When the opportunity to be involved with the Towards the Olympics Project came up the college was very excited for a number of reasons.

Firstly, it was a chance to make contact with a new part of the world. We already have contacts and exchanges with many other countries and the prospect of linking with China was a fantastic opportunity. We hope to develop these links and exchanges even further to create long lasting friendship.

As a specialist sports college the chance to make contact with the host city for the 2008 Olympic Games was a major factor. Sport plays an important role in the college, and the project will enable our students to be even more committed to sport, and to gain a greater understanding of the Olympic ideals and international sport and cultures.

Business and enterprise also features highly in the college. Chinese economy and industry is developing rapidly, and Towards the Olympics is a perfect opportunity to educate our students on this vital area of global development. They will also be given the chance to learn Mandarin, again preparing them for the future.

Objectives

For us, the immediate objectives are as follows:

• To promote international understanding about the impact of sport on the lives of young people in different cultures;
• To enable students to examine ways in which sport is taught in different cultures;
• To promote the social values of wider participation in sport;
• To enable students to understand the Olympic ideals;
• To promote the centrality of sport to a fulfilling and healthy lifestyle.

In the longer term we hope to develop the following aspects of the project

• Permanent links between the schools;
• Development of languages within the school;
• Joint study projects;
• Regular exchanges;
• Work experience;

Development of partnerships within other subject areas (an example where sport can promote whole school improvement).

Work so far

• One of our tutor groups is currently working on a project about Chinese sport, culture, diet etc. They will present and display their work to parents, staff, governors and, hopefully, an international athlete.
• Year 7 students are currently designing their own Olympic logos. Once these are completed they will be posted on the Uniservity web site (the online community linkning Chinese and English schools.)
• A group of year 8 girls learned a traditional Chinese dance with our science teacher, Miss Quan. They performed the dance in assemblies and then went out to local primary schools along with our sports leaders and taught the dance to the primary school students. This was part of the middle years programme, which leads to the International Baccalaureate.
• Our year 7 students will taking part in a language and cultural day. Not only will they learn traditional Chinese dance again, but also they will be involved with Mandarin classes, tai chi, martial arts and hopefully other traditional Chinese sports. Photographs will be posted on the website.
• We are also hoping to invite the Chinese soccer captain, who plays for the local premiership side, Charlton Athletic, to come in to see the work the students are doing.

Paul Brown
Head of Sport, Leigh City Technology College

Towards the Olympics participant schools

Chinese Schools

• Beijing Huija Private School
• Beijing Jinsong Vocational School
• Beijing No.57 School

English Schools

• Leigh City Technology College
• Queens' Sports College
• Wildern School