International Winter Immersion Programme at Woodhouse Grove 

Over the past few weeks, we have had the privilege of welcoming groups of students from Suzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang, and Beijing who took part in our Winter Immersion Programme. 

Visiting students were given the opportunity to become fully immersed in school life, taking advantage of the excellent academic, co-curricular and pastoral opportunities offered at The Grove. All students were allocated an individual buddy, many of whom were day students wanting to get involved in this excellent cultural opportunity. The students attended all lessons with their buddies and got involved in enrichment and co-curricular clubs and activities. It was a pleasure to observe the positive relationships that were developed between the immersion students and our current students, all of whom were real ambassadors for the school. 

The Grove community greatly benefits from this international element, as living and working in close proximity to different nationalities promotes tolerance, understanding, and respect for other people’s views, cultures and traditions. The diversity of our boarders also adds a vibrant energy to day-to-day life at The Grove and is a special environment to be a part of. The understanding and acceptance of the diverse community at Woodhouse Grove is key to the cohesive environment that can be seen within the school. 

With 10% of senior school numbers being boarders, it is important that relationships between the boarding community and day pupil students are valued and nurtured. We actively promote and welcome visits to our boarding houses and encourage boarders to build relationships outside of boarding with day pupils. Many strong friendships have been formed and our boarders often visit the homes of their day pupil friends in the evenings, weekends, and during the holidays. Time and again we have seen these friendships develop and continue to grow beyond the students’ time at school. These friendships have the potential to last a lifetime and are testament to the welcoming and inclusive environment at The Grove. 

“Boarding really is a very special and unique opportunity that a school can offer its pupils. I feel very privileged to be part of The Grove’s highly regarded boarding community, which celebrates traditional values, whilst embracing tolerance and understanding of all cultures, giving importance to what we can learn from them. It is not surprising that Grove boarding attracts students from all over the world.” 

I am an individual, yet I am part of something incredible. I am Grovian. 

Dan King 

Assistant Head (Boarding and Compliance)