In the last week of term, King’s Oak Academy was delighted to welcome three Spanish teachers from Barcelona as part of an ongoing partnership with White House Guardians, an international student programme that enables young people from around the world to experience life and education in England while developing their English language skills.
This year has seen King’s Oak host students from Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Brazil.
The visit provided an excellent opportunity for the guests to gain a deeper understanding of the English education system and to see firsthand the experience students enjoy while studying at King’s Oak Academy. King’s Oak currently hosts a number of students from the visitors’ school community, making the visit particularly meaningful for everyone involved.
During their time at the academy, the teachers visited a range of lessons and spent time exploring the school environment. They were incredibly impressed by what they saw, commenting on the friendly, kind, caring and respectful nature of the students they met throughout the day.
They also praised the positive atmosphere within classrooms, highlighting the supportive relationships between staff and students and the productive learning environments they observed.
One of the most memorable aspects of the visit was hearing how highly the visitors spoke of the sense of community that exists across King’s Oak Academy. They remarked on how welcome they felt and how evident it was that students take pride in their school and in supporting one another.
To conclude the visit, the Spanish students currently studying at King’s Oak worked together to create a video interview showcasing life at the academy. This will be shared with students and staff back in Barcelona, providing a wonderful insight into their experiences and helping to strengthen the connection between the two educational communities.
Andy Marshall-Aherne, Assistant Principal, said: “The visit was a fantastic example of the opportunities created through our partnership with White House Guardians and demonstrated the value of international links for our students and our visiting students within education.
“We would like to thank our visitors for spending time with us and look forward to continuing to build these important international links in the future.
“It was a truly lovely community experience and one that all involved will remember fondly.”
