US governor’s wife to visit Clapton school

First Lady helps foster links with American state which staged Atlanta Olympics

The wife of a US governor will share the excitement of the 2012 London Games with pupils and staff at a Hackney school close to the Olympic park, when she visits it on Wednesday.

Sandra Deal, is the first lady of the American state which staged the Atlanta Games in 1996.

The wife of the governor of Georgia, Nathan Deal, she will visit Daubeney primary school in Daubeney Road, Lower Clapton.

She will be given a tour of the school by two pupils who enjoy monthly visits to the Olympic site, as well as discussing the potential impact of the Games on the local area with students.

The trip to the UK by Mrs Deal and her husband, is toexplore ways to strengthen Georgia-UK ties in the areas of business, sustainable energy, and education.

It’s been organised by the British Council, which builds links between schools in the UK and around the world – helping children to better understand other cultures, preparing them for life in a global society and work in a global economy.

Through the British Council, Daubeney primary school is twinning with Centennial Park Elementary School in Atlanta. The staff and pupils will work on projects together, based on the Olympic Games and their shared experiences.

Vicky Gough, from the British Council’s Schools Team, said: “We hope this visit will be the start of a beautiful relationship between the schools in Hackney and Atlanta, which will really broaden the children’s cultural horizons.

“They already have a lot in common thanks to the Olympics. One school is close to the site that was the focus of the world 15 years ago, and the other is on the doorstep of the place that everyone will be watching next year.”