Yvonne McBlain from Falkirk Education Services curriculum support team has been finding out about some excellent partnership work instigated by Sarah Ritchie, principal teacher at Bonnybridge Primary School. Bonnybridge Primary School has formed a partnership with Spire Junior School in Uganda. Spire Junior school is located in Bwaise –Kazo Nakamiro Zone in Kampala District the major city in Uganda. The partnership aims to increase understanding and awareness of each other’s culture, tradition and life style, encourage open mindness, critical thinking and reasoning in pupils and give pupils a true sense of global citizenship. Pupils in Primary 5 have been working closely with their peers in Uganda exchanging letters and photographs. Click here to view some of these letters written by primary 2 pupils. This joint project, Through My Window, compares the impact that the environment has on the daily lives of pupils in both countries. The partnership has been hugely successful for both schools and has had a positive impact on pupils. To ensure the growth of the partnership Mrs Stocks, head teacher at Bonnybridge PS, and Mrs Ritchie secured funding from the British Council visited Uganda in October. 3 planes and 14 hours later they found themselves in the city of Kampala where they were very warmly welcomed by Peter Basoga, Principal Teacher of Spire Junior School, and Godfrey Muyodi, class teacher. Over the course of the week Jill Stocks and Sarah Ritchie met with teachers and pupils, observed lessons and took part in the daily life of the school. The arrived colleagues and left friends – look at the leaver’s assembly planned for them here. Peter Basoga and Godfrey Muyodi from Spire Junior School will visit Bonnybridge Primary School in December 2013. Click here to view the welcome received by Sarah and Jill, and here to see Bonnybridge pupils talking about the project.