YOUNGSTERS enjoyed a life-changing adventure in China as part of their schools’ efforts to broaden their horizons.

Pupils from from Wolsingham School in Weardale, County Durham, and St Michael’s Roman Catholic Academy in Billingham travelled to Xinhua School in Tianjin to gain an insight in to Chinese culture

The children spent a week fully immersing themselves in Chinese life, staying with host families, attending school and coming to terms with chopsticks.

They then travelled to Beijing and visited famous sites including Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and the Olympic Park. The action packed tripped concluded with a Shaolin Kung Fu performance.

Lee Elliott, headteacher at Wolsingham School, said “We aim to offer our students experiences that they perhaps would not normally have.

“Learning outside of the classroom is an important part of growing up and the development of leadership skills and how to approach unfamiliar situations is just as important as passing a GCSE in mathematics”