A CROSSFLATTS Primary School teacher has returned to Kenya to work at a school in Nairobi.

Richard Atkins, who spent eight days in the country last year as part of a school leadership scheme, made a return visit last week.

He and Paul Cross, from Eldwick Primary, both spent their half-term working with students at Hospital Hill Primary.

The duo joined a team of teachers from Bingley Grammar School, which has been building links with a group of schools in Kenya since 2011.

"Those who have spoken to me about last year's visit will understand how much of a privilege I considered it to be returning to Kenya to teach," said Mr Atkins.

"The impact the trip had on me last February was immense.

"I feel that it changed my outlook on life for the better and allowed me to help children whose circumstances are hard to comprehend on a number of levels, even if it was just in a small way – such as getting them out of their seats performing drama or showing them how to hold a cricket bat for the first time.

"Having initially forged links with Hospital Hill Primary School last year, the aim of the trip this time was to offer the school and the children a different perspective on education – one that would provide them with a different experience from their daily routine and hopefully have some kind of lasting benefit upon them.

"The children at Hospital Hill and in Kenya are generally exposed to what we would consider a very 'old fashioned' sit-and-listen style of teaching.

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but I believe that it does not allow children the scope to free their inner creativity and I feel that we – the visiting teachers – can provide them with

an opportunity to learn in a creative, cross-curricular way, much in the same way we do daily at Crossflatts."

The trip was funded by Bingley Grammar, whose staff have made multiple visits to schools in Kenya.

Bingley teachers Emma Ellis, Emma Cartledge and Ben McGregor visited Jamhuri High School in Nairobi.

And colleagues Jamil Parapia and Dave Foster were asked by the Pixl Club group of schools in the UK to help raise the achievements of a school cluster in the Kenyan capital.

Bingley Grammar head of textiles Miss Ellis took with her a collection of bags made by her year-nine students, as well as a suitcase full of art materials.

"The students loved the idea of being able to create a gift for a student in Kenya and they all took great pride in the design and quality of their work," she said.

"It really was fantastic to see the groups getting excited about who might be given the bag they had made."