We recently hosted 38 students from China for a brilliant two-day cultural exchange program. The visiting 11 to 14-year-olds stayed at the Low Mill Outdoor Centre while exploring our stunning Yorkshire Dales.
On Monday 29 January, 18 of our students joined the Chinese delegation at Low Mill for a day rotating between outdoor activities and Chinese-learning related indoor activities.
The next day, after the Chinese students toured Aysgarth Falls, they spent the day with us here, immersed in British culture. They joined cooking and PE classes and enjoyed a walk into Leyburn for a fish and chips lunch.
This wonderful exchange was organised by Victoria McArthur, a Mandarin-speaking teacher who lived in China and runs our new Chinese enrichment programme. “Providing opportunities for students from our small, rural community to engage with different cultures is so important for broadening horizons,” she said.
We arrange international trips for our students whenever possible and hope to add China to the list after the great feedback from this first visit. It has been an amazing experience for both schools’ students and helped foster meaningful global connections.
After leaving Yorkshire, the Chinese students continued their 10-day UK trip visiting some famous destinations like Oxford and Cambridge universities, Manchester United stadium and the Natural History Museum. They even watched a match at Charlton Athletic Football Club. We loved having them here and hope they have an amazing time.
