laughter and memorable moments for everyone involved. The day came to a fantastic end with singing and dancing, followed by an awards presentation celebrating the achievements and enthusiasm of the students.
Reflecting on the visit, Ashley Knowles from Newcastle Sixth Form College said:
“I loved every moment of this experience, from touching down in South Africa and meeting the rest of our travel team, to the safari and, most importantly, the time we spent in the schools. The welcome we received was incredible, and what struck me immediately was the enthusiasm of the young people we worked with. They simply did not want to stop. Whether they were playing sport, learning something new or working alongside our students, they wanted to be involved in everything we offered. “As an educator, that was incredibly powerful to see. It reinforced something I strongly believe regardless of their background, environment or circumstances, when young people are given genuine opportunities to learn, engage and succeed, they will take them. One of the proudest parts of the experience for me was watching our own Newcastle Sixth Form College students develop over the 18 days. We saw their confidence, communication and coaching skills grow with every school we visited. They had to adapt their sessions, communicate with young people they had never met before and step outside of their comfort zones. Seeing them become increasingly confident in their own ability to lead and teach was something I will be incredibly proud of for a long time. The learning went both ways. Our students travelled to South Africa to contribute, coach and support others, but they have come home having learned an enormous amount themselves. Experiences like this offer something that is very difficult to recreate inside a classroom. They challenge students, broaden their perspective and give them an opportunity to discover skills and qualities in themselves that they perhaps did not realise they had. I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to be part of the Bambisanani Partnership and to everyone who made us feel so welcome. I know the experiences, relationships and memories we have brought home will stay with both the students and staff for many years. I certainly hope this is only the beginning, and I cannot wait for the opportunity to return, visit the schools again and continue building on the relationships we have made. Across the 18-day visit, the experience gave the 12 Newcastle Sixth Form College students the opportunity to immerse themselves in a completely different culture while developing their confidence, communication, leadership and coaching skills. More importantly, the visit continued the work of the Bambisanani Partnership in creating meaningful and lasting connections between young people in the UK and South Africa. From classrooms and sports fields to singing, dancing and conversations between students, the experience demonstrated the power that sport and education can have in bringing people together, regardless of where they come from.”
