From April 24 to 26, 2023, Mr. Russel Ellicott, Headmaster at Pate’s Grammar School, UK, visited China and made official visits to the Xiehe Education Center, SUIS Qingpu, and WUIS (Wuxi United International School). During Mr. Ellicott’s visit, signing ceremonies were conducted to celebrate an official cooperation agreement, and details were discussed regarding further collaboration. Together, these visits represented a subsequent face-to-face, in-depth exchange between the two sides following a first official visit to Pate’s Grammar School by Xiehe’s General Principal, Ms. Maxine Lu, in March of this year. Within less than two months, both parties have now completed mutual visits, demonstrating their shared desire for comprehensive cooperation and continuous in-depth exchanges.
A visit to SUIS Qingpu
Mr. Ellicott’s first stop was at SUIS Qingpu. Accompanied by the school management team, he enjoyed a comprehensive tour of the campus, gaining insights into Xiehe’s educational philosophy “Developing in Harmony, where East Meets West”, and experienced SUIS Qingpu’s unique charm.
During the visit to the school’s Theatre, Mr. Ellicott was invited to present a Super Class award to a Grade 3 class, sharing the excitement and joy with students and teachers together.
Following the campus tour, both parties held a signing ceremony, themed, “Mutual Growth and Development for a Brighter Future” at “Guzhai” (also known as the Ancient Scholars House), officially establishing their partnership and reaching a consensus on specific cooperation initiatives such as student exchanges, joint research, and teacher training.
Mr. Ellicott also engaged in in-depth discussions with the leaders and key faculty from SUIS Qingpu’s primary, middle and high school divisions, learning about the school’s ongoing educational innovations and challenges, and sharing the practices and experiences of Pate’s Grammar School. They further explored online and offline interactions, resource sharing, teacher training, and professional development planning.
A visit to WUIS
Mr. Ellicott made a special visit to WUIS, where he toured the school with great interest, accompanied by the school’s management team and two student representatives. He interacted warmly with teachers and students, appreciating the welcoming learning and living environments, the harmonious teacher-student and student-student relationships, and congratulated the school on its academic success and university enrollment outcomes.
Subsequently, a grand signing ceremony was held at WUIS’ Reception Room, where both parties officially established their partnership and jointly looked forward to detailed cooperation in various fields such as teaching resources, teacher training, student exchanges, university guidance, and quality assessment.
Ms. Bao Haiyan, Deputy District Mayor of Xishan District, Mr. Meng Jingwei, Director of the Management Office of the Wuxi Cuipingshan Tourist Resort, and Mr. Fan Zhong, Deputy Director of the Xishan District Education Bureau, attended the signing ceremony.
Several local mainstream media outlets covered the signing ceremony and interviewed Mr. Russel Ellicott on-site.
Mr. Ellicott attended classes and held a discussion with student representatives from Grades 9 to 11. He welcomed them to visit Pate’s Grammar School on a student exchange and encouraged them to aim for top universities in the UK when considering their further education plans.
He also recorded a picture book reading for SUIS Wuxi students, leaving them with interactive questions and engaging with them in a different way.
Finally, Mr. Ellicott received a “Xiehe Star” series mascot as a gift – it had been designed by primary school students. He was delighted, and promised to take the gift back to the UK and display it in his office.
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A visit to the Xiehe Education Center
Mr. Ellicott visited the Xiehe Education Center, where he met with staff from various departments to learn more about the developmental history of Xiehe Education and the contributions provided by each department to the schools’ development. They also discussed specific cooperation initiatives in related fields.
Discussions of future collaboration
During a cordial and pleasant dinner meeting, Ms. Lu again warmly welcomed Mr. Ellicott’s visit to Xiehe Education, a visit arranged in a short period of time, and expressed her anticipation for the deepening of the bilateral cooperation. Mr. Ellicott then shared his observations and feelings about his visit to Xiehe, admiring the beautiful campus environments, vibrant international atmosphere, professional and dedicated teaching staff, the confident and academically capable students, and the advanced and cutting-edge facilities. He stated that the cooperation between Pate’s and Xiehe will be mutually beneficial and a win-win opportunity for both parties and added that he is looking forward to more collaborative channels, exchanges and team visits over the course of the deepening partnership.
Ms. Lu and Mr. Ellicott also discussed the specific development of various fields, shared their outlook on other potential collaborative opportunities between Xiehe and Pate’s, and expressed their hope for more face-to-face discussions over the months and years ahead.
【A New Chapter of Cooperation——Xiehe’s Visit to Pate’s Grammar School, UK】
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