Bradford School Trip

So on Tuesday I got to go on my first school trip.  This is a school trip which all Year 4s do, and ticks the 'diversity' box for the school.  Ingleton has a 'twin' school in Bradford and every year they visit each other, so the city kids get to see life in a rural area and the Ingleton kids get to meet kids from an inner city and therefore a diverse background.

This isn't a popular trip so I finally got asked to go.  On Monday the joint Head, Mrs Barry came up to me to give me a warning on what to wear!  A little insulting, but that's Mrs Barry - didn't occur to her to ask if I had ever visited a Mosque before and if I knew what to wear.  I did tell her that I have lived in the Middle East before but still she went on!

So on Tuesday morning, I made two packed lunches which I packed with my headscarf and got on a mini bus to Bradford with 24 excited children.  Mrs Barry was also with us, along with Mrs Bromley and Anne.  I find Mrs Barry hard work - she's very fluffy, talks to you as if you are 5, doesn't really listen to what you are saying and never voices her opinion directly.  At least with Mrs Colledge you know exactly where you stand as she tells you exactly what she thinks.

Anyway we arrived at the school and were more or less immediately whisked away to the Mosque.  Now you would think that if you are going to visit a mosque with a class full of kids who have probably never been in one before AND this is a trip that the school do each year, you would at least prepare the kids and do some sessions on Islam and what to expect etc.  It didn't seem to be the case.  All the girls had headscarves and put them on - we were accompanied by some class champions from the school - 2 of whom were girls, neither of which put on a headscarf, as I had suspected it isn't required of a 9 year old, but I guess it is a lesson in respectability and anyway it was novel and fun for the girls.

He asked where we were from and one of the kids from St Stephens said St Stephens.  No-one told him that the majority were from Ingleton.  The headteacher was with us so I didn't think it was my place to speak up - but really?!!!  He of course had no idea we were from a rural location - he would have changed his talk I'm sure if he had known!

We then listened to a guy from the Mosque - he asked lots of questions - do you know what special time it is for Muslims at the moment - no-one knew, it is Ramadan!  How many months are there in the Muslim year?  No-one knew.  What number month is Ramadan - no-one knew.  It was obvious there had not been any lessons about Islam.  Luckily Tom knew that a Mosque is somewhere you go to pray (I was very proud) and Rosie knew you had to wash before you pray but that was it.  Then when the guy asked for questions, none were forthcoming.  In the end Mrs Barry, Mrs Bromley, Anne and I asked a question each but the guy said that normally when a school visits they have questions prepared.  It was embarrassing.

One interesting fact: the call to prayer.  It can't be broadcasted in public in this country, instead the Mosque broadcast it into people's houses via a radio transmitter.  They press a button and the call to prayer is broadcasted directly into people's houses.  I never knew that!

However, the kids were well behaved.  Afterwards, once the kids were allowed up we got to chat to the guy and Anne explained who we were, he didn't know.  He was interested.  He was also very very approachable.  He should have known!!!!  Once he found out, he wanted to show us more, so we could get an understanding of what they do in the community.  They have more than the Mosque, they have other buildings, they have safe accommodation for women, they have education programmes for adults, one of the essential parts of Islam is looking after your community and charity which he wanted to show us.  He quickly showed us around but we didn't have time for it all.

The same tattoo!

The ladies were working very hard!

We returned to school for our lunch.  Now Tom has written letters to boys in Year 4 of St Stephens and they have written letters back.  You would think that the schools would match them up so everyone knew who their penpals were.  No!  It was manic, it was busy and there was no attempt on the teaching side to get the kids together.  The idea was for them to eat lunch together.  In my section, the Ingleton girls ate their lunch on one table and then Tom was on his own with Bradford kids on his table and Charlie on his own with Bradford kids.  Well done Tom and Charlie.  I sat with Tom and chatted with the kids, all of whom were lovely.  Then the kids went out to play.  They have a small paved over playground.  But it didn't matter, they played happily and our kids and the Bradford kids intermingled no problem.  Which is how it should be: kids playing with kids.  Anne and I stood in the playground.  Anne tried to match up the penpals so at least everyone knew each other.  We got involved in some playground politics: Miss, so and so said this to my sister etc - of course I have no idea of what to do so told them to see a St Stephens teacher.  I didn't see Mrs Barry or Mrs Bromley - but I guess they were doing their thing.  I was a bit like a rabbit in headlights, I have never been on a school trip as a parent before and didn't really know what I was supposed to do - how involved I should be, what sort of things I could say to the kids etc.  It is really difficult, I'm not a natural teacher.

Twin tattoos

The afternoon was then manic:  20 minutes to try some homemade food (delicious, but most of our kids were not up for it - scared of what it might be). 20 minutes to learn a dance and 20 minutes to have a henna tattoo and dress up.

Get this - Tom and I were in different groups.  There were a good 100 henna designs and we chose the same one!

We then got on the coach to get back to school for 3.30.  Not the most exciting school trip, but the kids seemed to enjoy it.  I don't know if I'm being super critical, but I thought if it was to be educational, then at least educate the kids before hand and be in dialogue with the mosque so they have learning opportunities?!