21st June 2007
All this week, students from Park House School & Sports College in Newbury and students from Sithengile High School in Durban, South Africa have been taking part in a unique and highly distinctive Dreams and Teams Theme Week at the University of Bath.
Using the 2010 World Football Cup in South Africa and 2012 Olympics in London as inspiration, the week of activities has focused on cultural themes and issues. This has brought together staff and students from schools 6,000 miles apart.
The week has been designed to further develop the link established over the last three years between Park House and Sithengile High School as part of the Youth Sport Trust/British Council ‘Dreams and Teams’ project. This project aims to develop leadership skills and an awareness of global citizenship issues amongst young people through their engagement in sport. This in turn has become a springboard for much wider partnership working on a range of curriculum themes and topics.
Key features of the week include a range of extended cross-curricular projects which, with a South African stimulus, cover: history, dance and music, eco-tourism, art and textiles, environmental and health issues, sport and media.
During the course of the week, all Year 9 students from Park House and their South African guests have been visiting the University of Bath’s Department of Sport and Recreation to raise early aspirations in regards to university application and build the identity of the year group.
Greg Sharp, from the University of Bath said:
“This is a huge success for all involved. We hope that the pupils leave inspired by the coaches, staff and facilities at the University of Bath.”
So far comments received from the Year 9 students have been:
“I'm no good at sport, but would like to come to a university like this and be able to use these facilities.”
"This is brilliant, I'm going to look at the website when I get home and see what courses they offer."
"I want to come to the University of Bath and study, this is awesome."