Whitchurch High School has a long association with Macassar High School and Restoring the Sound. We are privileged to be taking off and landing in Cape Town at the same time as South Africa is celebrating, with the rest of the World, the twentieth anniversary since Nelson Mandela’s release.

The eyes of the world will also refocus on South Africa through the release of the film ‘Invictus’ interpreting events around the 1995 World Rugby Cup final. Click here for the full Invictus poem. The last verse of W E Henley’s classic Victorian inspirational Invictus poem, which gave heart to Nelson Mandela during his long prison years, finishes..........It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll. I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.

The further strengthening ties between Whitchurch High School, Macassar High School and Restoring the Sound will include a joint showcase international showcase between Whitchurch and Macassar High Schools and Restoring the Sound on Monday 22nd February at the three day international Cape Town iNET conference, a wonderful privilege for all three partners.

We are in Macassar from Friday 12th February until Tuesday 23rd February, with Mr Jones-Williams leaving a couple of days later. Macassar High School is open during our half term! In June 2009 Macassar teachers and students visited Whitchurch along with Trevor Sampson from Restoring the Sound. Our visit is funded by the British Council, which sponsors such exchanges to encourage global citizenship links. This is the last of our three year funded project.

Our group comprises, Mr Huw Jones-Williams (Head Teacher), Mr Eric Coombes (Science), Miss Jeanine Arthur (MFL), Mr Anthony Rees (English) plus four sixth form students: Alice Burnet, Jac Holloway, Charlotte (Charlie) Pearce, Gareth Streeter. Both Alice and Charlie hosted Macassar learners last June.

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