“Shenzhen is 13 times the size of Birmingham,” recounted one pupil following two China Challenge Days held at Walkwood Church of England Middle School for year 8 this week.
The days were organised following a pre-pandemic conversation with the school’s Principal, the Revd Clive Leach, and H-J Colston-Inge, Director of Engage with China, an educational charity that builds China literacy in schools and wife of the Bishop of Worcester.
“There’s a real buzz in school today,” said Dani Timmins, Assistant Principal. “It is three years since we have been able to invite in any outside speakers into school and we are really excited to engage our pupils with our new curriculum which will look at China.”
For H-J and her colleague, Theresa, at Engage with China, it was an equal delight to be able to bring China alive in the classroom and music to their ears to hear Ms Timmins agree that: “China is a global force and it is really important that children recognise this... if we can inspire their curiosity, then they will learn more as well.”
Two half-day sessions were delivered to a total of 160+ pupils. Activities and content were wide-ranging and included mandarin language, role play about the environment in China and its commitment to renewables, the rise and fall of China as a superpower and population size through an activity involving 60kgs of rice! “To be able to do an activity like this which the school could not resource, was fantastic!” Said Mrs Timmins.
H-J Colston-Inge said: “Since we went to China in the 1980s, my colleague Theresa and I, have spent a lifetime building China literacy and opportunity between China and the UK from the boardroom to the classroom. As China continues to develop, its impact and influence on the world only continues to grow. It seems to us that we do young people a dis-service if we do not build competitive edge by opening eyes to the second largest economy in the world and it is always a delight when pupils say they want to go to China – as one did today – having been involved in one of our China Days.”
H-J continued: “It is so encouraging to hear pupil recall about the learnings and to know that they have been engaged. Working with a big group can be tricky, but the pupils were a delight and a credit to the school. The warm welcome, which began on arrival at the school gates from Revd Leach, coupled with the positive atmosphere which permeated the whole school, were testament to the fruits of faith ethos and it was a privilege to work with these pupils.”
Feedback from pupils and staff was positive and Mrs Timmins said she will be inviting Engage with China back next year to make this a regular feature of the school curriculum.
