About the Host School
Wuxi No. 1 High School was established in 1912 and has 2000 students on role, aged 15 to 19. At Wuxi No1 School we all work together as a team in order to achieve the best results possible for our students. We have a beautiful Campus in downtown Wuxi: 5 Acres, separate A-Level facilities including laboratories, classrooms and teachers' office.
The A Level & IB Centre
The A Level centre was established in 2008 and this year will see our first graduating students. We are hopeful that 10 will attend top 10 Universities and the rest will all attend high level universities. We have 230 students on roll, with 13 foreign teachers and 8 Chinese teachers. Students work hard, are very ambitious, polite and engaged in classes. Facilities include well-equipped science laboratories, 12 classrooms, 2 teacher staff rooms, computer suite, gym and a nice outdoor track. In terms of extra-curricular activities, we have basketball, chess, games club, debating club and volunteer groups.
IGCSE classes take English, Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Business Studies. AS students take English, Physics, Maths and any 2 of the following: Chemistry, Business Studies or Economics. This continues into A2 level.
We try and use inquiry based learning as much as possible. Our job is also to prepare the students for a western style of education at university level. Be prepared to meet extremely smart and motivated students who are not satisfied with a B grade. They push us to be our best!
Teachers can choose to order whatever reference books they need for support. There is also a personal computer with internet and printing available to all teachers. Subject leaders employed by Dipont are also able to provide valuable resources.
Key benefits, in addition to the commitment and attitude of the students, include working as part of a very supportive team and a consultative leadership team. Challenges to consider is the depth of subject teaching required - the commitment to learning is such that students are in school much longer hours and are very exam result focused.
Lifestyle
Wuxi is 45 min from Shanghai and 45 min from Nanjing, with an airport linking the city with various parts of China and some international destinations in Asia.
Accommodation available is excellent: 2 bedroom apartments within a 10 minute walk from school. Modern and fully furnished - the cost is covered by the accommodation allowance.
The school is located in city centre so it is very easy to get around on foot, and a great many restaurants and shops within walking distance. There are some good western amenities, including Starbucks and the inevitable McDonalds.
Wuxi has a long history and has the 5th largest freshwater lake in China.
More information can be found at:
http://www.wuxilife.com
http://en.wuxi.gov.cn
http://www.muztagh.com/wuxi/index.html
Wuxi has 4 seasons so it gets quite cool in the winter at 0-10 degrees and very warm in the summer at 30-40 degrees – so a variety of clothing is certainly useful.
Wuxi is a good posting in terms of experiencing 'real china' with 'modern china' only 45 minutes away in Shanghai. Our Host School is extremely supportive, and there are little to no distractions in terms of your teaching.
Teacher Case Study
Yvette Gillespie, Mathematics
After completing a Bachelor of Engineering, I opted to qualify as a teacher because I felt I could make more of an impact on society by teaching the skills required for other people to then go on to become useful and successful members of their communities. I have more than 12 years teaching experience, having taught in both state and private systems in 5 different countries (China is my 6th). My greatest experience to date was working in a secondary school in Namibia, Africa with Australian Volunteers International for 4 years.
My role is to teach the necessary mathematical skills required to successfully sit the Cambridge A-level examinations in Mathematics in English. It is also to help the Chinese students experience a more interactive style of learning and provide them with opportunities to demonstrate their personalities both within the classroom setting and outside of it, in order to produce university recommendation letters of substance.
The obvious benefit for me as a Mathematics teacher is that I am pushed (by the students) to deliver my subject material well and challenged to think about it on a deep level. Mathematics is the strength of all the students in our centre so I cannot afford to be 'off my game'. It is also a refreshing change to be teaching everyone's favourite subject, rather than having to encourage and motivate students to 'do' maths.
I enjoy a very comfortable lifestyle. My apartment is very spacious and nicely furnished with connections to the internet and satellite TV. All my basic food needs are met and I can even indulge in a number of imported products like chocolate, cheese and wine! While the entertainment scene in Wuxi is a little quiet, there are still a number of places to go to for a drink and English conversation. Also Shanghai is only an hour away by train. Wuxi has lots of lovely parks to enjoy on warm sunny days and the shopping opportunities are ample.
The hardest thing to come to terms with is the difference in the school holiday structure. I've found having only one day off for Christmas quite tough.
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Student Case Study
When did you start at the A Level Centre and how would you describe your experience there?
I started at the A level centre in September 2008. The life is different from my previous experience with frequent communication with teachers, additional foreign language classes and free time for self study.
What are the benefits in studying A levels?
I benefit a great deal from the time provided to develop my own interests. There are more opportunities to touch the world outside of China and this satisfies my curious nature. Most importantly, it allows greater access to top universities across the world.
What has been challenging?
At first, it was difficult for me to adapt to all the lessons being in English but the situation quickly changed by daily English communication. Now, we are proceeding to applying to universities and this is quite complex and time consuming. I am trying to balance between the applications and normal classes.
What grades have you obtained?
My grades at AS level were Mathematics: A , Physics: A, Chemistry: A and Business Studies: B
What are your plans for university?
I will go to a USA or UK university for higher education. I am going to continue to invest in my interest in Chemistry. Meanwhile, I am making my development more versatile by participating in various activities and clubs.
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