A privileged glimpse inside a city academy
- 6th of July, 2010
- 6th of July, 2010
Started the day with a relaxing walk along the Thames from the Barbican to Westminster. Standing by the Houses of Parliament, a heated discussion ensued about politicians' salaries, and a consensus that the Prime Minister's salary is modest in comparison with Tanzania (and indeed city salaries which had been a discussion point on the previous day). Cleopatra's needle left Upendo wondering about the sanity of our ancestors...“You really value history – carrying that massive stone all this way on a boat!”
Took the bus and tube to Abbey Wood, where Upendo entertained fellow passengers en route with beautiful quiet singing. Their compatriots who happened to be sitting next to them were equally surprised when they started singing in Swahili!
Upendo were awed by the amazing resources at St Paul's Academy, opened earlier this year as part of the government's city academies programme. A completely different experience from Lichfield and City of London School for Girls, the students needed little encouragement to jump up dancing and throw themselves into the singing. The school has a vibrant population of students of African origin, and a stunning school band who stayed around after the performance to start jamming with Upendo.
