Children from China are thriving in Somerset

After welcoming fifteen children from Beijing to Perrott Hill Prep School at the start of the Spring Term, the group has gone from strength to strength and returned for the Summer Term, with equal amounts of energy and enthusiasm.

The children who are aged between nine and thirteen have travelled to the UK, many for the first time, to join the Perrott Hill community as boarders for two terms. The small rural school in Somerset has an average roll of 185 pupils within the stunning 28-acre site and is renowned for its nurturing family atmosphere.

Whether they are local children or from further afield, boarding at Perrott Hill is an extremely popular choice. Most day pupils opt to board at the school at some point, with the offer of flexi, regular and weekly boarding, and an extensive activities schedule, which means that the full boarders from the UK, China and Europe establish friendship groups very quickly.

It is common for our international pupils to be found staying with local families over weekends as they form friendships and adapt to living in the community. The school is fully aware of the benefits of having a strong diverse community and has recently worked hard with agents and direct contacts to build a full and sustainable international programme of which the children from China are a key component.

Perrott Hill has a reputation for excellence in providing a well-rounded education, and international pupils are encouraged to participate in everything from the Easter Service to the Lunar New Year celebrations, from Art and Orchestral Community events to House Poetry Recitation Competitions.

All the pupils have excelled in their spoken English and comprehension which is a key indicator of the success of the programme.

Alex McCullough, Headmaster of Perrott Hill, said: “We are delighted at the success of the programme and the level of integration and progress made by our new pupils. Witnessing our children from Beijing chairing debates and taking on solo performances in theatre performances in their first term was extremely satisfying and a credit to all those involved. Our hope is that we will continue to provide similar experiences for other Chinese pupils in the coming years so that future cohorts of pupils will benefit similarly from the benefits of attending Perrott Hill, a quintessentially English prep school.”