International Activities

• Partner school in Almeria, Spain
• Partner School in Xi’an, China
• European Day of Languages Week
• Festival of Culture
• MEP Intensive Learning Activities
• MEP Intensive Learning trip to Shanghai
• NASA Global Programme

  China Trip 2025 – A Journey to Remember

Thanks to the continued dedication of the Finham Park Trust, Year 9 students from all of our secondary schools were once again offered the incredible opportunity to take part in an immersive language and cultural experience in China. Open to students who show a strong commitment to learning Mandarin, this trip has become a highlight of the school year—and 2025 was our best trip yet!

Here’s a summarised day-by-day highlight account of this unforgettable experience:

Day 1 – Touchdown and First Impressions
After arriving in Shanghai, we toured Fudan University—our base for the week and one of the top 10 universities in the world! Students then took part in a traditional Chinese calligraphy workshop (many later bought their own brushes!) and enjoyed a refreshing walk along the Yangpu Riverside to help shake off the jet lag.

Day 2 – Language, Games and Film
We kicked off with an intensive Mandarin lesson focused on sports and hobbies. In the afternoon, students played traditional Chinese games, followed by a cinema trip to see the latest Mandarin-language blockbuster, Birth of the Demon Child—a real cultural treat!

Day 3 – School Visits and Cutting-Edge AI
Language learning in the morning centred on school life, before we visited a local secondary school specialising in AI, driverless cars, languages, history, art and sport. Students were amazed by workshops where they used artificial intelligence to create their own music and art. The day ended with a little shopping and some well-earned downtime.

Day 4 – Food, Culture and Bartering Skills
After a Mandarin session about food and drink, we enjoyed a traditional Chinese lunch. Later, we explored a stunning water town—often called a “mini Venice”—where students practised their Mandarin while bartering with local market sellers. A fantastic real-world learning opportunity!

Day 5 – Cultural Highlights
Our first non-school day, and what a day it was! We visited the iconic Pearl Tower, Shanghai Zoo, enjoyed a traditional Chinese dinner, and rounded it all off with a scenic river tour. A packed day filled with memories.

Day 6 – Gardens and Local Life
Back to Fudan University in the morning for language lessons, before heading out to explore the famous Yu Gardens and surrounding local areas. This gave students a deeper appreciation of Shanghai’s rich cultural heritage.

Day 7 – Cooking, Business, and Dragon Dancing
As their Mandarin skills continued to improve, students took part in a Chinese cooking workshop and then met with local business leaders and embassy officials who spoke about working between the UK and China. To finish the day, students took part in an energetic Chinese Dragon Dancing session!

Day 8 – Creative Arts and Shopping Vocabulary
We focused on vocabulary around food, drink and shopping, before trying our hand at Chinese shadow puppetry—students even painted their own! In the evening, students rehearsed for the upcoming talent show and closing ceremony.

Day 9 – Celebration and Reflection
Our final day at Fudan began with more language learning before a beautiful closing ceremony, complete with performances and reflections on what had been a life-changing experience.

Day 10 – A Magical Ending
Just when we thought the trip couldn’t get any better—we went to Disneyland Shanghai! A perfect reward for our students, who had been excellent ambassadors for not just FP2, but for the entire UK. Their conduct was praised by the Chinese delegation supporting the Mandarin Excellence Programme and shared directly with Mr Keddie.

In June 2025 we visited our partner school in Almería for the first time since 2023 where Y10 were able to practise their Spanish with their Spanish peers and learn about the differences between schools in Spain and schools in the UK. We also taught the Spanish students how to play the glorious game of cricket, which we did on the beach near to the school. This soon caused a sizable crowd of locals to look on perplexed as to what was going on.

We also visited the Alhambra in Granada and discovered the legacy of the Moors in southern Spain. To finish our trip we visited the “mar de plástico” a sea of huge greenhouses which provides the majority of fresh fruit and vegetables for Northern Europe during the winter. This aligned with our school goals on sustainability as well as learning about food security.