An Education Dialogue Across Borders: Delegations from Wycombe Abbey UK Visit WAS Changzhou Again
In October, WASCZ was once again honoured to welcome two delegations from Wycombe Abbey UK. On 17-18 October, we hosted Mr Nick Woods, Deputy Head (Strategy & International), and Ms Claire Leong, Director of Global Links. Later in the month, on 28-29 October, Mr Patrick Sherrington and Ms Diana Rose, members of the Wycombe Abbey Board, also visited WASCZ. Following Mr Woods’s previous visit in May, these visits underscore the deepening, increasingly close partnership between the two schools, injecting renewed trust and understanding into the cross-border educational dialogue.
As the first sister school of Wycombe Abbey in China, WASCZ maintains frequent and meaningful interactions with its UK counterpart. During these visits, the delegations observed lessons, engaged in discussions with students and staff, and collaborated with the WASCZ team to envision the future of holistic education, further strengthening the educational ties that bridge East and West.
Founded in 1896, Wycombe Abbey UK is one of the UK’s most prestigious private schools, consistently ranking among the top academically. Each year, more than one-third of its students gain admission to leading universities such as Oxford and Cambridge. Today, Wycombe Abbey has four sister schools in China — in Changzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, and Hong Kong — and conducts multiple visits and exchanges annually, building a platform for deep collaboration within the WASCZ community and promoting the practice and development of holistic education.
In-Depth Exchange Strengthens Collaboration in Holistic Education
During their visits, the delegations held a series of productive meetings with WASCZ’s Executive Headmaster, Chinese Principal and school leadership teams from several divisions. Their discussions focused on key topics, including educational philosophy, management systems, curriculum planning, teacher development, and students’ holistic growth. Both sides explored ways to build on the existing collaboration between the two schools and further enhance the quality of holistic education and the student experience. “We are working towards the same purpose. We experience the same issues, and the more we can collaborate across the group and share knowledge, the better,” said Ms Rose.
During a subsequent tour of the campus, this first delegation gained a detailed understanding of WASCZ’s teaching facilities, boarding environment, and arts and sports programmes. They praised the school’s unique blend of international outlook and human-centred care. This was Mr Woods’ second visit to WASCZ, and he was full of praise for the school’s developments, particularly noting the newly renovated common room in the boarding houses: “Seeing the whole house gather here, we truly felt the sense of community and cohesion at WASCZ.”
