Chestnut Grove School pupils in Balham find new friends in China

The group of 13 and 14-year-olds from Chestnut Grove School have made history as the first local pupils to visit the Far East on a school trip.

The students, accompanied by two teachers, flew out last month on a mission to visit a partner school in the city of Tianjin.

Elaine Cameron, teacher, said: "The welcome from everyone was extremely generous and overwhelming. The students felt like celebrities as everyone wanted to talk with them and take photos with them.

“They absolutely loved the whole experience and definitely found they had plenty in common with their new friends in Tianjin.

"We're planning assemblies at other Wandsworth schools to help encourage more direct interaction between pupils here and overseas."

The first two days were spent sightseeing in Beijjing - climbing the Great Wall, relaxing at the Temple of Heaven and muddling through the masses at Tiananmen Square.

Next, the group travelled to Tianjin to spend five days getting to know their peers at the Huaming School.

The two sets of students interacted through the over arching topic of “the local environment” - exploring the city and investigating its many parallels with London.

Chestnut Grove teachers ran afternoon workshops where the teenagers played interactive games and produced exciting video and picture resources which are now being shared with other school in Wandsworth.

The trip was part-funded by the British Council which supports projects that create links between schools here and overseas.

Council leader Edward Lister said: "I'm delighted these young people have had the chance to take part in such a rewarding experience. We hope this will be the first of many trips Wandsworth pupils will be making to China and other exciting destinations."

Wandsworth Council has established a close link with the Dongli Education Bureau in Tianjin. The relationship has helped create several partnerships between schools here and in north east China.