The NCBIS Community Project

NCBIS’ community link with the Sudanese Displaced Children’s Learning Centre, began last April 2008, after a team of teachers went to visit in an area of Cairo called Kilo Arba wa Nos, and identified areas where the school is lacking in resources and facilities. The centre consists of two schools – a Nursery school and one which caters for 275 children from Grade 1 up to Grade 8, both which depend on voluntary contributions for their survival. Our Nursery teacher pointed out that the Sudanese Nursery children have no outdoor play area and as a result we invited groups of  2-5 year olds to our Foundation Area.

Members of staff, 6^th Form students and pupils from various Year Groups in the Primary School have since helped supervise and played with the Sudanese children. Every Wednesday, they now enjoy a fun-filled activities afternoon and especially look forward to splashing around in our Splash Pool, for which mums donated swimming suits and the company ‘Shell’, caps and towels.

    Link to photographs - Gift Giving at Sudanese School

Primary community activities

In Primary the children have been doing their part to raise money to help the earthquake victims in Indonesia and other deserving people in our community. They took part in ‘Splat the Teacher’ on International Day and bought cakes in the Bake Sale prepared by Nursery and Year 1. Although all the children really enjoyed the activities, the experiences underpin the curriculum in the classroom, where they are taught that a ‘good learner’ needs to be ‘caring’.

Parents have also involved themselves more this term by helping groups of children to prepare sharing assemblies to celebrate  ‘Ramadam’ and Diwali’; which has  promoted international mindedness, and tolerance and awareness of other cultures.

Secondary community work

This term we were very proud of a group of International Award students from Years 9. 10 and 11, together with a group of volunteer parents and teachers, who gave up their free time to paint murals on the walls of the Sudanese Nursery School, with which  we have established links. Led by Miss Shona Davidson, our team  spend three hours transferring their designs and then painting in order to create a more inviting environment for the Sudanese children and will return in January to add the finishing touches. Although this activity is part of the community work that they are expected to do in order to successfully complete their Bronze and Silver Awards they had great fun,worked hard and showed a great enthusiasm for helping needy people in their community.