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Students learn from South African friends
Posted: 2nd December 2019Children in South Africa are helping pupils in Harlow to learn about the wider world.
Year 3 pupils at Roydon Primary Academy have linked up with The Grove Academy in Cape Town, South Africa.
As part of their studies, pupils are reading The Butterfly Lion, a story about a young boy who rescues an orphaned white lion cub from the African bush.
They have written letters to find out more about life in South Africa, have made and sent Christmas cards to their new international friends and will soon meet virtually over a video call.
Class teacher Alison Hazell said: “We have been learning about Africa and we thought it would be wonderful to be able to link up with a school as part of that work. Pupils have been asking about the typical school day and found out South African children start and finish a lot earlier than us. They were keen to know if children in South Africa had lions in their gardens and were surprised to hear they have to visit a zoo to see them, just like us.
“The children are really very excited. It has given them a real context for their learning, rather than simply reading from a book or being told by a teacher.
“It would be nice if we could maintain contact with the South African school throughout the year.”