Updates from our February 2026 visit

Wednesday 11th February

Greetings from Zambia!

Hello to everyone back at Bruton! We’ve had a busy, brilliant day with our new friends here, and we can’t wait to share what we’ve been up to.

🎨 Art Across the World

This morning, Mrs. Davis, Miss Shattock, and Mrs Cosser headed into the Grade 3 classroom for two very special art lessons. We told the students all about how Year 3/4 have been learning about the Stone Age.

Just like you did in your art lessons, the Zambian students practiced drawing animals using geometric shapes. They were so impressed when they saw your lovely artwork! After some practice, they used charcoal to create some stunning images of African animals.

> Take a look: Can you spot which animals they drew in the photos below? What do they have in common with your Stone Age drawings?

🍴 A Different Kind of Snack

After all that hard work, it was time for break!  We were served a samosa (pastry filled with mince and potato), a boiled egg, and some potatoes. It was delicious and gave us lots of energy for the afternoon!

🍌 The School "Supermarket"

We went for a walk around the school grounds, and it felt like walking through a fruit bowl! Instead of a playground with just grass, there were:

 * Lemon trees 🍋

 * Mango trees 🥭

 * Banana plantations 🍌

 * Palm trees 🌴

Challenge: Look at the photos we’ve posted of the trees. Can you identify which is which?

🎶 A Very Special Welcome

Next, we were honoured to visit Luansobe Primary School to support Ditcheat’s school partnership. We wish you could have heard the welcome—the children greeted us with incredible music and dancing! It made us feel so at home. The staff even prepared a huge feast for us to share.

🧸 Ditcheat Dave Makes a Friend

Finally, Mrs. Cosser spent time with all the classes sharing stories about our life in the UK and showing them photos of Ditcheat school. Of course, Ditcheat Dave the teddy bear was the star of the show! He has been making lots of new friends and joined in with all the laughter and fun.

🤔 Time to Reflect

 * How would our school grounds look different if we grew our own fruit like they do in Zambia?

Tuesday 10th February

Greetings from Mufulira! 🇿🇲

Hello everyone back at home! We have just finished our second day at Mufulira Mine Primary, and it was absolutely buzzing with excitement. We are having the best time, and we miss you all!

Here is what we got up to today:

🎨 Bunting and Best Friends

First thing this morning, we handed out the colourful bunting made by Auklet and Barn Owl. The children here were so happy to see your drawings and learn your names! They started making their own bunting right away to send back to you.

> Can you spot any of your drawings in the photos below? 📸

We also finished handing out your pen pal letters. The students here were thrilled to read about your lives in the UK. They are already busy writing their replies.

We sat in on a Maths lesson all about sorting numbers and letters into Venn Diagrams. The students listened so carefully and came up with some brilliant examples. It’s amazing how we learn the exact same things, even though we are thousands of miles apart!

Then, it was time for Mrs Davis and Miss Shattock to teach art. We started making cave paintings by using local seeds and glue for the backgrounds.  We told them all about your lovely work and the animals you painted.

 * Year 3 and 4: Do you remember doing this in your classroom?

 * We showed the children here the photos of your process and finished work, and they thought you were all great artists!

On Thursday, once the seeds have dried, we will paint African animals over the top.

For lunch, we had another delicious traditional Zambian meal with the staff.

After lunch, we had a very special meeting. We were honoured to be invited to the DEBS office (the District Education Board Secretary). They are the team that looks after all the schools in the area. Did you know there are 79 primary schools just in this one town of Mufulira?

Finally, we headed to the local market to find some Chitenge. This is a beautiful, brightly coloured African fabric. We’ve bought some lovely patterns to bring home so you can craft more 

 * Festive wreaths

 * Colourful sashes

 * Handy bags

 * Stylish hair scrunchies

… and more… when we return to school

Monday 9th February

Our First Day at Mufulira Mine Primary! 

Hello everyone back in the UK! Today was a day we will never forget. As soon as we arrived, the air was filled with the most incredible sounds. We were welcomed with singing, dancing, and the rhythmic beat of drums. It was the loudest and happiest "Welcome" we have ever heard!

Meeting the Ambassadors

We were lucky enough to be shown around by the school’s student Ambassadors.

 * Can you spot them in the photos? Look for the beautiful Zambian sashes they are wearing. Do they remind you of the ones we wear in our Zambia Club?

 
The children showed us their school books. Their handwriting and presentation were absolutely immaculate.

They showed us their Science work on the circulatory system and in English, the Zambian students have been practicing writing formal letters—just like Year 3 and 4 have been doing!  

Their youngest classes were practicing forming the numbers 1 and 2 in maths and in phonics, the sounds s, t, i, p, n, (+ in and on).  Can you spot the sounds on the chalk board?  They use actions too!

We handed out the pen pal letters from our Year 5 and 6 classes.  The classroom was buzzing with excitement! The children couldn't wait to read your letters and learn all about your lives in the UK. They are already picking up their pens to write back to you.

Then, the weather turned! While we were walking between classrooms, the sky opened up with a torrential downpour. In Zambia, when it rains, it really rains!

 * Look at the photos: Can you spot Mrs Davis in her wellies?

A Special Lunch

To finish our visit, we sat down for a traditional Zambian lunch with the Headteacher and the staff. It was a wonderful way to share stories and strengthen the link between our two schools.

Challenge:

 * If you were a school Ambassador, what is the first thing in our school you would show a visitor from Zambia?

Sunday 8th February

We have had the most incredible start to our journey. Today was full of music, laughter, and some very special surprises. We can’t wait to tell you all about it!

We visited St. Lawrence Catholic Church for their "Holy Child" service. It was unlike anything we see back home because the entire service was run by the children! From the readings to the music, the young people were in charge.

The singing was so loud and beautiful and everyone was dancing. Songs were sung in Bemba (the local language), Latin and English.  During the service, there was a special teaching themed about Salt and Light.

 * Be like Salt: Just a little bit of salt makes food taste better. We should be like salt by adding kindness to everything we do.

 * Be like Light: Even a tiny candle can chase away the darkness. We should try to be a light for others when they are feeling sad or lost.

Think about it: If you were "salt" in your classroom tomorrow, what is one kind thing you could do to make someone's day "taste" better?

After church, we hosted a big tea party! We wanted to say a huge thank you to the teachers and staff who are looking after us and plan for our week ahead.  While we drank tea, we started planning the lessons we will be teaching in the school next week.

We have some very important cargo in our suitcases... your pen pal letters! ✉️ They have officially arrived in Mufulira and are ready to be handed out. You should be so proud of the work you did; the teachers here were so impressed by your drawings and letters.

Can You Spot Us?

Take a look at the photos below from the service. It’s a sea of smiling faces...

 * Challenge: Can you spot your teachers in the crowd?

This evening, our host made a delicious traditional Zambian meal.  Look out for more details to come…

Saturday 7th February

Hello everyone back at home!

Pack your bags, because today was a huge travel day. We’ve been hopping across the continents like a giant grasshopper! Here is the breakdown of our journey:

 * First Stop: Ethiopia (it was a toasty 28°C when we landed!)

 * Pit Stop: Maun, Botswana (just a quick drop-in to give the plane some "juice" / fuel)

 * Final Destination: Zambia! 🇿🇲

The view from the plane window was like looking at a giant, green painting of nature, but the real adventure started once we touched down.

Our friend picked us up to take us to where we are staying and became our tour guide for the journey.  Our driver is also a massive fan of running. He is training for the Comrades Ultra Marathon in South Africa.

> Did you know? An Ultra Marathon is much longer than a normal one. This race is nearly 90 kilometres (56 miles) long! That’s like running from London to Brighton!  What’s the furthest you have run?

I want to see if you can solve these challenges:

 * Weather Watch: If it was 26°C in Mufulira today, how much warmer is that than it is at school right now? 

 * Home Away from Home: We are ending our night playing board games with our hosts. If you were visiting a new country, what game would you bring to teach your new friends?

Friday 6th February

Miss Shattock, Mrs Davis and Mrs Cosser travelled from Bruton to Heathrow Airport in London.  Our bags and your pen pal letters are safely checked in with the airport and ready to fly.✈️  We will travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and then onto Ndola, Zambia.  We will leave Heathrow at 8.15pm (Fri) and arrive in Ndola at 3.30pm (Sat) .  Who thinks they can work out how long it’s going to take us, bearing in mind Zambia is 2 hours ahead of us?