East meets West at Warwickshire School 11.10.07
East met West recently when a class of Chinese pupils arrived at Higham Lane School in Nuneaton. The Business and Enterprise College welcomed more than twenty 11-year-olds and their teachers from Nanshan School in Shenzen.
The children have been staying with families of Higham Lane pupils and dividing their time between lessons and tourist attractions.
They've been to Warwick Castle, Coventry Transport Museum and Cadbury World, paid a visit to the mayor's parlour and heard all about Nuneaton novelist George Eliot.
Younger pupils in the top ability sets at Higham Lane started learning Mandarin at school last year. The Nanshan School pupils on the visit are all learning English.
Nanshan School formally became Higham Lane School's Chinese link school this time last year when head Phil Kelly visited to sign a memorandum of understanding.
Mr Kelly said: "We are absolutely delighted that this visit is proving so successful. It's wonderful to welcome Chinese students and teachers to Higham Lane and build closer ties between our schools, our students and our individual families.
"We look forward to a return visit to China which we hope will take place later this school year.
"Students are developing mutual cultural awareness and forming lasting friendships as well as developing their languages. To repeat an expression we heard many times on our visit to China back in October 2006, 'It's wonderful to welcome friends from afar".
Source: Coventry Observer
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