On Tuesday 26^th September 2023, 118 year 6 pupils from Anchorsholme Academy and Hawes Side Academy in Blackpool visited Lancaster University Confucius Institute.

Anchorsholme Academy and Hawes Side Academy are two of Lancaster University Confucius Institute’s Confucius classrooms. This means that teachers from Lancaster University Confucius Institute are based at the school to teach Chinese to the pupils as part of the curriculum. The children also have the opportunity to take Youth Chinese Test (YCT) Chinese language proficiency exams.

The visit began with a welcome from Lancaster University Confucius Institute staff and a tour of the Roundhouse building. The children enjoyed looking at the Chinese decorations, objects and pictures in the building as well as Chinese language and culture books in the resource centre.

After a look around the Confucius Institute, the children were guided by Lancaster University Confucius Institute staff on a campus tour. They enjoyed visiting key places around campus such as the library where they met Norma the library tree, learned how to borrow a book and all of the exciting events that take place in the library. During the tour, the children asked questions about Lancaster University, the colleges and life at university as a student.

The children then gathered together in a lecture theatre to experience what life as a student may be like. They took part in an interactive quiz on China and the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival and shared information that they had already learned at school about Chinese language and culture. For the final activity, the children decorated some paper fans with Mid-Autumn Festival decorations.

‘A truly aspirational day for the children at Anchorsholme. For many children it was their very first experience of a University and yet the journey home was filled with comments such as.... "when I go to university...". I certainly believe that this has been the trigger for many of our children's future aspirations.

Huge thanks to everyone at Lancaster University who made the children feel so welcome.’

– Mr Dow, Headteacher, Anchorsholme Academy