Cooperation – officially commencing from a UK tour
Since its inception, SUIS Qingpu’s mission has been to gather the essence of Chinese and Western educational and cultural resources, aiming to provide students with a comprehensive education so that they develop both international perspectives and a strong foundation in Chinese culture. The SUIS Qingpu Campus has always been committed to providing the best educational growth platform for its students. Pate’s Grammar School has an outstanding academic background, a profound historical heritage, and advanced educational management structures and processes, all of which will not only support Xiehe Education in enriching its educational resources and improving the quality of its education, but will also help SUIS Qingpu enter a new stage of higher and more sustainable development. Against this background, SUIS Qingpu and Pate’s Grammar School first established a cooperative relationship in 2021, with SUIS Qingpu taking the lead as a pilot school, undertaking comprehensive cooperation with Pate’s. In March 2023, Maxine Lu, General Principal of Xiehe Education, and Sunny Huang, Co-Principal of the Qingpu Campus, visited Pate’s Grammar School for the first time, opening a new chapter of cooperation between the two institutions. Pate’s Grammar School’s headteacher followed up with a visit to SUIS Qingpu in April.
On the afternoon of Monday, April 24, 2023, SUIS Qingpu welcomed Pate’s Grammar School’s headteacher, Mr Russel Ellicott, to the campus. The visit began with a tour of our beautiful campus, led by Ms Sunny and Dr Adam Neufield. Mr Ellicott experienced the unique charm and educational philosophy of the school, where Chinese and Western cultures are integrated through harmonious development. He was deeply impressed by SUIS Qingpu’s first-class facilities, innovative teaching methods, and the dedication of its faculty and staff. As a result of his visit, Mr Ellicott is now looking even more forward to our upcoming collaboration.
During his visit, Mr Ellicott was invited to participate in an awards ceremony with Grade 3 students. He experienced how proud and excited the students were, not only for their own achievements but also for their classmates’ achievements. During such an enthusiastic atmosphere, everyone showed their best side. He deeply felt the warmth and cohesion amongst SUIS Qingpu staff and students, and also learned about the school’s achievements and bright prospects.
The signing: Establishing a sister-school relationship between Suis Qingpu and Pate’s
After a campus tour, both parties held a signing ceremony with the theme “Growing Together, Empowering Tomorrow” at the Ancient Scholars House, solidifying the partnership between the two schools. The agreement covers a series of exciting plans, including student exchange programmes, joint research projects, and teacher training opportunities. Both parties have reached a consensus on educational cooperation matters.
Before the signing ceremony, Dr Adam Neufield, SUIS Qingpu’s foreign Co-Principal, provided a brief speech, warmly welcoming Mr Ellicott to our school and community. Although the two schools had signed a formal cooperation agreement over a year ago, the global pandemic prevented us from meeting and celebrating face-to-face. The cooperation between our two schools will provide students with excellent international learning experiences and promote the development of global citizenship through cross-cultural exchanges. Although the two schools have different histories and cultures, both parties believe that they will be able to share ideas and practical experiences, collaborate on innovative projects, and foster future talents with global perspectives, all through the promotion of academic development, cross-cultural understanding, and global awareness.
Both parties then proceeded with the signing of the formal agreement, an exciting moment witnessed by attending colleagues and accompanied by much applause.
After the signing ceremony, Mr Ellicott expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership with SUIS Qingpu, stating that this cooperation will be an excellent opportunity for students from both schools to expand their horizons, learn from each other, and gain a deeper understanding of their different cultures. He also expressed his eagerness to have discussions and exchanges with the teachers from SUIS Qingpu in the near future.
Ms Sunny Huang mentioned that ever since the close connection between the two schools was established last year, the cooperation has continued to deepen and expand. Now, after the end of the pandemic, there will be more opportunities for our teachers and students to go to Pate’s for exchanges and learning. In addition, students and teachers from Pate’s will be most welcome to visit and learn in SUIS schools.
Finally, Mr Ellicott, the principals and all the teachers and staff who witnessed the signing ceremony took a group photo together.
In-depth exchanges between Pate’s Headteacher and various SUIS Qingpu departments
On the day after the Signing Ceremony, Mr. Russell Ellicott joined in-depth discussions with leaders from SUIS Qingpu’s departments. During the discussions, each department introduced educational initiatives and innovations currently being implemented at the school as well as a variety of challenges encountered in these processes. Mr. Ellicott then shared his practical experiences and expertise on educational reform and innovation with the leaders. Teachers from both sides will soon enter interactive exchanges online for purposes of resource sharing. Meanwhile, Pate‘s introduced a professional teacher training programme and opportunities for career development and planning training for SUIS Qingpu teachers. Russell Ellicott particularly mentioned that Pate’s students have the option to learn Chinese, and there will be opportunities for students from both schools to engage in online exchanges to support and assist each other’s English and Chinese learning. Both sides gained a much from the discussions.
Learning about Pate’s Grammar School
Pate’s Grammar School is one of the oldest schools in the UK. Founded in 1574 and located in the city of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, England, the school provides the highest quality education for students aged 11 to 18 and is a top coeducational school selected by top students across the UK.
Pate’s has been named “Best UK Secondary School of the Year” twice by The Sunday Times (2012 and 2020), and in 2013, received an outstanding rating from Ofsted. Pate’s is one of the best public schools in the UK and consistently ranks in the top 5 nationally for A-Level results; mathematics and science are particular strengths of the school. Approximately 30 students from Pate’s are admitted to Oxford and Cambridge each year, the highest admission rate among all UK schools. Many of Pate’s graduates also receive offers from top universities such as Imperial College and University College London.
