Impington International College, a sixth form located on the outskirts of Cambridge, has welcomed 65 new and returning international students to its learning community from 13 countries, including: Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, Czech Republic, Latvia, Belgium, South Africa, USA, Slovakia, Slovenia, Israel and France, solidifying its educational standing as a truly international College.
Teachers from Impington International College have been working hard over the summer months to ensure that the transition back to an educational environment has been seamless for all invovled. This began with a series of virtual welcome events hosted in July, which included live 1-2-1 sessions with tutors and teachers, a virtual “coffee shop” for students to meet their peers and an online guided tour of the site. Following on from this, the College has also been adapting elements of the induction process to take place virtually, ensuring that students remain connected, regardless of where they are in the world, a process that has been especially beneficial for students that have travelled from abroad to stay with host families in the city, and are currently undertaking a period of quarantine.
Johanna Sale, Vice Principal, Impington International College, said: “Although this year has been different to the norm, it’s been fantastic to welcome so many new, and returning, faces to our College. Having such a diverse international cohort is brilliant; our common room is alive with different languages and laughter, and the knowledge and experiences that our students can learn from one another allows them to develop their learning within a globalised context – an essential skill for them to gain before they move on to the next stage of their educational journey.”
Following school closures in March this year, Impington International College worked with its students as they navigated a world of cancelled exams and results. To try and give the students the send off that they deserved, the College hosted its May Ball virtually, where 70 of the College’s Year 13 cohort dressed up and joined via Zoom from settings all over the world to celebrate all they had achieved. This year’s leavers will also be invited back to the 2021 May Ball with all other sixth form students and teachers, allowing them the physical celebration and long awaited catch up.
Sale continued: “At Impington International College, we are a family, and I’m excited to welcome our new students into our international community. Our offering is truly unique and through our world class International Baccalaureate education we’re proud to be able to offer our students their ticket to a world of opportunity.”
