North Oxfordshire Academy welcomes Chinese Ministerial delegation
1 October 2010
North Oxfordshire Academy hosted a visit from a prestigious group of Chinese politicians and government officials on Thursday 30 September.
The academy, which was one of only two in the whole country visited by the Ministerial delegation, was chosen because of its strengths as a school that is outperforming national rates of improvement and which offers a particularly strong mix of academic and vocational learning.
The delegation, headed by Mme Lu Xin, the Chinese Vice-Minister of Education, was greeted by Ruth Robinson, Principal of North Oxfordshire Academy and representatives of the United Learning Trust, sponsors of the academy.
The visit, organised by the Specialists Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) in partnership with the Education Section of the Chinese Embassy in London, was part of a three country visit to look at education in Europe.
The delegation received a tour of the academy meeting students and staff alike before being served lunch by students who have studied Hospitality and Catering at the Academy.
Principal Ruth Robinson said: “We were delighted to welcome the delegation into the academy and to show them what a UK education can look like. They were particularly interested in the range of vocational subjects that our students are able to study here. They obviously understand the importance of giving children the opportunity to develop their academic ability whilst also introducing them to the transferable skills for the workplace and adulthood that vocational qualifications can offer them.
“The group were particularly interested in the International Baccalaureate which we offer in our sixth form and how this is becoming a very popular form of study amongst our students.
“It was fantastic for our students to realise that Governments across the world are taking an interest in how they are learning and actually coming over here to see our success in practice.”
