International Twinning Project

Noticeboard at The Willows, Wythenshawe

Year Four pupils at The Willows Primary School in Wythenshawe, Manchester, have embarked on a Twinning project to celebrate the upcoming England v South Africa series and the Spirit of Cricket.

The Willows have developed an existing link with Sentinel School, Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa.  Both schools have exchanged letters and are displaying cricket related work from each country.

The Willows Primary School decided to become involved in the cricket related project as they are a school chosen by Wythenshawe Cricket Club to receive specialist coaching as part of the Chance to Shine programme in Manchester. The staff in the school also encouraged participation in order to broaden the children’s horizons and educate them about life in an overseas country.

The project involves both schools embarking on a series of tasks to celebrate the international series, the area each schools resides in and the Spirit of Cricket. Pupils from both schools have now completed pen pal letters for new friends in the southern hemisphere and dialogue between the schools is ongoing.

Thirty pupils received a presentation detailing the project from Rob Tipping, the Lancashire Cricket Board Community Cricket Coach for Manchester. From this, each child was matched with a child from South Africa and letters were written. Children discussed families, hobbies, Wythenshawe, Manchester, the weather and school in their letters and they were posted to South Africa.

Each child in Year 4 has also been encouraged to design a cricket bat sticker. A class competition took place and 6 finalists were decided upon. Some designs can be seen in the Image gallery. Many of the ‘stickers’ now hang from a classroom display in The Willows and some have been sent to South Africa. One design, chosen by the class, will be transferred to a cricket bat which will be signed by all the children in year 4 and sent to Cape Town.

The Willows will continue to develop the link with Sentinel School into the new school year and are set to represent England as part of a Guard of Honour during the T20 International between England and South Africa at Old Trafford in September.

Mr Swingler from The Willows Primary School said: “All the pupils have really enjoyed the cricket sessions and completing the artwork. They have come up with some very imaginative ideas."

Rob Tipping from the Lancashire Cricket Board added: “The staff and children at The Willows have really embraced the Chance to Shine programme and have worked hard in class time to develop the link.”