With all the news about Brexit, it is sometimes difficult to see the positive experiences that come out of Europe for our city but our relationship with the University of Wuppertal is definitely one worth shouting about.

The University of Wuppertal is located in Wuppertal, North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany and is a well-respected university which includes a teacher training provision. Last year we had our first international teacher trainee placements at the school and it proved a huge success – with the students seeing the best the British system has to offer, and us learning about approaches from overseas, getting extra support in lessons and in school activities, and establishing firm friendships with our trainees where we retain a valuable contact.

This year we have Edna Trle, Graham Fleischacker and Judith Von Plettenberg joining us for the Summer Term and they are already having a fantastic impact on school life. Mr Fleischacker immediately helped out on the Duke of Edinburgh weekend, and all three have agreed to come on the Year 9 residential to France which helps us to hold down costs.

Matt Allman, Headteacher, said: “We do all we can to open our students’ eyes to the benefits of international co-operation and to recognise that we may be different nationalities but we are all people. This is a difficult task amidst so much noise on the issue but our students see the benefits programmes like this bring to their school life, our Sixth Formers learn to consider such routes in their own study, and we as a school know we are doing all we can to combat intolerance and promote mutual respect.”

If you would like to learn more about the University of Wuppertal visit: https://www.uni-wuppertal.de/en/home/