CASE STUDY WIRRAL COUNCIL

£304,000 ESTIMATED LOCAL ECONOMIC IMPACT INTRODUCTION

In 2014, the first Academy Birkenhead and Taicang 72% Experimental Middle School, and CONSIDER RETURNING TO ever Sister School have continued to run successful THE LOCAL AREA Partnership between school exchange programmes between the regions ever since. Wirral and Taicang was launched with 80 True Education Partnerships (TEP) LEO STUDENTS STUDYING TEP. Established in 2011, True Education MANDARIN Partnerships (TEP) are the most trusted provider of immersive The Metropolitan Borough of Wirral educational student exchanges is part of the Liverpool City Region, between the UK and China. with an estimated population of Our Government-backed Sister 323,235 (as of 2018). Surrounded School Partnerships programme by cultural Liverpool, thriving and educational trips to China help Manchester and historic Chester, it to inspire young people and prepare is a unique and attractive place to them for the world of tomorrow. live, work and visit. By establishing and supporting Within the Wirral one can expect bilaterally beneficial Sister School beautiful scenery and countryside, Partnerships, we enable schools to from the stunning coastlines of increase cultural awareness, boost the Rivers Mersey and Dee to the student enrichment and facilitate tranquillity of open parks and green the development of essential life spaces, as well as an abundance of skills. attractions and activities. We also work directly with councils Wirral Council has been partnered to establish and maintain sister with the city of Taicang in Jiangsu city partnerships between the UK Province since 2011. The two and China. This helps to increase regions signed a sister city cultural awareness across cities; agreement to develop business develop educational partnerships links, secure inward investment, such as joint research and teaching boost tourism relations and create programmes; boost tourism and links for sustainable technology and trade and encourage new business education. relationships and investments. In 2014, Wirral Council began Pioneering a bold and visionary working with True Education approach to learning, TEP’s Partnerships to preserve and grow programmes have had incredible the Taicang relationship. They benefits for students, teachers, established the first sister school schools, councils and the local partnership between University economy.

trueeducationpartnerships.com WIRRAL AND TAICANG SISTER CITY PARTNERSHIP

TEP began working Many councils have already established sister city partnerships that they wish to utilise for mutually beneficial relationships. However, a variety of with Wirral Council circumstances and factors can prevent them from moving forward with planned projects. Educational programmes, such as TEP’s Sister School in 2014 to grow Partnerships programme, provide a great avenue to not only establish strong its education and links with their sister city, but also achieve measurable long and short-term benefits for both regions. business links with Taicang. Wirral and Taicang Past Activity Wirral and Taicang have shared a close sister city relationship since 2011, enjoying several mutually beneficial business, educational and community Sister City Partnerships developments since 2008. Sister city partnerships are Wirral signed an official sister city agreement with Taicang in October 2011. affectionately named agreements The partnership was designed to boost tourism relations and links for ports, between certain towns, cities, sustainable technology and education, as well as to develop business links. provinces or in some cases, Taicang is based in the Jiangsu province and is one of China’s wealthiest cities. countries across the globe. This Representatives from Wirral’s business community, UKTI and the China- voluntary forging of ties helps Britain Business Council travelled to Taicang in 2015 to sign a Memorandum of encourage cultural understanding, Understanding (MoU) with Taicang General Chamber of Commerce. The MoU friendship and exchange, as well placed Wirral in a positive position to create stronger trade links between the as trade agreements and business UK and China. partnerships between the two cities. A follow-up trade mission was organised by Wirral Chamber of Commerce in The sister city relationship has been 2016 for local businesses to visit China. hugely beneficial for forging closer In late 2017, Liverpool and Wirral joined forces in a business delegation visit ties between the UK and China, to South West China and Tianjin, to boost investment for the two regions. creating a deeper understanding Wirral Cllr Leader Phil Davies said that the visit was a great opportunity for between Chinese and British international investors to build on existing relationships and that they also cultures. look forward to visiting their sister city Taicang during the trip.

The TEP Sister School Partnerships programme is one of the main ways SISTER CITY PARTNERSHIP BENEFITS we support and encourage links between cities, even if a formal Increased city-wide cultural awareness city partnership has not yet been established. Educational partnerships and developments, including joint Sister School Partnership research and teaching programmes Sister school partnerships are long-term agreements between two An influx of business, tourism and trade schools consisting of immersive student exchanges, participation in joint projects and curriculum Sharing of valuable resources and approaches in business, enrichment. education, culture and technologies International school partnerships provide a great opportunity to Raising the international profile of cities help students develop the skills they need to succeed in education, work, society and relationships. More investment in the local economy TEP works closely with government backing to provide positive Sister School Partnership programmes for Showing local government achievements schools in the UK and China.

trueeducationpartnerships.com WIRRAL AND TAICANG SISTER SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS

TEP has established The visiting students, accompanied TEP runs several Leadership by 19 teachers, travelled over Delegations to China annually, 12 sister school 5,687-miles from their China These enable teachers, institutions in co-ordination with the headteachers and other educational partnerships between Chinese Education Bureau. During leaders to establish partnerships Wirral and Taicang, their stay, they attended timetabled with their sister schools by signing lessons with their host students, a Memorandum of Understanding 10 of which are still learned more about UK culture and (MoU), as well as strengthening active today. had the chance to practice their agreements and partnerships that English language skills. Meanwhile, may have already been established. visiting teachers were able to get a These delegations also give Between 2016 and 2019, 13 UK real insight into Western teaching teachers valuable insight into schools hosted their sister schools, practices and trade information teaching styles of Chinese schools, providing an immersive educational and resources with their British providing ideas and inspiration they experience for 166 Chinese students counterparts. can bring back to the UK. from various regions across China. The visit started and ended with an Ruth Beddal, Biology teacher at Five schools have also embarked on Opening and Closing ceremony - an The Mosslands School, said: “I was life-changing trips to China to visit important aspect of Chinese culture able to speak to the English teacher their sister schools. that helps to build the relationship from China about the teaching In 2019 alone, 12 UK schools between the partnered schools. styles and the ways in which we hosted 152 Chinese students and 19 To help Chinese students feel teach differ. That’s one part I’m teachers from 10 schools. Three UK welcome, each of them was paired really looking forward to when we schools also visited China in October. with a UK student via the ‘buddy visit our sister school.” Four Wirral schools are currently system’. This encourages cultural preparing to travel to China in 2020. mingling and allows friendships to blossom. Chinese Visitors 2019 In July 2019, a selected group of Total number of Total number of Percentage of Wirral Chinese exchange students 12 schools in the Wirral hosted Wirral schools that schools that would to the Wirral since 2016 hosted in 2019 choose to host again over 100 students from their sister schools situated in Taicang. 318 12 100% SISTER SCHOOLS

St John Plessington Taicang No.2 Middle Upton Hall School Taicang No.1 Middle Catholic College School FCJ School

Bidston Avenue Taicang Experimen- St Anselm’s College Taicang Experimen- Primary School tal Primary School tal Middle School

St Mary’s Catholic Taicang Ludu Middle St George’s Primary Taicang Jingmao College School School Primary School

The Mosslands Taicang Shaxi Ex- Thornton Hough Taicang Kejiao School perimental MS Primary School Xincheng PS

Townfield Primary Taicang Zhudiwen Wirral Grammar for Taicang Liangfu School Primary School Girls Middle School

trueeducationpartnerships.com Personal Enrichment & School Community Development Our Sister School Partnership LIFE-LONG Personal enrichment and programmes have a wide-reaching development of students is impact on the school community, something that is particularly strengthening schools’ curriculum, BENEFITS noted during the school hosting quality of teaching and outcomes programmes. for students. Upon arrival, Chinese children are Teachers across Wirral have TEP’s programmes paired with a UK student in what is benefited greatly from their bring a multitude of known as the ‘Buddy System’. This leadership delegation visits and enables students to immediately school trips to China, learning benefits for schools feel more at home and makes it about everyday life and education, noticeably easier for children to discovering international including educational, make friends. pedagogies and bringing those personal and social. Spending time with children of insights with them back to the other cultures also encourages classroom. cultural awareness among both UK Even for students who do not travel Education Benefits and Chinese students. Many Wirral to China, hosting their sister school A key benefit of the hosting teachers report that seeing the encourages students to learn experiences organised by TEP is children make bonds, share gifts about other cultural backgrounds, the facilitation of language and and experiences and make new developing empathy, maturity and communication skills. Many Chinese friends was a huge highlight. respect. students find partnering with English These programmes also enable native-speaking students incredibly schools to meet expectations of helpful for developing their own the Ofsted framework, including English speaking and literacy skills. providing for learners’ broader UK students, meanwhile, enjoy Even though they development; improving resilience, learning about the Chinese culture confidence and independence, and and are observed showing curiosity didn’t all speak the equipping them to be responsible, and willingness when speaking with same language, the active citizens of society. their Chinese peers. Since hosting their sister schools, children bonded. Inclusivity funding is available via Upton Hall School FCJ, St John’s Ruth Beddal the TEP Scholarship programme, Plessington College and Calday Biology teacher at The which enables five disadvantaged Grange Grammar across Wirral have Mosslands School students from the Wirral to join gone on to engage in the Mandarin their fellow students on a trip to Excellence Programme with the China. Confucius Institute for Schools. The programme offers students four hours of teacher-taught classroom lessons per week and enables them to prepare for their GCSE/A Level examinations and eventually HSK levels 4 and 5. The Mosslands School, Wallasey have shared a sister school partnership with Taicang Shaxi Experimental Middle School since 2018. They have engaged in two successful trips to China and have also hosted their sister school three times. They are planning their third trip to China in October 2020. Ruth Beddal, Biology teacher at The Mosslands School, said: “Even though they didn’t all speak the same language, the children bonded and really did make friends. Some of them even kept in touch after they returned to China.”

trueeducationpartnerships.com TEP’s economic impact growth in local businesses. We use local providers for THE VISITOR on communities is why accommodation, transport, government entities restaurants, entertainment and tourist attractions. ECONOMY choose to partner with Our Chinese school hosting programmes are estimated to have us. provided £300,000 to £500,000 local Research from the Organisation spend in Wirral per year, excluding for Economic Co-Operation and local expenditure by visiting Development revealed how an delegates and students. This is increase in a country’s student based on an average cost of £2000 TEP’s programmes directly exchanges correlates with a per student. injected into local £304,000 boost to GDR. TEP’s Sister School Longer term financial benefits economy in July 2019. Partnerships programmes help are substantial due to positive to make a substantial economic results of successful trips. By impact on communities, which is improving Wirral students’ cultural why government entities choose to awareness and understanding, our 38% increase in number of partner with us. school partnerships help to create Chinese visitors to the North since Our programmes encourages an employable global citizens who will 2015 - higher growth rate than influx of international visitors to local go on to become valuable assets to both London & UK average. regions, which stimulates local businesses.

LCR TOURISM VALUE 2018 (£M) LCR TOURISM VALUE 2019 (£M) Northern attractions reporting £287 £564 a 200% uplift in bookings from £244 Chinese tourists. £456 £426

£591

£555

Average spend per visit in North £3,016 £3,319 West has increased by 94% to £2,167 and is now 5% higher than national average (since 2017)

Travel and Tourism We are currently entering a golden era for China-UK relations and the North of England has been reaping the benefits. Thanks to long-established city partnerships such as the Wirral-Taicang, Manchester-Wuhan and the iconic Liverpool- Shanghai partnership, the North is continuing to build ever-closer social, economic and cultural links with China. Wirral is the fastest growing visitor destination within the Liverpool City region, particularly popular for day visitors, tourists on short breaks, business meetings or events. Visitors staying overnight in Wirral’s hotels has increased by 36% in the last 10 years and the region has experienced significant growth – attracting 8.2 million visitors each year. In 2018, Wirral’s visitor economy grew for the sixth year in a row – up almost 7% from the year before – with a total value of £455.83m. The number of jobs in the visitor economy sector also grew by nearly 3.8%, providing jobs for 5,552 full-time workers. Wirral Council decided in 2017 that it would focus on several considerations for developing its travel economy strategy; not least of all the group travel trade, which would benefit from coordination across Wirral in terms of itinerary planning and promotion. TEP plays a role in supporting group travel, organising successful hosting programmes and creating itineraries that offer Chinese students an immersive educational and recreational experience during their time on the Wirral. Wirral is home to a number of internationally recognised attractions, such as Port Sunlight Village, the Mersey Ferries, Birkenhead Park, Tranmere Stadium, New Brighton seaside and Cheshire Oaks shopping centre. TEP’s school itineraries often include visits to many of these attractions and in doing so aid footfall to key areas and venues.

trueeducationpartnerships.com cultural activities. Business Development/Investment Research from the British Council Building mutually beneficial KNOWLEDGE in 2018 showed a decline in entries relationships with China leads to to foreign languages at GCSE level. valuable investment in businesses 45% of UK state schools and 41% of and infrastructure. Our sister EXCHANGE independent schools attributed this school partnerships not only help to the implications of Brexit posing to support these relationships, but a major challenge to providing high also create globally minded citizens International quality teaching. Considering this, that grow up to be well-rounded, student exchange experiences and desirable employees. partnerships create sister school partnerships can be By encouraging international global citizens who seen as an extra avenue to increase study from a young age, students the number of children interested in will have increased knowledge of can become valuable pursuing foreign language studies. different cultures; develop cross- assets to Wirral Last year, national GCSE results cultural skills and show greater revealed that modern foreign potential for the acquisition of a businesses. language entries were up 3%, foreign language. These qualities overturning the previous five-year are valuable assets for local decline. businesses and help to strengthen International Study/Education Thanks to long-established sister global ties and the economy. Our hosting programmes bring city partnerships like those between Twinning with Northern English wide-reaching benefits for the whole Liverpool and Shanghai and Wirral cities can be beneficial for Chinese school community, including those and Taicang, the North West is cities, which are reliant on their students and teachers who may not seeing significant progress in industrial sector. Taicang has a have directly participated. improving knowledge exchange and large manufacturing base, along As well as providing insight into boosting educational opportunities with cities like Hangzhou (twinned alternative teaching models and between the two countries. with Leeds). Both are keen to approaches, our student exchanges Xi’an Jiaotong Liverpool University exchange knowledge regarding encourage children to explore a (XJTLU), Liverpool’s university in industrial developments and the new culture and way of life. This Suxhou near Shanghai, is projected coping strategies of Northern learning is further integrated into to grow to almost 30,000 students English cities in a post-industrial the curriculum through the study by the end of the decade. XJTLU is economy. of modern languages and cultural also expanding to a new campus in enrichment. Taicang, the Chinese area twinned Increase in Chinese Estimated amount Since beginning to work with schools with the Wirral. It is expected to students’ applications brought into the NW in China, four Wirral schools now bring with it more interest from to UK universities England by Chinese in 2019 students offer Mandarin teaching as part of Chinese students in the wider region their curriculum, as well as other of Liverpool.

30% £1.91bn NORTHERN CHINESE UNIVERSITIES STUDENTS

Northern universities now have Chinese students’ applications 20 collaborations with Chinese in- to UK universities was up 30% stitutions. A 2018 survey revealed in 2019 - exceeding those from that the University of Manchester Northern Ireland. More than and University of Liverpool have 120,000 Chinese students are the highest number of Chinese enrolled at UK universities. The students, with Liverpool providing number of Chinese students in almost 1 in 5. There has also been the UK has grown by 34% in five a 114% increase in Northern stu- years. International students are dents gaining Chinese internships collectively estimated to have since 2015, with more than 70% brought in £1.91bn to North West from low income backgrounds. of England.

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