Radley College and Oxford High School have put the teaching of the Chinese language on the agenda for the state schools across Oxfordshire and surrounding counties.

We are committed to a collaborative and innovative approach between our two schools in order to create a vibrant hub in and around Oxford for the teaching of the Chinese language at both primary and secondary level. It is our ambition for this to grow steadily over a medium to long period of time; we are not interested in short-termism but in a sustained and sustainable programme that gives students the opportunity to develop a skill of real utility for life beyond school.

“Our vision is to promote, deliver and facilitate the teaching of Mandarin Chinese to as many students as possible from as wide variety of backgrounds as possible in Oxford and the surrounding area.”

Radley and Oxford High School have a strong tradition of supporting and working with other schools: Radley support an academy in Maidenhead, work closely with the local primary school and have countless relationships through community service involvement with other schools, nine of which have been benefitting from the teaching and learning of Mandarin from the SCLCO since September 2017.

The key themes of the SCLCO are:

  • The importance of cultural education as well as language.
  • Initial exposure to the language at an early age to lead to exam success over time.
  • Quality and style of teaching in accordance with the expectations of the hub schools.
  • Effective online resources, guidance and assessment enabling ongoing learning.
  • Making provision available to students of all backgrounds.

“We are delighted to be working with the Swire Chinese Language Centre, Oxford. It is a wonderful opportunity for our children to learn Mandarin Chinese and to study Chinese culture as part of the new initiative.”
Jacquie Stevenson, Head at Rush Common Primary School, Abingdon

“I love studying Mandarin as it is interesting and just makes me feel really special that I can speak some Chinese. I will probably go on to study Mandarin at GCSE as it is really fun and easy to learn.”
Hugo Quinn-Bower, Year 7 student at Desborough College, Maidenhead