Last week, 30 students and 3 teachers from a school in the Jiangsu region of China spent two days at Tytherington School immersing themselves in life in an English secondary school. Whilst the Chinese students were learning about British culture, Tytherington students gained a unique insight into what it is like to be a Chinese teenager. 

Year 7 Mandarin student, Rufus Foley said: ‘It’s been a fantastic opportunity to learn more about Chinese culture. We have enjoyed showing them around our school.”

Tytherington School arranged a formal farewell ceremony on Friday which was attended by local MP and Foreign Minister, David Rutley. He was also joined by the Director of External Relations for the British Council, David Thompson. Rhiannon Melliar-Smith, an alumnus of Tytherington, joined the ceremony. She is the Senior Political Affairs Analyst for the British Council and was able to tell them about Tytherington School’s involvement in the Mandarin Excellence Programme.

Headteacher, Mr Botwe, said: ““We were delighted to welcome over 30 secondary school students and teachers from the Jiangsu region of China to Tytherington School. The students shadowed a number of our students and took part in lessons. This was a great opportunity for students from across the school to get some insight into what life is like for a teenager living in a different part of the world. Crucially these types of visits are a wonderful opportunity for both sets of students to gain a greater understanding of each other’s cultures and recognise that there are many more similarities than differences between them.

We are part of the Mandarin Excellence Programme and now over 120 students across the school study Mandarin. As part of the programme, a group of our Year 9s will go on a school trip to China during the summer term. This type of exchange is a great opportunity for our students.”