Over the last year, NCW has been involved in an EU-funded Erasmus+ project which is linked to students who are considered disadvantaged in a variety of ways, sharing cultural experiences with one another.
As well as NCW, the project involves schools from five other European countries; Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Spain and Turkey.
Groups of students from NCW have already experienced the life and rich culture of Spain, Poland, Bulgaria and Spain during visits, and this February saw the turn of the UK to host our European peers!
Our overseas visitors stayed in central Worcester, easily accessible for school and also in a great location to experience the hustle and bustle of the city centre – shopping, food markets, music and streets steeped in rich history such as Friar Street.
Upon their arrival and first visit to our school, the European group were welcomed with excerpts from the recent production of ‘Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ and a tour of the many facilities and classrooms.
Despite the rain and rising levels of flooding in and around Worcester, spirits remained high during the week, which was filled with both educational and fun activities. These included visits to the historical Guildhall, impressive Worcester Cathedral and the Tudor House Museum where students got in to character by raiding the dressing up box!
A trip to the Black Country Museum was also on the cards, where the group discovered the long standing history of the UK’s second biggest city, and sampled some good old English fayre such as boiled sweets and chips in beef dripping.
We couldn’t let our European visitors return home without benefiting from the great links we have with Worcester Warriors Rugby and the Warriors Community Foundation. After a guided tour around the impressive Sixways Stadium, the group along with NCW students enjoyed a fun game of Hugby, the inclusive alternative to rugby.
A farewell party and buffet was arranged for the last night and the last day was spent in school in the morning where the group got involved in Art and ILS workshops. The afternoon was left for some last minute shopping!
The Erasmus+ programme has been incredibly beneficial to our students, allowing them to meet fellow students overseas, expand their cultural knowledge, make diverse friendships and have a much deeper understanding of what each country is about – better than anything that can be learnt in a textbook!
