"WIDENING HORIZONS" Updated January 2022
We are now looking at ways that we can develop the use of Zoom or other digital platforms to bring schools together and to bring creative artists into the classroom. We also feel it important to encourage schools to share the stories of Black History.
However schools in Jamaica only went back to limited face to face teaching at the end of 2021, and currently face a fourth wave of Covid. The UK faces yet more challenges, so we are developing our skills and getting ready to be able to support school links in new ways.
This site has been in hibernation for the last few years, since the British Council cut funding for UK school links with Jamaica, as well as in other Caribbean and South American countries.
Previous update September 2020
Covid 19 has resulted in Learning Links International putting on hold working with schools in Jamaica and schools in the UK.
However we hope to develop a new way of linking classrooms now.
NB we have put this website into hibernation - just waiting til we can spring into life again and have new stories to tell!
In the past successful links between Birmingham Special Schools and Special Schools across Jamaica worked well, with support from the Special Education Team in Jamaica, but this is one of the casualties of the withdrawal of British Council support for teacher exchanges.
However other school links have continued and managed to fund links. In particular the link created with support from Learning Links International of Macintosh Memorial Primary School in Mandeville and St Thomas Aacademy in Birmingham is still thriving and benefits all the children and staff involved. We will be learning from the success of this project as we explore future ways of linking.
We will be happy to work with the Community Relations Officers in each of the 7 Education Regions in Jamaica and in the UK we are starting activites to link schools in Wales with schools in Jamaica.
Looking back a few years:
UK SPECIAL EDUCATON TEAM IN JAMAICA - May 2013 Click here
CALTHORPE SPORTS COLLEGE AND WOODLAWN SPECIAL SCHOOL IN MANDEVILLE CELEBRATE THEIR LINK - May 2013
WELCOME TO SPOT VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL IN JAMAICA
AND HAMPSTED HEATH SCHOOL IN BIRMINGHAM - March 2013
We can offer UK schools a range of options to link with a school in Jamaica or one of the other Caribbean islands. Find out all about how your children can benefit from this great curriculum opportunity.
Cacoon Primary Principal, Carol Grant, got the warmest of welcomes from Head Teacher Lesley Ward and local community activists, children and parents when she visited Uplands Junior School in Wolverhampton in May 2012. Read the story in the Jamaican Gleaner 26th May 2012
With well over 10 years experience of developing and managing various educational links between Jamaica and UK, we are now rethinking ways to develop and promote a new range of linking opportunities between UK and Jamaican schools. In the past the LLI Unites team have supported more that 50 very successful teacher exchange visits, but until funding becomes available again, we will continue to use technology and creativity for linking, continuing to work closely with the Jamaican Ministry of Education.
We will provide a range of options for Jamaican and UK schools and work with you to customise a package that will meet your curriculum and professional development needs, as well as meeting the wishes and aspirations of your partner school in Jamaica or UK.
Contact the "Widening Horizons" team to see how we can help: email lizmillman@yahoo.co.uk
Check out www.wideninghorizons.co.uk for the background to current developments.
Widening Horizons is managed by Learning Links International CIC - a Social Enterprise based in Wales.
