A China school prize winner joined classmates and teachers at Loughborough College recently for a winter International Education Experience.
A continuing Loughborough College initiative included a visit last year to Jianyang Middle School in Chengdu where the College and school signed an enhanced Memorandum of Understanding. While there the College was asked to judge an English speaking competition, with the school offering the winner a free trip to Loughborough for the Experience.
The MOU sees the College providing the middle school’s students with A-level preparation courses in China and its teachers with learning delivery support. Loughborough College A-level students will meanwhile soon spend time attending the school in Sichuan Province, alongside its 8,000 students.
Eighteen students from Jianyang School spent two weeks with Loughborough College for the wide-ranging Experience programme, designed to offer them an insight into what it is like to live and study in the UK.
“In addition to sharing A-level classes in Business Studies, Chemistry, Economics, English Language, Geography, Maths, Media and Sociology the students took photos around the town and prepared presentations comparing UK buildings to those they might see in China,” said Della Armstrong, International Welfare Officer at Loughborough College.
“They also spent time in the College’s dark room, developing their own pictures and enjoyed a session using a mobile phone torch and coloured transparent paper to create light drawings.
“Our public services students took the group through a range of activities from code breaking to survival skills simulations and after learning about English festivals the Chinese students were welcomed by Thorpe Acre Scouts and Explorer Scouts to make pancakes, have pancake races and enjoy roasting marshmallows over a campfire.
“They were presented with badges and certificates from the scouts and the students also presented the scouts with gifts from China. Everyone really enjoyed making new friends.
“Other evenings saw the students experience a Beetle drive, karaoke, Laser Quest and an escape room, where they missed getting out by only five minutes, which considering all the clues they had to solve were in English was brilliant.
“There were trips to London, Oxford and Cambridge and between it all the students stayed in our halls of residence, The Gables and had their meals in the College’s The View restaurant.
“It was such a pleasure to host the group and to see the Jianyang students embrace every part of their International Education Experience. They told us they were taking back some very happy memories from their time with Loughborough College.”
Pictured: Students from Jianyang Middle School in China enjoyed a range of lessons and activities on the Loughborough College International Education Experience