In July Pippa’s Guardians welcomed 27 Chinese pupils on its summer camp held at the Elms School near Malvern. With daily English lessons, children were able to improve their language skills in the classroom, whilst also having the opportunity to learn about British culture.

Many exciting activities were on offer giving the children a useful and interesting insight into the history and traditions of Britain. A trip to Harry Potter World and to the London Eye were undoubtedly highlights for most, but there was also plenty to see locally, such as visits to a castle and a cathedral.

The Elms School is set in the heart of the English countryside and gave children the chance to take part in a variety of fun activities, from horse riding to walking dogs and pigs! Away from the school’s farm, the other facilities could be enjoyed out on the sports field or inside doing music and drama. There was plenty of interest from local English children too, who jumped at the chance to join in with some of the activities and new friendships were quickly formed. Language barriers are so quickly overcome when you’re on the same sports team or singing songs together, as our delightful pupils showed us.

To help immerse the children fully in British culture, they stayed with our caring host families who welcomed them into their homes and gave them an insight into everyday life and customs in the UK. As most of the families have children themselves, it was perfect for the Chinese pupils to make more friends and slot into family life.

After two action-packed, inspiring weeks, it was over all too quickly and the Chinese pupils returned home full of happy memories and with many new friends.