Students at Impington Village College, a school and sixth form in Cambridgeshire have completed trips to India and Italy thanks to £1million of funding from the Turing Scheme.
In March 2022, more than 40 Year 7 and Year 12 students visited SKSN, a residential school for the physically challenged in Jodphur, India. The two schools have long standing ties that have included fundraising in the UK by the Cambridgeshire-based students on behalf of the Rajasthani school.
While at SKSN, the UK students helped with a project at the partner school and attended lessons with their Indian counterparts. Students also toured the Indian capital Delhi and visited the ancient oasis town of Osian for a camel riding experience.
Praise from parent for Turing Scheme
A parent of a Year 7 student said: “We would like to share our heartfelt thanks for the absolutely amazing, and likely lifechanging, trip to India that the College planned. It has provided our son with a better understanding of the world and a greater appreciation of the diverse societies that it contains.
“The trip has surpassed our expectations, and his eagerness to share all that he has learnt is a testament to the quality of the preparation, planning and execution of the visit. This trip has provided him with an experience that we are confident will impact his outlook for many years to come.”
Impington Village College is a non-selective secondary school in Cambridgeshire, offering a unique educational experience for its students. The college is ranked in the top 100 state schools in the UK and was crowned the top non-selective International Baccalaureate (IB) provider in the UK by the Sunday Times.
Impington students ‘Rome-ing’ the world thanks to Turing Scheme
The second trip funded by the Turing Scheme allowed Maths, Arts and Latin/Classics students from Years 9 and 10 to spend three days learning alongside Italian students at a school in Rome. A further day was spent sightseeing in Rome, visiting the Colosseum, Villa Borghese and the Sistine Chapel, whilst the Latin/Classics students were offered a separate excursion to Pompeii.
Victoria Hearn, the College’s Principal, said: “For some of our students, this was their first experience of travelling abroad. They were thrilled to have the opportunity to experience new cultures first-hand.
“At Impington, our students take the International Baccalaureate, and so, there is a great emphasis on international mindedness. The opportunities that the Turing Scheme has offered our students to experience life outside of the UK is incredibly valuable to their learning, as well as helping to develop them into more well-rounded, respectful individuals.”
The visits to India and Italy are the starting point for a wealth of planned activities. A dozen more international excursions are planned over the summer term including visits to the Spanish city of Zaragoza and Le Puy en Valley, France.
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