Children from St Paul’s Primary School in Newcastle, swapped their pencils for their passports and their classroom for a cultural experience of a lifetime, experiencing an eight-day trip to Rajkot, India. The group of children aged 9-11, many travelling abroad for their first time, left behind the familiar sights and sounds of Newcastle for the wonders and the rich tapestry of India’s culture, history and fine culinary delights.
It was an action packed immersive visit:
- Spending lots of time with teachers (especially Yogiraj and Ketan) and children at Panchshil School in Gujarat, learning about each other and Indian history, traditions and culture, enjoying Indian food and learning and performing the traditional Garba dance for the whole school.
- Participating in traditional games and a cricket coaching session at the VIP Sports Club. Children took part in the school’s cultural celebrations and were even featured in the local press.
- Exploring key cultural, religious and historic sites: Gandhi Museum, Brahma Kumara Meditation Centre, Indian puppet shows at Chaukidhani, Khirsara and Imperial Palaces and ISKCON, where they took part in Makar Sankranti, a festival to signal the end of winter
- Getting to know the local wildlife at Pradhyuman Zoological Park where they were able to see a range of different animals including alligators, crocodiles, sloth bears and white tigers.
Building on their previous visits to Newcastle’s twin city of Nancy in France, this was the first time that a school in Newcastle has taken children to India. Newcastle City Council and International Newcastle (IN) supported St Paul’s to secure funding from the UK’s Turing Scheme to enable children from disadvantaged backgrounds and underrepresented groups to participate. IN Board member and Diversity Consultant, Veena Soni, helped establish the school partnership in Rajkot and accompanied the school on this special visit.
“I am thankful for being able to visit India, it was fascinating to learn about Gandhi when we visited his museum and to experience the different temples to see how people from different religions worship.”
Jenice, St Paul’s Pupil (11 years old)
I am so thankful to be able to visit Asia. I was able to visit places that I would never have been able to go without the trip. I learnt lots about different cultures and I have shared these with my friends and family
David , St Paul’s Pupil (10 years old)
I was so impressed with how well the children engaged with each activity. They were happy to try all of the different types of food and learn the cultural dances. The children worked well with the students from Panchshil School and these are experiences that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
Veena Soni, IN Board member and Diversity Consultant
The children enjoyed everything. When they were learning to fly the kites, they enjoyed this. When they visited the church and the ISKCON temple, they enjoyed these things. This is the best group that I have hosted.
Ketan Vyas, BIG IDEA, Rajkot, India
Having previously taken pupils to our partnership school in Nancy, France, we were committed to offering further exciting possibilities that extend beyond the classroom setting. The trip to Rajkot immersed our children in the diverse Indian culture from the experience of learning new languages, experiencing different religions and being exposed to different traditions.
Mrs Nichol, Key Stage 2 Leader, St Paul’s CofE Primary School
I am proud of every child. They were excellent ambassadors for our school and for city of Newcastle upon Tyne. We are extremely grateful to Sarah Edgar and Declan Baharini (International Newcastle) for their continued support of our inclusive international vision.
This has been a life-defining experience for our children. It has provided them with a range of knowledge, skills and understanding that will equip them well throughout their life. The children adapted well when facing new challenges, which developed independence, resilience and confidence. The exposure to the Swami Vivekananda festival really stimulated our children’s imagination and interest in the Indian culture, arts and literature.
Bryn Taylor, Deputy Head, St Paul’s CofE Primary School, Newcastle
St Paul’s are a great example of how to develop strong international links, embedded throughout the the whole school, as part of their approach to international education and developing skills for the future. This benefits all pupils and has even more impact for pupils who participate in visits.
It was a pleasure to follow their journey in India and see how well they engaged with their partner school, local groups and organisations, immersing themselves in Indian traditions and learning so much about the history, heritage and culture.
Declan Baharini, CEO, International Newcastle
International Newcastle and Newcastle City Council (School Effectiveness) work together to provide support to the city’s schools on developing international links, supporting languages and promoting intercultural awareness. Find out more about this work, the impact and ambitions for the future in our brochure: Empowering Newcastle’s Youth for a Global Future.