Pupils from Kensington Wade, a preparatory school in Hammersmith, are preparing to sit their Mandarin GCSE this summer, while still at primary school.
The school achieved outstanding results in Mandarin GCSE last year, with pupils sitting the examination five years earlier than is typical in the UK. All pupils who took the qualification this year achieved either Grade 8 or Grade 9.
Many of the pupils come from families with no Chinese background and do not speak Mandarin at home.
The UK’s only Mandarin-English immersion prep school
Kensington Wade is the United Kingdom’s only Mandarin-English immersion preparatory school. Through a unique bilingual model, pupils are taught in both Mandarin and English from the age of three, spending around half of each school day learning and communicating in Mandarin.
The school’s immersive approach has produced exceptional results. Last year, several pupils achieved Grade 9, the highest possible GCSE grade, while still in Year 5. This year, more pupils chose to sit the examination in Year 6, continuing the school’s record of early success in Mandarin language learning.
Huw May, Head of Kensington Wade, said: “These results demonstrate what can be achieved through bilingual education and early language immersion. Many of our pupils begin school with little or no Mandarin, yet develop an impressive level of fluency and confidence. In 34 years in education, I have never worked in a school as remarkable as this.”
As interest in Mandarin language learning continues to grow across the United Kingdom, Kensington Wade remains at the forefront of bilingual education, helping children develop language skills, cultural understanding and a global outlook from an early age.
