We are proud to support Kijana Kwanza, a non-profit charity based in Moshi, Tanzania.

Kijana Kwanza works with orphaned children and vulnerable young people to improve their access to education, vocational training and life skills development, helping them to build futures free from poverty. Nestled at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, Kijana Kwanza’s mission closely aligns with our own values: empowering young people through education, skills and opportunity.

Our partnership began in 2024, when our CEO, Karim, travelled to his birth country, Tanzania. During his visit, he met members of the Kijana Kwanza team and children supported by the organisation, and was inspired by their passion and determination to create brighter futures for themselves and their communities. He also led a seminar for vocational students, exploring the economic and social challenges facing young Tanzanians.

Following that visit, we pledged to support the construction of Kijana Kwanza’s new children’s home which will provide emergency shelter for orphans and street children living in Tanzania. The home will meet their physical, mental, emotional and social needs through access to healthcare, quality schooling and recreational activities. It will also train foster parents and build community networks that create stable, nurturing family environments.

In October 2025, members of our team travelled to Tanzania to support Kijana Kwanza’s work directly. Drawing on their experience caring for children and young people in the UK, they helped deliver pastoral support, education and life skills training – all focused on helping young people prepare for independent living and future success. They also led workshops, debates and seminars to strengthen vocational training and community development, working alongside local teams to share ideas and create lasting impact.

There were also some memorable trips – including visits to the Chagga Museum and nearby waterfalls, where the children joined the team for a day of fun, and an unforgettable afternoon with Farmer John on his farm.

The journey was not only inspiring and unforgettable, but also a powerful opportunity to live our values on an international stage. It brought our team even closer together and reminded us all how important it is to appreciate the comforts we often take for granted.

Some of our team then took on the physical and mental challenge of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise vital funds and awareness for Kijana Kwanza’s work. The six-day trek tested their strength and resilience, but it was an extraordinary journey filled with joy, teamwork and purpose.

We are immensely proud of their achievement – and would like to thank everyone who has supported us so far in helping to create lasting, meaningful change in the lives of the young people supported by Kijana Kwanza.

Together, we raised over £5,000 to support Kijana Kwanza’s programmes, helping to provide education, care and opportunities for children and young people in Tanzania.

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Pupils at The Beeches Independent School celebrated a variety of events over the last few months including Chinese New Year where they made their own calendars, decorated lanterns, practiced their own Chinese writing, and decorated Chinese dragons. They also researched the years they were born to find out what their animal year was, and the meaning behind it. 

On Valentine’s Day they decorated their own love biscuits, then wrote shout-outs to all their friends and teachers to say thank you for all the kind things they do. 

On Holi, the pupils learned all about the festival of colours and what it represents. They then put on white t-shirts and had their own celebration by throwing powdered paints at each other. Everyone had a blast, and now have some fabulous unique shirts to keep! 

Buddhism has also been an interesting topic in Religious Education, with pupils learning about Ohigan which is celebrated in Spring and Autumn. They had a go at making botamochi using two different types of rice, aduki beans, soybean flour, and black sesame seeds. These rice balls are traditionally served during Spring celebrations, and are often given as gifts to family and friends. 

In Food Technology, the pupils have been exploring new and wonderful recipes from Argentina, Jamaica, Mexico, Spain, and Turkey. They have acquired an abundance of information about different cultures and traditions, and used a variety of spices, herbs, and cooking utensils to create delicious dishes from these vibrant and exciting countries. Their newfound skills and techniques have certainly helped inspire their future culinary journey. 

In Science, fun with food continued as they took part in a cabbage indicator experiment which involved soaked red cabbage in hot water until it turned purple. They then added substances with different pH levels to see which colour each one changed into. 

Then in Geography, they used tomatoes with water, food colouring, and glitter to make the vortex that forms inside tornadoes. They also learned about volcanoes and tsunamis using experiments to create them. They then looked at the layers of the Earth and used Play-Doh to create the different layers in various colours. 

In History they have been studying Ancient Rome, and visited Peterborough Museum to learn about how people lived many years ago, and ask lots of questions before returning back to school to make their own swords. They had to decide how their swords must look using their mathematical skills to measure them, and their art skills to draw the outlines and decorate the handles. They thoroughly enjoyed the activity, and their impressive pictures are now being displayed on the special Ancient Rome display board at school. 

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Pupils have been loving our brand-new school with all of its advanced facilities. They were extremely busy at the end of last year with different events including Children in Need, where they took part in a range of activities to support the charity including a cake decorating competition where they used icing, marshmallows, chocolate, and sprinkles to design their own cakes. A judge then chose the best decorated cakes, and the winner won a prize – although the best part was definitely getting to taste their creations at the end! They also completed a range of arts and crafts tasks including designing Pudsey’s bandana, completing Pudsey puzzles, and designing their own Children in Need t-shirt.

Pupils enjoyed learning all about Diwali – the Hindu festival of lights, and made their own tealight candle holders using clay to create different designs and patterns. Once dried, the holders were decorated with lots of colours and patterns, before finally adding their own tealight.

As it was their first Christmas in the new school, everyone really enjoyed making decorations to get the place festive ready. They hung handmade baubles and decorations on the Christmas tree, and all around the school. The pupils completed an assembly learning all about Christingles and their purpose, before having a go at making their own using oranges, candles, dolly mixture, and raisins.

In English, everyone did a great job writing their own Christmas stories before reading them aloud to the rest of the group. The pupils were then lucky enough to have their very own private video call with Santa, who read a personalised letter to each of them. They got the chance to ask Santa lots of questions and tell him what they would like for Christmas. Everyone was relieved to hear that they were all on the nice list!

One of our pupils had the excellent idea of raising funds for Woodgreen Pets Charity as her chosen Christmas activity by collecting toiletries and clothes to donate to their local charity shop. She also made dog biscuits which she sold to staff, and then donated all earnings to the charity.

On the last day of term, the school hosted its annual Christmas lunch which was delicious and enjoyed by all. All leftovers were given to Peterborough Soup Kitchen. In the afternoon, the pupils enjoyed making their own gingerbread houses, playing bingo, and taking part in a Christmas quiz. Before they went home, each pupil was awarded a certificate for their achievements that term, and were all given a chocolate Santa sleigh to take with them.

Everyone is now working on fulfilling their New Year’s Resolutions, including leading a healthy lifestyle. They received a visit from Sports Coach Sanket to learn about Sports Leadership qualifications, which aim to help young people develop their leadership skills, whilst helping themselves and others stay physically active. They discussed what makes a good leader and the traits needed to be successful. They then participated in various sporting activities, and took turns leading their own short session to the rest of the group.

The pupils have been learning about Roman-inspired food as part of the History theme for this half-term. They then got to make their own dishes with lentils, chickpeas, tomatoes, and feta cheese, which were all served alongside pitta bread and eaten whilst listening to classical music!

They have also been developing their life skills by helping to gather some of the school’s laundry, and taking it to be washed at the launderette. It is great to see the pupils learning to become more independent, and developing new skills in preparation for adult life.

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We are pleased to now able to accommodate up to 32 pupils at our new, larger school site on Thorpe Road, which has been completely renovated with state-of-the-art facilities and resources that fulfil the SEN requirements of our pupils. Our opening event was a huge success, with guests getting to tour all our new amenities and meet our talented pupils and teachers. We are so proud of how well our pupils interacted with everyone, the amazing artwork they produced, the tours they gave, and their speeches – including one who bravely stood up in front of everyone to talk first-hand about his experience of attending our school.

Our pupils have been working extremely hard in all of their lessons, from making traditional Tudor houses out of pine needles in History, to creating pictures of flowers by mixing colours and shapes in Art, and enjoying sensory play in the garden.

In English, they have been reading “Stone Age Boy” and had a go at making the character themselves out of playdough, before using adjectives to describe elements from the story and form sentences. They have also been reading Roald Dahl’s “The Witches,” exploring the characters and their personalities in order to produce a final piece. They have also been writing their own diary entries about what they have been doing at the weekend, and presenting it back to the class.

In Science, pupils have been learning about evaporation, condensation, and the water cycle by creating their own mini water worlds and growing cress. They investigated the weight of gas using fizzy drinks, made erupting papier-mâché volcanoes, and used rice krispies to represent how particles behave in solids, liquids, and gases. The school celebrated Science Day by carrying out a variety of experiments involving chemical reactions, and making balloon rockets to demonstrate Newton’s Third Law of Motion. Everyone’s favourite part of the day was definitely learning about planets, as they got to make their own edible Mars rover!

In their Gardening lessons, pupils have been learning about the different apple varieties that are grown in the UK, their characteristics, and how seeds are planted to grow into trees. They then used their creative skills to prepare “apple pumpkins” afterwards!

In Food Technology (FT), they have been practicing making healthy meals such as pesto egg muffins, oven-baked chicken nuggets with salad, turkey bolognese, and oat balls. They have been learning about the origins of different food and cooking techniques from across the world such as the Indian tandoor, before having a go at creating their own dishes. They have picked up a variety of skills in their FT lessons such as how to correctly handle meat, cut ingredients, and sanitise utensils.

Our pupils have also been enjoying spending time outdoors with regular visits to Rutland Farm Park where they get to meet, groom, walk, and feed different animals, including some adorable newly born baby lambs! In the farm’s forest, they learned how to light fires and cook freshly laid eggs. They also spent time walking on the Gruffalo Trail at Wakerley Woods, which consists of a two-mile track through the woods and ends at a playground!

On Halloween, everyone dressed up in their scariest costumes and wrote their own ghost stories using skills learned in their English lessons. They then shared their stories with the group in the hall while enjoying hot chocolate and marshmallows. They also enjoyed decorating Halloween biscuits, making masks, decorating pumpkins, and taking part in different Halloween-themed sensory activities.

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On Friday 29^th September 2023 we held an event for the grand opening of our brand new Beeches Independent School, with local authorities, neighbours, colleagues, friends, and family all coming together to support us on this momentous occasion.

Main article photo, photo of class room interior and photo of ribbon cutting of The Beeches Independent School at Thorpe Road by Peterborough MP Paul Bristow – all courtesy of The Peterborough Telegraph.

We were honoured to have Paul Bristow, MP for Peterborough attend to officially open our new school, and we also had a special guest appearance from Barry Fry, Director of Football at Peterborough United, which certainly brought a smile to many of our pupils’ faces!

Read The Peterborough Telegraph Article →

We were delighted to be featured in The Peterborough Telegraph, as well as on several social media platforms.

It truly was a brilliant afternoon, with guests getting to tour all of our brand new facilities, and meet our talented pupils and teachers. We are so proud of how well our pupils interacted with everyone, the amazing artwork they produced, the tours they gave, and their speeches – including one who bravely stood up in front of everyone to talk first-hand about his experience of attending our school.

We look forward to continuing our exciting new journey, so stay tuned for further updates!

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Pupils at the Beeches Independent School enjoyed many enrichment activities last term, including a visit to the local Sikh and Hindu Temples as part of their Religious Education studies where they learned about the beliefs and practices of both religions, and had the opportunity to ask questions.

The inaugural Beeches Independent School Poetry Café was a huge triumph, with parents and carers gathering in the garden to celebrate the end of a successful term’s learning, and listen to our pupils recite their own handwritten poems.

The King’s Coronation generated huge excitement, and provided the pupils a chance to learn about the history of coronations and the Royal Family. They all wrote their own letters to the King, and made posters about the big lunch. In Period 3, they used a hexagon to write out their British values and made their own silhouette.

In the PE, our pupils visited Central Park to play football, badminton, go on the swings, climbing frames, and look at all the different species of birds in the park.

The pupils really enjoyed reading in the garden whilst enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. In English they have been reading Harry Potter and were given the chance to explore the Warner Bros. Studio in London. The visit deepened their love for reading and enabled them to see the books come to life. They also visited the park to collect sticks to make a Stick Man like the book.

In Art, they created various patterns in clay using different pieces of equipment, and drew scenes from books such as Mrs Armitage on Wheels.

In Science, pupils conducted experiments to test the friction of their shoes with Newton-metres on different surfaces and with different weights. They also investigated the capacity of different containers, made a compass for their Forces and Magnets topic, and tested air resistance by making a spinner of three different sizes and checking what the average was for the spinner to hit the ground.

In Geography they took a trip to Ferry Meadows to answer their fieldwork question: “Is litter a problem?” They also studied road safety, and completed activities to embed this learning and understand the role we must play to keep ourselves safe whilst cycling, such as creating a helmet.

In History, the pupils learnt about the Normans and made their own Norman shields using junk modelling and art resources.

Pupils have been cooking up a storm in their Food Technology lessons and learning new skills like how to safely use kitchen equipment, plate dishes, use cutlery correctly, and tidy up afterwards. They learnt about nutrition, different food production techniques, safety and hygiene practices, and research and development across the world. In one Italian themed lesson, they learnt about art and language, how to make orzo, and about how mozzarella is made. They also learned about the importance of Fairtrade and what sustainability means in fishing, before having a go at making their own dishes.

At our annual Sports Day, pupils, parents, carers, and staff all participated in various games, showing great teamwork and friendly competition. We then held an awards celebration where all pupils received certificates for their hard work this year.

As we have finished the academic year, we have had the chance to reflect on the progress and achievements made by our team and pupils. The school continues to provide our pupils with opportunities to expand their knowledge, as well as open their minds to a world of opportunity. We are excited to move to our new school site in September, and look forward to creating new memories.

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Poetry Cafe

The inaugural Beeches Independent School Poetry Cafe was held on Wednesday 25th May. As the sun shined, parents and carers gathered in the garden to celebrate the end of a successful term’s learning.

Everyone had been working hard baking, flower arranging, and blowing up balloons to decorate the school. The pupils took orders from their guests and served homemade sausage rolls, cakes, and cookies before entertaining them with a performance of poems which they had written themselves. The pupils were superstars, and everyone had a fantastic time!

Pupils at The Beeches Independent School have been keeping busy with their studies, extra-curricular activities, and charitable initiatives. Using the money raised from their Christmas Fayre, they purchased items for the homeless community such as sleeping bags, jumpers, water bottles, tents, gloves, and hats. The pupils then delivered these to The Salvation Army to hand out to people in need.

For Red Nose Day, the school collected food donations from staff, parents, carers, and our homes, which our pupils then delivered to The Salvation Army Food Bank. The pupils also took part in a range of different Red Nose Day themed activities such as quizzes and word searches.

On World Book Day, everyone enjoyed dressing up as their favourite book characters and participating in reading activities. They’ve also been getting creative in their Art lessons with painting and making fossils.

In RE pupils have been learning about Buddhism, therefore an enrichment visit was arranged at the local Buddhist and Meditation Centre so that they could meet practicing Buddhists and experience what it is like to go into the centre. Everyone enjoyed joining in with a short meditation, listening to stories, and learning about some of the Buddhist practices. We are really pleased that all pupils were extremely engaged, respectful of the culture, and asked lots of questions.

In Food Technology our pupils have been learning how to prepare, cook, and tidy away in the kitchen. One of their latest topics was “Foods from Around the World” where they learnt about spices from Asia and were introduced to a new ingredient – ghee, which is used in many Indian dishes. The pupils had a go at cooking dishes using various techniques including special “Sunshine Chicken Kebabs”, chicken curry, and Bombay potatoes with spinach. In another lesson they learnt about Sweden’s National dish – meatballs served with garlic herb potatoes, and were taught how to make a roux to create a gravy. Once the pupils finished preparing their dishes, they plated and tasted their food together. For Easter, they got to make everyone’s favourite treat – chocolate cereal cakes with mini eggs!

In Science pupils have been conducting a range of different experiments to learn about light and shadows. They used torches, card, and mirrors to show how light reflects at the same angle.

They have also been keeping fit in PE and going on lots of fun trips, including to the local farm where they enjoyed observing all the different animals, and exploring the natural environment.

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Pupils at our Independent School have been working extremely hard over the last few months, including in Art where they learned about using different types of food to make sculptures, and in PE they took part in finger gym lessons and exercises in the park.

In Geography they practised map reading which they used to go on a walk and find objects that were placed around Peterborough. They then added the date ready for the next explorers to find!

They celebrated Children in Need by decorating and selling biscuits for charity, and watching the England football matches together.

Christmas was a time of fun and joy for all, with plenty of festive activities including Christmas Jumper Day, and trips to the garden centre to look at all the decorations. They hosted their annual dinner and Christmas Fayre where the school was transformed into a Winter Wonderland with plenty of magical decorations and treats for all to enjoy. The pupils had a fantastic time interacting with all the festive games and activities, from decorating cookies, to playing pin the nose on Rudolph! They also managed to raise over £300 for the local homeless community.

The school has also just launched their brand new range of free accredited qualifications provided by West Suffolk College which are open to all parents, carers, and staff to help them with supporting children. Some of the subjects available include:

• Understanding Autism
• Understanding Children and Young People’s Mental Health
• Adverse Childhood experiences
• Understanding Specific Learning Difficulties

We are excited to start rolling these courses out to help people get a better understanding of some of the key issues around young people’s mental health and wellbeing.

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