Some comments and quotes from previous visiting teachers:

"I came back with more ideas than I had anticipated. My big task now is how to incorporate the whole experience into our school, rather than just 'do an Indian topic'".
Peter Farrington, Headteacher, Prince of Wales Primary school, Dorset. Visited in February 2008

"This visit was fantastic, such a unique experience with memories that will stay with me for ever. Before I left I saw this visit as a once in a lifetime experience and it more than fulfilled this. I have always wanted to visit India and never expected to get the chance. I felt the visit and the way it was organised provided both an educational & personal experience. I came back with a refreshed outlook/ new ideas that I want to share at school with others, all things I had highlighted as objectives for the visit."
Sheena Inwood, Combe Down Primary School Bath. Visited in February 2008.

"As I am new to Geography co-ordinator, I arrived slightly naive to lesson ideas, activities and knowledge of India in particular, so all of the trip was useful. I came away with an abundance of ideas for the classroom, assemblies, cross-curricular activities and a new thirst and love of the country, and of course, Bollywood films!"
Helen Beilby, Geography Co-ordinator, Corsham Primary School. Visited October 2007.

"A personal journey of reflection, experiences, new sounds, new sights, broadening horizons, getting things into perspective, time for me, time to relish life. I cannot underestimate the personal gains from the programme."
Kate Owen, Teacher of Geography, Kinsgsmede Technical College, Visited in October 2007

"I now have a whole selection of resources that can be used, hands-on by other teachers in the school. It has opened my eyes again and as a result I am changing the way in which I teach my class this year!"
Joanna O'Dare, St Pauls Junior School, Radstock. Visited October 2007

"This was my first trip of this kind and my expectations of first hand experience day to day in another culture were totally realised. I was the only non-teaching member of the group but this did not prove a disadvantage and I gained significant insight from the programme and from colleagues with regard to good practice."
Rachel Reynolds, GTP teacher trainee, Elmhurst Junior school, Street. Visited October 2007.

"Just the experience of BEING there had the most fundamental impact on me and will infuse any future work I do on India with a personal perspective which was lacking before."
Jenny Ogden, Education Officer Powys Development Education Centre. Visited in February 07.

"A massive bank of resources, of which I am still just scraping the surface. Without the preparation being some months in advance this would have been much less effective. I knew what I was wanting to bring back and I was pleasantly surprised to find so much else that I had not expected to get hold of.
Cultural immersion. Revitalisation. New lease of life. Bringing my teaching to life. This has been the main thing about the trip for me. It has truly been life-changing."
Ben King. Churston Ferres Grammar school. Visited in February 07.

"We squeezed so much into the 10 days that there wouldn?t have been time for anything else! I can honestly say that every experience we had was beneficial. I particularly benefited from visiting very different schools. Education is so diverse in India."
Michelle Moxham. Millfeild Infants School. Visited in February 07

"The aim of the trip for me was to be able to return to England with sufficient knowledge and resources to teach my children about life in India; the similarities and differences to the life they are used to in England. The trip more than fulfilled this! I have a wealth of knowledge, more photographs than I know what to do with and wonderful resources that will complement my teaching and enhance the children?s learning about India."
Laura Sutton Ilsington Primary School. Visted in February 07.

"I was able to experience the real India in a way I could never have done if I had just gone as an ordinary tourist. Amazing case studies and resources that you would not have been able to obtain otherwise. Brilliant ideas about how we could teach the information. Go without a doubt. Educational and professional benefits aside, the insight into India you gain could not be replicated anywhere else. It has given me so many good ideas about how to deliver different case studies."
Anna Goodfellow, Whorle Secondary school, Weston Super Mare. Visited in October 2007.

"I found the day in Bangalore looking at Urban development really useful. The tour around the farms was also excellent for using at KS4/5 in Geography." Kate Williamson, Sexeys School. Visited October 2007.

"I found the school visits absolutely fascinating. They left me wrestling with the question of how to teach effectively, stimulatingly and humanely with few resources and huge numbers of kids! I have hardly stopped talking about the visits to colleagues. The artefacts session was such an effective way to engage (and assess) people?s interest at the start of the visit. I?m often using my coconut scraper for similar purposes in Inset sessions. Yes, really."
Adam Nichols. LEA advisor for Geography, Sunderland. Visited in October 2007.

"It was the best trip of my life. I know we all feel privileged to have experienced Indian life and culture with such depth and in so short a space of time. The hospitality was second to none and I am already missing the cooking and the great company."
Chris Twronga. Head of RE, St Dunstans Secondary School, Glastonbury. Visited in February 2006

"The opportunity has been the most useful professional development in my 30 years of teaching."
Joanne Baker. Head teacher. Buckland St Mary Primary School. Visited in February 2005

"I feel quite privileged to have been a small part of 'The Land' for a week and being made to feel so welcome - such activities ought to be made compulsory to blow away the cobwebs of routine and give inspiration a kick-start!"
Melanie Gifford, West Chinnock Primary School. Visited in February 2005

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