Sixth Form @ South Wirral has been welcoming international students from across the globe since 2012. There have been over 60 students that have taken advantage of this programme and attended Sixth Form @ South Wirral, with over 25 students attending this year alone!
The programme, in partnership with a company called Educatius ( https://www.educatius.org/ ), allows students from many countries including Italy, Australia, Germany and France, to name few, spend a year learning in the UK and attending our Sixth Form College. Students who attend, don’t just gain experience living in a foreign country but can also gain Level 3 qualifications in various subjects.
The programme has a number of extra benefits. Existing South Wirral students make lifelong friends and have gone on holidays to visit ex-international students in their respective countries. The programme also inspires current students to travel. One parent of a current Sixth Form student had this to say about the programme.
“Sam made so many new friends and I think she benefited from the experience just as much as the exchange students did. She’s now got friends in lots of countries across the world, Italy, Australia, Sweden, Germany and Austria. These friendships, she will hopefully keep for life.
She spent a week in Italy with Denise and her family last summer and since Denise has come back and spent a week with us. She has regular chats with the others online and will hopefully meet up at some point with them once again.
Getting to know the exchange students definitely played a part in Sam having the confidence to make the decision to go to Italy this summer to au pair for 2 months this Summer. I really don’t think she would have done it before but she said “if they can come over here for 9 months I can do it for 2 months”
As a school, we feel the programme offers our Sixth Form students a unique enrichment opportunity, where they can benefit from integrating with students from other cultures and make a network of life-long friends across the world.
Jacopo, who joined us in 2016 from Italy as part of the programme spent a year in our Sixth Form. Below is a short interview with him talking about his experience.
Our head of Sixth Form Mr Neal said
“The programme has been an outstanding success. We have had students from a large range of countries who have had the chance to experience a different setting to their home. This has also allowed our students to experience a range of cultures and adds a different dimension to Sixth Form @ South Wirral.”
For students to take part in this experience they stay with host families across Wirral and Cheshire, who are local families that have international students stay with them for the duration of their studies. Any family can apply to become a host family and you will receive £410 per student, per calendar month whilst they stay with you. If you want to find out more about how it works contact the local representative for Educatius Martyn Hawthorne on [email protected] or call him on 07477888336.
Mathis, who has been with us this year, had this to say about his experiences at Sixth Form @ South Wirral:
“I came here from Bründersen in Germany, which is a small village with only 600-700 inhabitants – less than the capacity of South Wirral. I have been studying German, Physics and PE and have enjoyed all of them. Physics has been good because I want to become a Mechanic or Architect when I am older.
South Wirral is very good for international students. While I’ve missed my family, I’ve enjoyed my time and will definitely come back to England. My experience has been enjoyable, educational and character building.”
