For the last two weeks we have had 23 Chinese students from Yiwu Qunxing Foreign Languages School join us as guests in our school community.  The students have been on day trips to London, Bath and Bristol, Oxford and also enjoyed a walking tour of Cheltenham.  They told me that it does not rain so much where they are from in China.

Our Year 10 students have acted as buddies to the students and have made them feel very welcome.  They have been outstanding ambassadors of the school. The visit culminated in a farewell celebration today where students from both countries engaged in cultural exchange through dress, dance and music.  It was a well-attended event, and I’m sure that many of our students have made some good friends and will be sad to see them go.

It’s super to have the opportunity for international partnership.  It enriches our community, and our students are very proud to share their experience of school with visitors.  The visiting teachers were also very interested in seeing the breadth of our curriculum and how our students learn.  One of the visiting students, Jimmy, gave a speech in our farewell celebration and in it he said that the thing that had impressed him and his friends most was the freedom that our students have in choosing their GCSE options. 

A particular thanks to our Year 10 students, and also to the staff and departments that helped to make this visit such a success.

We look forward to more opportunities for cultural enrichment in the coming year, starting next month with a day visit from a Japanese school.

Mark Constance