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Where we do it > Namibia - Caroline Webster, NAHT Partnership
Caroline Webster is the head teacher at Ambergate Primary School in rural Derbyshire. She had always planned to volunteer with VSO, but the timing wasn’t right for two years overseas. So she jumped at the chance to take part in the three-month VSO/NAHT project. She’s now training clusters of head teachers in management and leadership skills in Namibia. Before she left, she described what she’d been doing to prepare for her new role and what she hopes to get out of it.Tell us more about your school and how you think it will benefit from this project.
It’s a small rural school with just 75 pupils on roll. We have 100% white British intake, so it’s quite a challenge to bring a global dimension into our lives. Everything we introduce is “second hand” and somehow loses some of the passion that would help to make a more significant impact. Our children are part of a global community and it’s important they develop some understanding of this. Working in Namibia will give me a valuable insight into another culture. It will provide opportunities to gain an understanding of some of the problems Namibians face and some of the qualities they can share with us.
How is your school preparing for your placement?
We’re busy telling everyone about Namibia, why I’m going and what school might get from it while I’m there and when I get back. On a more practical level I’m spending time preparing the deputy head for his new role acting as head in my absence and trying to deal with as much management paperwork as possible before I go.
Tell me about your pupils' and colleagues’ reactions to your placement. What are they most interested in?
Pupils want to know what I’ll be doing, and about the every day lives of the children. They are fascinated by cultural differences and predictably want to know about toilet arrangements! My colleagues are really excited for me and for school. The global dimension is close to the hearts of my staff - they are teaching me a lot. They could not be more supportive.
What challenges do you think you'll face?
Loads! A different pace of life, getting around on unreliable transport, balancing the desire to achieve with the need to work within the likely constraints. Remaining healthy and keeping mosquitoes at bay!
If there was just one single thing that you could get out of your placement, what would it be?
A great link with a local primary school. To help to improve something while I am there and continue to work with my Namibian colleagues when I get home. I’d really like to find a way to bring a head teacher to our school to share experiences both ways. Sorry – that’s more than one!
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