African Adventures

In the middle of the summer holiday, 44 students and 5 staff had the experience of a lifetime volunteering to work in two schools in one of the most deprived countries in the world, Ghana.

The visit was epic in its ambition, with students tasked to build walls and teach lessons to hundreds of children in the town of Woen - 4 hours east of the capital, Accra.

"The whole experience was truly life-changing for all involved. A huge part of the educational experience for our students at Queen’s Park High School is about developing an understanding of charity and how to be a global citizen. The trip certainly empowered students to give something to the developing world and appreciate all we have here in The West.”

Mr Yeoman, assistant headteacher & expedition lead

Experiences like these provide some of the biggest opportunities to grow into kind, selfless and charitable people. This is certainly an experience that all students and staff will never forget for the rest of their lives.

Charlotte H, now in Year 9 kept a diary of her visit and kindly shares her thoughts on her experience. 

At the end of an incredible 10-day trip to Ghana, I find myself sitting in the Schipol Airport in Amsterdam, reflecting on my once-in-a-lifetime experience and how phenomenal the whole adventure was. 

I have had so many incredible experiences whilst I was there, but really loved teaching the children in the two schools we worked in. The classrooms were so bare, there were three children to a desk and classes were often full of 60 children! I also really enjoyed helping to build the library in Aklorbordzi school; I felt like I was really making a difference and helping their community.

One of the most heart-warming things that happened was on the last day, when it was time to say goodbye to the schools, the staff and children during a formal ceremony. After some amazing drumming and the traditional ‘chicken dance’ the children rushed over to hold our hands and take pictures with us. This is a moment I’ll never forget! I also loved all the gifts they gave us in the ceremony so I will always have something to treasure that moment with.

After all of our hard work at the schools, we went on a Volta Adventure weekend! It was really exciting to feed the monkeys at the monkey sanctuary and to see them come up so close to you. I also really enjoyed staying at the Wli Water Heights Hotel and going to see the rainforest and waterfall the next day. We all just went into the pool at the bottom (even though it was freezing) and got a few photos whilst trying to not get too wet! I’ve loved giving up my time to help a people who are so less fortunate than I am and it made me truly appreciate everything that I have. I’ve also made lots of new friends with other students from my school. Thank you Queen’s Park High School, this was an incredible trip, which has changed my life.

Sam, now in Year 10 said,

“It’s given me a whole new perspective on my life and a much greater appreciation for everything I have’. The trip has altered my perception of life and I have realised how I have taken things like running water and school facilities for granted. Meeting the children and all of the people I came into contact with made me realise that no matter where in the world you live, we’re all the same. We want the best for ourselves and our families. This is truly a trip that I, and all of the other 43 students on the trip, will be impacted by for the rest of our lives."

To view a selection of the photos from this incredible trip, please visit: