PUPILS – and staff – at a Forest school are learning more about China thanks to a new link with a leading Chinese cultural organisation.

Around 60 students at Wyedean School in Sedbury attended the first of the sessions with experts from the Confucius Institute.

A number of staff have also signed up for after-school lessons to learn more about this important country, its language, long and rich history and varied cultures.

Among the students who attended the first of the Wednesday workshops was 13-year-old Rosie Maggs.

She said: “It was really interesting to learn about a new culture which we didn’t know much about before.

“The food was amazing, it was a mix between sweet and spicy which is really different to the food we normally eat.

“It was really fun as we got to learn language and calligraphy.”

Weile Wang, of the Confucius Institute, said: “The students have high interest in Chinese language and culture because it is so different.

“We had 60 pupils, 20 in each age group and eight staff will be coming to sessions after school.

“We’ve been learning how to speak Chinese and how to write with a Chinese brush.

“We also tried some Chinese snacks and in future we will be looking at Chinese culture, trying on Chinese clothes and perhaps listening to Chinese opera.”

The school’s head of languages, Rebecca Simpson, said: “Wyedean students in Years Seven to Nine had a fantastic opportunity to study Mandarin as part of the school’s celebration of Languages Week.

“Students were excited and motivated by the workshop, so much so, that Wyedean School has decided to offer it as an extra-curricular club to students and staff.

“We are so thrilled to be able to offer this exciting opportunity to our students.

“It is a great way of enhancing their language skills, increasing their global awareness and introducing them to another culture – some of the essential skills that they will need in a future of global communications.”