In July 2008 Mr Smith will be continuing the good work of Manchester Academy by being our second member of staff to visit Toli Secondary School in South Africa.

• Mr Smith will be teaching PE to the school and community and working with staff on pastoral development.

• Year 7 students are busy writing letters and will shortly begin fund raising.

When in Toli, South Africa I aim to give both students and teachers a knowledge and understanding of how teaching is in the UK.

My role over there will be split into two categories, one; help with the set up of PSE work and two; help set up and teach sports clubs.

• As a year director I have a 30 minute block in the morning where my team of house tutors perform PSE classes.
  
  Work performed is from health and hygiene, healthy eating and different parts of the world. At present we are producing packs on students of Manchester Academy and their interests and city/country.
  
  When over in Toli I will be giving teachers some understanding of the importance of PSE time and why it gives students greater knowledge and understanding of issues that may not come out in lesson time.
  
  I will be taking all the information that my year 7s have produced to Toli and have students study England and Manchester and hopefully create pen pal links with students directly.

• As a PE teacher my first love is sport and I am a firm believer that sport is a pathway to better living as it keeps you fit and helps in teaching you how to interact with people.
  
  When over in Toli I am also wanting to set up several sports clubs but because of the financial trouble they have not got the funds to buy specialist equipment so for the past few months Ms Jane Delfeno [Innovations Director] and myself have been raising money to buy Toli the equipment needed for me to set all classes up.
  
  At present we have raised enough capital to buy specialist equipment for football, volleyball and rounders.

• When over in Toli I will be setting clubs up where students will be taught skills and then these skills will be put into practice in a round robin tournament which will take place every night after lessons finish.
  
  I will also be giving booster sessions to teachers in how to teach sports that they may not have taught before such as volleyball and rounders so that when my visit comes to an end they will be able to continue the clubs and tournaments.

Stephen Smith