GSE中国行
山海相隔，教育相连。4月初，GSE中国行迎来了来自英国 11 所学校的 22 位校长、学院CEO以及各学科带头人及老师，他们来到中国，分别去到北京，上海，南京，张家港，常熟，济南，青州，潍坊等8个城市，开启了一场别开生面的中国之旅，从课堂到文化，从美食到风景，中英教育工作者在交流中碰撞思想，在互动中深化友谊，共同谱写了教育合作的新篇章。
In an era of global interconnectivity, the need for cross-cultural understanding and international collaboration in education has never been greater. Earlier this month, Global School Exchanges (GSE) hosted 22 senior leaders, including Headteachers, Academy CEOs, senior leaders and subject leaders, from 13 UK schools, on a fully-funded immersive educational visit to China.
Spanning eight strategically selected cities, the one week visit offered a high-impact platform for bilateral exchange between UK and Chinese education sectors, fostering dialogue around leadership, pedagogy, curriculum innovation, and international partnership development. The University of Winchester Academy Trust delegates visited Shanghai, Nanjing, Zhangjiagang and Changshu, while East Hampshire delegates visited Beijing, Jinan, Qingzhou, and Weifang.
一、走进中国课堂：教育理念的碰撞与融合 Pedagogical Exchange: Insight into Chinese Teaching and Learning
英国校长及老师们深入北京、南京，张家港，常熟，济南，青州，潍坊等地多所中小学，观摩课堂教学，与中国师生面对面交流。 课堂体验：从趣味横生的“纸飞机”动漫课程到富有深意的“东郭先生与狼”，英国代表团的校长及老师们们对中国教育的多样化和高效性赞不绝口。一位老师感叹：“能够深度体验中国文化并沉浸在中国教育体系中真是太棒了。通过对比中英教学方式的差异，我收获了许多宝贵经验，这必将对我的教学生涯产生深远影响！”教育对话：中英双方围绕“如何高效的运用人工智能AI”“如何构建生态文明教育”等话题展开研讨，共同探索未来教育的更多可能性。
UK delegates engaged in structured school visits to primary and secondary institutions, where they conducted live lesson observations, participated in roundtable discussions with school leaders, and explored teaching practices across a range of subjects.
Curriculum experiences ranged from STEAM-focused animation lessons to classical Chinese literature, offering UK delegates a first-hand view of differentiated instruction, classroom management strategies, and student engagement techniques within the Chinese education system. The adaptability, rigour, and efficiency of instructional delivery were consistently highlighted.
As one delegate noted:
“This experience challenged our assumptions and gave us a broader lens through which to reflect on our own classroom practice and leadership strategy.”
Professional dialogue sessions tackled themes such as:
- The ethical and strategic implementation of AI in education
- Building a cross-cultural ecological education framework
- Leadership for whole-school global engagement.
These sessions catalysed the development of shared pedagogical language and laid the groundwork for continued professional learning communities between schools.
二、沉浸中国文化：从舌尖到指尖的东方魅力 Cultural Literacy: Deepening Intercultural Competence
除了教育交流，英国代表团还深度体验了中国传统文化的独特魅力。
非遗体验：尝试书法、柒染、传统舞蹈，亲身感受中国传统艺术的精妙。
美食之旅：从南京烤鸭到四川火锅，从老北京小吃到上海小笼包，校长们直呼“舌尖上的中国，名不虚传！”
城市漫步：漫步故宫、长城，走进南京博物馆，济南大明湖，感受中国历史与自然的交融。
Beyond formal school environments, the visit prioritised cultural immersion to enhance intercultural awareness—a vital competency for globally minded school leadership.
Delegates engaged in experiential learning through:
- Heritage arts workshops, including calligraphy, indigo dyeing (柒染), and traditional dance
- Culinary exploration of regional cuisines—from Nanjing roast duck to Sichuan hotpot and Shanghai dim sum
- Historical site visits, including the Forbidden City, Great Wall, and Jinan’s Daming Lake, to contextualise China’s historical and socio-political development.
This cultural component reinforced the importance of contextual intelligence and cultural empathy within global citizenship education.
三、缔结友谊：姊妹学校签约，共绘未来蓝图 Strategic Partnerships: Formalising School-to-School Collaboration
此行的重要成果之一，是多所中英学校签署了“姊妹学校”合作协议，未来将在师生互访、课程共享、线上教研等方面展开深度合作。
“Global partnerships help students make worldwide connections, which is very important in our ever-shrinking world. “ “全球合作伙伴关系能帮助学生建立国际联系，这个在联系日益紧密的世界里尤为重要。”
-Tina Hopkins from The Hayling College 英国海灵学院的蒂娜·霍普金斯
A key outcome of the tour was the signing of several “Sister School Agreements”, designed to establish long-term strategic partnerships between UK and Chinese institutions. These agreements outline collaborative activities such as:
- Reciprocal teacher and student exchanges
- Joint curriculum development and project-based learning
- Virtual CPD and peer-led pedagogical research
These partnerships position participating schools to develop truly internationalised education offers, aligned with Ofsted’s emphasis on cultural capital and global awareness.
Tina Hopkins from The Hayling College, reflected:
“Global partnerships help students make worldwide connections—an essential skill in today’s interconnected and rapidly changing world.”
教育，是连通世界的桥梁；文化，是滋养心灵的纽带。这场跨越山海的对话，不仅加深了中英教育的相互理解，更为未来的合作播下了希望的种子。
Leadership Beyond Borders
This cross-continental dialogue reaffirmed education’s role as a bridge between cultures and a lever for innovation. The GSE China Tour enabled school leaders to step outside their own systems, engage in mutual professional enquiry, and co-create models of collaboration that will shape the future of learning.
As we look ahead to our next fully-funded China and India delegations, we invite more schools to join us in bringing the world into the classroom—and the classroom into the world.
To express interest in our upcoming leadership delegations Autumn 2025 and Spring 2026, student exchange initiatives, or to explore forming a global partnership, contact us for more information.
