Danish Students Experience Life At Ellesmere

A group of 30 students and three teachers from a top Danish School have made the most of a trip to see how education works in England.

The 16-19 year old students from Slotshaven Gymnasium in Holbæk, Denmark, attended lessons, took part in an interactive Business Studies forum, had lunch in the dining hall and heard a talk on the International Baccalaureate qualification at Ellesmere College.

Ian Wilson, group leader from Slotshaven, said it was a very worthwhile visit and his students got a lot out of it.

"Students at Ellesmere College duly embraced our students both on a professional and personal level and showed them the college at its best," he said. "My students thoroughly appreciated being able to be part of the lessons and contribute accordingly. From the moment we stepped through the doors at of Ellesmere we were impressed not only by the facilities but the welcoming atmosphere of the school."

"All the teaching staff and the students we met made us feel extremely at ease and part of Ellesmere which certainly made an impression on our students. As a teacher I was taken back by the true professionalism of the College and also the diversity of the College, from drama to pentathlon. Even though the British private school system is very unlike the Danish school structure I do believe both sets of students benefited greatly from the visit."

All students who visited were studying a business related course in Denmark, such as International Economics, or Physics.

Philip Wood, Head of Sixth Form at Ellesmere College, said it had been a huge success and staff and students helped the visitors gain a real insight into education at there.

It is one of a number of visits the College hosts as part of their College Global Engagement programme, welcoming students from overseas to come and look at how they operate and what they offer, as well as arranging trips for Ellesmere College pupils to visit other countries such as the Netherlands, Italy, Tanzania and the USA & Canada.

Headteacher Brendan Wignall said it was vital to the life of the school to share best practice and to enrich students' lives with opportunities outside of the classroom.

"Our students are always very hospitable when we welcome visitors here, keen to show off what we do at Ellesmere," he said. "They get a lot out of it when they talk to the visitors about how their life here may differ from what our visitors may experience back in their home countries. Likewise, we feel it is beneficial for our students to go on trips to other countries to learn about the culture, be it through an arts trip, business trip or other kind of visit. Ellesmere aims to develop enquiring, knowledgeable, caring and confident young people, who can help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and responsibility."

To find out more about our International Baccalaureate Scholarship programme - please Click Here.

4th February 2019  Back to News