QEH and Redland High Schools are exploring academic and cultural links with Guangzhou, Bristol's twin city, and were warmly welcomed by the leading academic school of southern China when they visited.
Guangzhou Tieyi High School has 4,500 pupils on two sites and has a very high reputation for academic excellence with many of its pupils achieving top awards in their examinations. Students go on to study in American, Australian and British Universities as well as in China. The elite students can also take Cambridge Board A Level examinations in addition to the Chinese educational qualifications. Mr Holliday said: “I was so impressed by the standard of English being spoken and written in a Year 11 English class I attended and enjoyed a presentation the pupils had prepared about the history of the region, its food and culture. I truly believe thsat the pupils’ use of the apostrophe far surpasses that of any English student!”
Class sizes average 45 pupils and the school day begins at 7.30am and finishes at 5.30pm. There is a break at teatime for all pupils to run 400m around the full size athletics track in the centre of the school and to be involved in basketball or football matches before returning to their lessons.
Mr Holliday, Ms Sharrock and Mrs Bateson joined in with the basketball whilst classical music was played loudly over tannoys at the end of each lesson instead of school bells. Music, art and sport are important parts of the curriculum and after school activities, though these also have to be arranged around 4 hours of homework each evening. Daily life at QEH and Redland seemed quiet by comparison!
It was interesting to learn about the educational system in China and how highly regarded British education is by the pupils and teachers. The QEH and RHS visitors talked to the pupils about their respective schools and about Bristol and were impressed to learn that some members of the school had heard of Gromit! Tieyi High hosted the "English delegation" to a delicious Cantonese dinner following an extensive tour of the school's facilities.
The Headmaster of Tieyi High School formally welcomed his visitors from Bristol and presented a school flag and special commemorative book about the School for the pupils back home to read. Prior to the exchange of gifts an agreement was discussed to promote academic, cultural and friendship links between the schools.