Cultural trip of a lifetime for students

The trip will be the second visit we have made to The Taicang Experimental Middle School in Shanghai after signing a partnership in March 2014 to forge both cultural and educational links for students in both schools.

Taicang is near the Chinese City of Shanghai, and is twinned with Wirral. The Birkenhead Park School is the first school in Wirral to have visited this area of China.

Students and staff will visit lessons and experience life at the school before going on to visit many cultural landmarks within and around Shanghai.

Head of Performing Arts, ICT and PE, Mrs Houghton is one of the teachers going on the trip, she said: “I feel honoured to have been given such an amazing opportunity. The school want to continue their discussions with us regarding educational practice and it is an opportunity to further develop and explore elements of our cultural partnership. The visit will also help our students with their own studies and broaden their horizons and aspirations.”

The students will all have a Chinese buddy for their time in the school and will shadow their timetable and be encouraged to communicate as much as possible.

Dylan from Year 10 said: “I am really looking forward to experiencing a different culture, trying new food and meeting up with students at Taicang Experimental Middle School. It is an opportunity of a lifetime to see what life is like on the other side of the world.”

When the partnership began in 2014, The Birkenhead Park School offered Mandarin classes as part of the enrichment programme as well as martial arts.

Staff and students from Taicang Experimental Middle School visited BPS in November and are due to return in July.

Acting Headteacher Mrs Helen Johnson said: “We really value the international links we have built up at The Birkenhead Park School and I am so pleased that our students will once again get this fantastic opportunity to see such a different part of the world and experience a new culture. We offer a varied enrichment programme at the school to ensure our students are given a broad range of extra-curricular activities and this trip is just one of the unique opportunities we provide. I know the staff and students get so much from educational visits like this and we look forward to welcoming our Chinese counterparts back in July.”

The party will set off on their journey on Monday 14 March for a 10 day visit and return on Wednesday 23 March. 

The Birkenhead Park School is also linked with schools in Germany and Denmark.