During the week of 7 April 2008, John Stewart, Vice Principal, travelled to John Wollaston Anglican Community School (JWACS) in Perth, Western Australia. The purpose of his visit was to establish a new partnership that will last for years. In this venture he was very successful.

JWACS is a community school with over 1,000 children from age 4 to 18. It serves the area of Kelmscott, 30 minutes south-east of Perth. The school was built in 1989 to be the only Anglican school in the area. JWACS is located on a massive site and is surrounded by sports pitches, tennis and basketball courts and acres of green fields. It also has a world class rowing lake 100 metres from its front door.

The area is very rural with many child living on farms and enjoying horse riding and competing in equestrian events. Most of the children in the school take school buses to and from JWACS.

During his visit, Mr Stewart was able to meet with many members of staff from the school. They were all very keep to work with our staff and children on a variety of projects. They expressed the unique opportunity this presented them and the children, and relished to opportunity to work together with teachers oversees to build strong links.

During the week at the school Mr Stewart led two assemblies and shared the long and successful history of our school and told the story of what St Mary Magdalene was established for, 298 years ago. The staff and children of JWACS found the vast diversity and the 23 languages spoken at our school very interesting. Working and talking with the children, he learned that they may be a long way from London, but these children have the same type of interests and dreams as our children – and they were very keen to meet and work with our children.

The aim of the visit was to establish long-term links with JWACS and to design initial activities our two schools could complete and work on together. Effective links have been set up for all of the primary classes and secondary departments. They will write one another, share stories and information about their local areas and have the opportunity to hold Web conferences with classes, school councillors’ and school prefects.

Lead teachers’ from each school will be in contact with each other to develop the long term plans and projects. Both schools have agreed to ensure that planned activities are written into their schemes of work, therefore ensuring they continue for years to come.

One of the most exciting plans to come out of the visit is the real opportunity for student and staff exchanges. In the 2008-09 academic year, we will host teachers from JWACS and teachers from our school will visit Perth. Staff will take on the teaching load of their new colleagues and have the opportunity to work and learn in a new educational system as well as live in two very exciting cities. Student exchanges are also being planned and we hope to send some our children to Australia in the next three years. The future of this new relationship looks very bright.

Mr Stewart would like to thank the staff and student of John Wollaston Anglican Community School for making him feel so very welcome. We are sure that this new international partnership will be a very positive and rewarding experience for all involved.