Children at Upton Juniors in Broadstairs have been sharing their school life with youngsters from Colombia.
The visitors enjoyed the three-week stay and they were partnered with a boy and girl ‘Upton Buddy’ from Year 5 as they experienced life in an English school first-hand.
The enriching immersion project in conjunction with Broadstairs English Centre was an invaluable opportunity for cultural exchange, allowing the South American students to fully experience the educational environment of a British primary school.
Head of Year 5 Billie Danson explained: “Throughout the visit, the Colombian students participated in various lessons, collaborated on projects, and enjoyed recreational activities with their assigned buddies.
“This interaction has fostered the development of meaningful friendships, bridging cultural divides and enhancing mutual understanding.
“There was a delightful end-of-stay celebration to commemorate this successful exchange. It included a variety of crafting activities, allowing the children to express their creativity while working together.
“A certificate ceremony followed, where each person involved received recognition for their participation and contributions. To conclude the festivities, they shared a delicious cake, symbolising the sweet memories created during their time together.
“This celebration served as a heartfelt farewell, providing a fitting conclusion to an extraordinary experience. We are immensely proud of the friendships that have blossomed and the cultural insights gained, and we look forward to future collaborations that continue to enrich our educational community.”
Upton has welcomed a number of visiting international students in recent years and Head of School Darci Arthur believes these are important experiences for all involved.
She said: “It was a pleasure to welcome our visitors. Sharing similarities and differences as well as trying to learn the basics of a new language and find out more about people from a different country first hand is such a vital part of their young lives. They made friends and learnt about each other – it was such a positive experience.
“These immersion projects are an important lesson in life for all the pupils involved – you cannot put a value on the importance of these joint educational experiences, in the short-term and in later life.”
