Beamont Welcomes Pupils from China for Special Visit

A group of Chinese pupils travelled all the way from near Shanghai to visit Beamont Primary Academy.

The special trip saw 15 children aged 10 and 11 from Taicang Jingmao Primary School in Taicang, a port city near Shanghai, pay a visit to Beamont Primary Academy.

Over the duration of their three day stay, the pupils from China sat and experienced a variety of lessons at the school and each child was paired up with a ‘buddy’ pupil from Beamont.

The Chinese guests presented the school with traditional gifts including artwork and a scroll during a Monday morning welcome assembly.

And on their final afternoon, the children sampled traditional British treats, before enthralling their hosts with a display of traditional dancing, singing, martial arts and a comedy routine.

The group also enjoyed a spot of sight-seeing around the UK during their trip overseas.

The link between Beamont Primary Academy and Taicang Jingmao Primary School was made through the Global School Alliance (GSA), an organisation set up to allow educators from around the world to collaborate on projects and connect through student exchanges and school delegation visits.

Karen Morris, head teacher at Beamont Primary, spoke of the uplifting visit, saying: “It was a wonderful experience for our children, who really threw themselves into their roles as buddies.  They were fantastic hosts and they formed great friendships with the pupils.

“The visit was a superb opportunity for all children to experience different cultures and learn more about the world.

“We were very honoured to be the only school they visited during their trip to the UK, and we were delighted to give them an opportunity to enjoy learning about life at Beamont Primary Academy. 

“We will continue to work with the GSA to develop cultural links and we hope to continue our links with this school. We’d love to be involved in hosting future visits and hopefully visits beyond the UK.”