The Harris Group

Sixteen pupils form two Harris Primary Academies in south London were given the opportunity of their lifetimes when they were invited to take a generously subsidised trip to China to develop their understanding of the Mandarin language.

The trip, sponsored by the Swire Chinese Language Foundation, saw eight pupils each from Harris Primary Academy Beckenham and Harris Primary Academy Shortlands go on an eight-day adventure, visiting Nanjing and Shanghai.

In Nanjing they spent three days attending lessons at their sister school, Nanjing Lixue Primary, where they attended lessons in Maths, Science, Art, Music and PE, learning about everything from Chinese paper cutting to Mongolian folk singing. Their trip to the school reciprocated a visit which Nanjing Lixue Primary made to the Harris Academies in March 2025.

As well as enhancing their language skills at the school, the pupils enjoyed a range of activities in Shanghai to immerse themselves in Chinese culture, from visiting the Yu Garden to taking a night-time boat tour along the Huangpu River.

One pupil said of the trip: “It was absolutely amazing. I loved going to different places, especially the night river cruise where you got to see all the lights and play on the deck – that was so cool.”

Another added: “I loved visiting Nanjing Lixue School and meeting all the children there. All the students were so kind and made us feel very welcome.”

One parent commented after the trip: “Our daughter’s experience was truly once in a lifetime. Hearing her excitement as she shared her stories was a real joy and filled us with pride, especially knowing she was able to embark on this journey independently with her peers, and that she’s already eager to go back!

“It’s an opportunity we would wish for every child. There’s something incredibly valuable about taking what’s learned in theory and bringing it to life through real-world experience – it’s the best way to truly understand and grow.”

Cara Bleiman, Primary Mandarin Project Consultant at the Harris Federation, said:

“This trip was a once in a lifetime experience for our pupils, not only to enrich their learning of Mandarin but also to immerse themselves in a new culture and learn many life lessons along the way.

“It was fantastic to visit our sister school, Nanjing Lixue Primary, after they came to visit our primary schools last year. They were incredibly welcoming and gave a fascinating insight into the everyday lives of Chinese children – from the lessons they learn in school to the foods and activities which they most enjoy.

“Mandarin is such an important language which can open up so many doors for our pupils in the future, and we are so pleased to be one of the few state-funded schools offering the language at primary level.

“We are immensely grateful to the Swire Chinese Language Foundation for their support of our Mandarin programme and their sponsorship of this trip. Their support is helping us to foster and deepen a love of language learning within our pupils through opportunities which they would not otherwise have had.

“The memories and the friendships they have made through our Mandarin project will undoubtedly stick with them for the rest of their lives, and I hope that many will continue studying the language into Secondary School and beyond.”