Our first weekend in Sierra Leone took us and the students to the National Stadium to watch a 2014 World Cup qualifier - Sierra Leone v Equatorial Guinea. Although neither team could qualify, the match was special because our Academy Manager, Johnny McKinstry is also the Sierra Leone national coach. On national duty Johnny utilises the skills of other CBF staff too so performance analyst Tom and physio Brendan were also on the bench. After stories about a packed stadium for a previous match against Tunisia from the other CBF staff we weren't sure how busy it would be.
We needn't have worried. The rain and relative importance of the game ensured we had the stadium mostly to ourselves.
The pitch was waterlogged too so a game of silky skills it wasn't. Johnny's Leone Stars were easily the better of the teams and had a 3-0 lead at 70 mins. As the rain lashed down for the last ten minutes I didn't think it would be right to ask for my coat back from one of the boys so with a 3-0 lead I decided to get into the dry on the concourse. I missed two late Equatorial Guinea goals. 3-2, at least a victory. We were delighted for Johnny.
Back in the Saddle Again
Monday was the start of the school term so at 10.15am the boys were in uniform and waiting for their first assembly. After a rousing performance of the school anthem by the boys, I did my introductions bit and Laura finished with a brilliant 'reflections' section where she used Rudyard Kipling's famous 'If' poem. Later in the day many of the students asked for a copy of the poem "because Miss, we will be men soon".
It is so liberating and exciting to be the head teacher at the Academy as I am able to construct a balanced curriculum based on my educational beliefs. While I recognise the importance and value of academic qualifications, I intend to balance this with a curriculum that encompasses many disciplines including creativity & emotional intelligence and I can do it without Ofsted looking over my shoulder and sending me into a blind panic with my career at stake, like they do with many headteachers in the UK.
The boys have lessons in the core subjects of English, Maths and Science although English is a second or third language for them. As well as the creativity in football they enjoy (training twice daily) we have also built creativity into their project work, this term they are writing a play which will include a dance (to be performed at Christmas) and in the future we are looking at photography and singing workshops. I have also introduced emotional intelligence/well being lessons into their 'life skills' curriculum with the help of Wellington College who have the curriculum and resources on-line. I have long admired the work of Dr. Anthony Seldon, the Head Master at Wellington who introduced happiness and well-being lessons into his top independent school ever since I read about him in the Sunday Times a few years ago. The life skills curriculum will also cover topics such as sex education and employability/enterprise to name a few.
There are of course many challenges facing us here. We do not have the 'luxury' of cohorts neatly divided into ages - the boys are different ages and are at varying levels of attainment between primary and secondary. Also some will leave us for college places in USA (at 14 years old) and possibly in England (at 16). One of our boys is already having trials at Cardiff City and soon 3 of them will be at Manchester City.
We have decided that our form 4 boys will therefore be attempting IGCSE's in Maths, English as an additional language and Biology in one year. Teaching Science has also thrown up some challenges as I described in my last post i.e. we have no Science teachers. Instead, Laura (qualified Primary & SEN teacher) and Sophie (no teaching experience whatsoever) have kindly agreed to teach Biology and Science on top of their other roles.
We will be treating our form 3 boys as Year 10 students and will be taking their IGCSE's over two years. They will be doing Maths (with me - see pic), English as additional language, English Literature (one of our boys amazingly achieved a D grade last year, having only finished half the paper), Biology and from Monday, Geography (also with me).
It was a busy but immensely satisfying first week of school. These boys crave learning and are so happy when simply sat with a book. One of my highlights was one of the eldest boys massively giggling when he saw pictures of different species of monkeys in a book. The innocence of it.
Just brilliant!
We needn't have worried. The rain and relative importance of the game ensured we had the stadium mostly to ourselves.
The pitch was waterlogged too so a game of silky skills it wasn't. Johnny's Leone Stars were easily the better of the teams and had a 3-0 lead at 70 mins. As the rain lashed down for the last ten minutes I didn't think it would be right to ask for my coat back from one of the boys so with a 3-0 lead I decided to get into the dry on the concourse. I missed two late Equatorial Guinea goals. 3-2, at least a victory. We were delighted for Johnny.
 |
| The Leone Stars (green) take a corner. |
Back in the Saddle Again
Monday was the start of the school term so at 10.15am the boys were in uniform and waiting for their first assembly. After a rousing performance of the school anthem by the boys, I did my introductions bit and Laura finished with a brilliant 'reflections' section where she used Rudyard Kipling's famous 'If' poem. Later in the day many of the students asked for a copy of the poem "because Miss, we will be men soon".
It is so liberating and exciting to be the head teacher at the Academy as I am able to construct a balanced curriculum based on my educational beliefs. While I recognise the importance and value of academic qualifications, I intend to balance this with a curriculum that encompasses many disciplines including creativity & emotional intelligence and I can do it without Ofsted looking over my shoulder and sending me into a blind panic with my career at stake, like they do with many headteachers in the UK.
The boys have lessons in the core subjects of English, Maths and Science although English is a second or third language for them. As well as the creativity in football they enjoy (training twice daily) we have also built creativity into their project work, this term they are writing a play which will include a dance (to be performed at Christmas) and in the future we are looking at photography and singing workshops. I have also introduced emotional intelligence/well being lessons into their 'life skills' curriculum with the help of Wellington College who have the curriculum and resources on-line. I have long admired the work of Dr. Anthony Seldon, the Head Master at Wellington who introduced happiness and well-being lessons into his top independent school ever since I read about him in the Sunday Times a few years ago. The life skills curriculum will also cover topics such as sex education and employability/enterprise to name a few.
There are of course many challenges facing us here. We do not have the 'luxury' of cohorts neatly divided into ages - the boys are different ages and are at varying levels of attainment between primary and secondary. Also some will leave us for college places in USA (at 14 years old) and possibly in England (at 16). One of our boys is already having trials at Cardiff City and soon 3 of them will be at Manchester City.
 |
| Some of my form 3 boys playing fraction dominoes. |
It was a busy but immensely satisfying first week of school. These boys crave learning and are so happy when simply sat with a book. One of my highlights was one of the eldest boys massively giggling when he saw pictures of different species of monkeys in a book. The innocence of it.
Just brilliant!
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